I have found the one my soul loves

We were friends. I was friends with his whole family actually, because they are awesome! Kristan, my amazing Mother-In-Law to be, invited over the new single girl at church (...that was me) for dinner in the Spring of 2022. It soon became a weekly thing. I would go hangout at the Pobanz's for the evening, and we would all talk and play games. It was so fun! They are open and honest people that truly make you feel seen and heard. Anyway, Benjamin "Bo" and I developed a good friendship. Then in the fall, we sat together in church and shared a hymnal ONE TIME, and someone point blank asked us if we were dating. We were shocked and said "NO! We are just friends! Which was true! ...but quickly realized that we were both totally interested in each other. Bo said it was the premarital eye contact. ;) And thus began our dating relationship.

I was leaving soon for grad school in Tennessee, to study physical therapy. The week I was moving down, I asked Clara to go hiking with me at Lydick Bog, a favorite spot of ours. There, at 7AM, on Tuesday, July 23rd, I asked her to marry me. She asked me if this was really happening. I said yes, it was. And she said YES! Afterwards, I took her to L Street Kitchen, our favorite breakfast place. I asked if she was expecting it, to which she said yes, especially when she saw me that morning and I was dressed nicer than I typically would be on a Tuesday hike. 4 weeks later, we met halfway in Kentucky and I gave her the ring! It took me a while to find one as amazing as she is, but I knew I wanted to commit my love to her before I moved to pursue my studies.