From Playpen to Promise.

It all started in a crib. Literally. Picture two toddlers, Rob and Toya, playing together in a playpen in South Bend, Indiana. We were around 1 and 2 years old. That's where our lifelong bond began. Fast forward to when we were 14 and 15. We would see each other at family picnics in South Bend, and our cousin by marriage, Nicole Newman, played matchmaker. We had crushes on each other. Rob would call Toya long-distance, risking his parents' wrath, and we would write letters to each other. But, as time went on, we drifted apart. Toya says it's because Rob didn't talk to her at a football game. Rob says it's because Toya stopped talking to him. Who knows what really happened. But God had a plan to bring us back together after nearly 30 years. We reconnected, and our friendship grew into love. Covid allowed us to spend a lot of time together, strengthening our bond. Two years later, Rob proposed. Now, we're planning our wedding on October 4, 2024, in Michigan City, Indiana, halfway between our hometowns where it all began. Our story is a mix of humor, faith, and destiny. We've learned that love sometimes takes a detour but always finds its way back. We're ready to start the next chapter of our lives together, thankful for every twist and turn that led us here.