We got married! Now, let's celebrate!

We met in March of 2018. Ryan and his family walked into Catron Street fellowship. I sat in my usual spot, in the kitchen. I was shy, but very observant of each person who attended our fellowship. I was intrigued by the McDonald family of 8 and in return, they were intrigued by the girl with an intense glare who sat in the kitchen. After church, a friend introduced me to the eldest girls of the family, Ashley and Mandy. Over the next few months we became great friends, having sleepovers, lunch dates, and late night talks about how much the Lord had worked in our lives. Not long after Ryan joined in some of our lunch dates and even our late night talks. I got to know how goofy and smart he was, and how much he loved and honored his family and God. Ryan learned about my playful personality and my love for the Lord through my love for others and teachable spirit. During each visit we got to know each other more and more. Ryan knew from the beginning of our hang out sessions that I was the one he was going to marry. It took me a while longer to decide that factor. By January 2019, I began to pray for Ryan by name. I enjoyed being with him and desired to get to know him better. Word got out in April of 2019 that there may be interest on both sides. Ryan took a few days to plan and prepare himself to ask if I wanted to date him, and on April 30, I said yes! Through our dating season we went through many hills and valleys. We saw each other at our best and at our worst. We sought the Lord through all of it and He has been so gracious to teach us the importance of love, patience, kindness, and gentleness. He taught us how to communicate until we were communicating, and to seek wise counsel when we needed it. On December 22, 2019 Ryan decided he wanted to use his graduation coast trip his parents had planned for him as a cover up to propose to me! We are so grateful for the story that God has written out for us and are so excited to start our future together!

What matters more than the wedding is the marriage. Covid had definitely impacted our wedding plans, but that didn't stop us from getting married on the day we had planned. We had a wonderful backyard wedding, and believe it or not, we got married under a beautifully transformed bike shack. Only 6 people attended our wedding, and many others attended through Zoom. What a different world we live in today, huh? I am blessed to be married to my best friend. By the time we get to see all of you, we will have already been married just a little over a year. What a journey it has been! We are incredibly blessed to have one another to walk through life with. The Lord has really worked on both of us, teaching us to be humble and to serve one another with a happy heart. Marriage really does mirror the love of Jesus, and we are excited to finally (and hopefully) celebrate with you all.