I first met Evan at Grand Canyon University, where we were both tour guides and shared mutual friends. I thought he was cute, but never acted on it—he always seemed to have a girlfriend, and his “type” felt very different from me. We were living very different lives in college, and looking back, it’s clear that God was working in both of us during that time, preparing us for each other long before we realized it. Fast forward to September of 2024, when I saw Evan post an Instagram story from a Two Door Cinema Club concert. I innocently messaged him to ask where the concert was, and that simple question turned into nonstop conversations for months. In November, I traveled to California to visit my aunt and uncle, and Evan drove all the way from Torrance to pick me up in Irvine and take me on what would become the best first date either of us had ever been on—despite me thinking we were just hanging out as friends. It didn’t take long for us to realize that God was all over our reconnection. Being together felt natural, easy, and unlike anything either of us had experienced before. That first date led to Evan flying to Arizona the very next week, meeting my entire family and friends at a Christmas party, and asking my dad for permission to date me. We have been together ever since. I knew I loved Evan and wanted to marry him the first time we attended church together. As we worshipped side by side, I knew I never wanted to worship with anyone else—I wanted to do life, faith, and forever with him. Evan is the most intentional, loving, and handsome man I have ever known, and I cannot wait to be his wife and build a life where God is at the center of everything we do.

Sam and I both attended GCU and were both tour guides at the ARC. While Sam tends to think I did not know who she was while we worked together, we did have a lot of mutual friends and I did in fact know who she was. I had stopped working at the ARC to commit to playing Lacrosse full time going into the middle of my Jr year. That did not stop me from going into the ARC and saying what’s up to old friends and snagging a water here and there in full practice gear. Apparently at the time Sam had formed a crush on me and never came up to me because she was too shy. Friends were trying to get her to come watch our practices and games, (which were literally right out front of the building) to which she was too nervous to go and do.. In all honesty it was probably for the best that we never dated in college, as I was not ready for a serious relationship at the time and Sam went to bed before 9pm every night, to where I do not think I went to bed once before then. As time passed we graduated and I moved home to California and it had been about 3 1/2 years now since GCU and I had gone to a Two Door Cinema Club concert mid September. I get a DM on Instagram after posting a story about the concert… My thoughts to this which she always likes to deny, is that she was very much slid into my DMs. After this we had continued to talk for a while on DMs and Sam had mentioned that she was going to be in town over thanksgiving for a couple of weeks and so we decided to hang out while she was in town. My dad grew up on Balboa Island in Newport Beach so I decided to show her around. As we spent this evening together and got to know one another, I quickly realized that I had never felt this comfortable with someone I just met. Hearing the way she talked about her family, her goals, her faith, and her overall outlook on life was something that instantly caught my attention. Sam also likes to believe that she did not know our first hang out was not a first date, ( as I paid for everything, open her door every time we got in the car or went somewhere, gave her my jacket when she was cold, and had her help me with my fashion as we walked around a mall ). I had gone home and told my family that night that I had just met the coolest girl ever. We had continued to talk as she went back home to AZ and I got a last minute invite to her families annual Christmas party. She had little expectation that I would actually show up. I ended up at the party a week later. I had met a large majority of her family and friends at this party, and her family was impressed that I was not scared off by all of this. After meeting all of her family and close friends I began to see how much I could actually see myself with Sam. My family had picked me up from the airport after the trip and went to get lunch and debrief about all that had happened. I had told my family that I had met my wife. There are so many things that I can say about how amazing Sam is but one of the main and most important things that stood out to me, was her love for the Lord. She is constantly chasing the Lord, and it not only is what makes her shine as a person; But it has lit a fire that is so contagious and has inspired me to be better each and every day for not only her but to chase after God as fast and as hard as her. Throughout our relationship we have made God the focal point, and I have seen how much He has been working. I had thought that distance between states was going to be difficult but each and every step of the way has led us to grow stronger in our love and our faith. I cannot wait to marry this amazing God fearing woman and I cannot wait to see how she helps me lead our future family. Our time together really has not been that long but it feels like I have known her for a lifetime, and now I can not wait to live that out with her. Sam I cannot wait to see where God leads us and I am so beyond blessed to have you by my side every step of the way. I love you - Ev