Thank you for checking out our website! We are SO excited that you get to celebrate with us!

We have known each other for several years and initially met at a bible study at his house. We started to see each other more often in the Fall and I was the one that was pursuing him. He had told me about the Krispy Kreme Challenge, where you run 2.5 miles, eat a dozen donuts, then run 2.5 miles back in under an hour! Sounded fun and I needed to get back into shape, so we started running together. My house was only 5 minutes away so we met up on several occasions. At the end of every run, I would collapse in the yard and he would always make me get up and walk with him further. We shared many lovely conversations and he mentioned going to Russia on a mission trip. Boy! Did my eyes and heart light up! He had a passion for international mission work just like me! He had been on this trip twice and when he talked to me about it, I felt my heart jolt to life! Playing with kids at an orphanage and getting the chance to share the gospel with them in a country where you have to be careful what you say...it was a wonderful chance to show God's love in such a unique way! I immediately felt drawn to this trip...and I was starting to fall more for Richard. Well, at the Krispy Kreme race is where we decided some things. I wasn't getting any answers from him so when we were snuggled up on the couch at his parents' house, I whispered to him "I like you" and after a pause he responded with "I like you too" to which I said "That makes my heart smile." Yes, so cheesy and lame but I love us! After that it was all made clear that we wanted to pursue each other, but we didn't want to let our feelings intervene for our mission trip later together. Alas, our trip was cancelled because of Covid. BUT we will hopefully be going this year on our first mission trip as husband and wife.

It all started a week before we left for Arizona to meet his extended family. We were meeting that Sunday morning for one of our virtual date nights (we have been in a long distance relationship since I moved to TN). Little did I know that Richard had gone to meet my dad that morning in TN to ask for my hand in marriage and then drove all the way back to VA to be online in his house for our date night. Very sneaky... Then, we headed to Arizona to meet his family members. We stopped there for a few hours where I got to meet his grandparents. He apparently showed them the ring before we left again to travel the remaining stretch to San Diego. The next day we woke up early and went to the San Diego Zoo to explore the best zoo in the USA (and on my bucket list)! It was super fun! I had wondered if he was going to propose when we were first there, but it didn't happen so I forgot about it. Later, at the gift shop, I was searching and searching for a stuffed cheetah but I could never find one. Richard told me he was going to get me the best souvenir but he didn't get anything at the store. Just outside, there was a greenway and he convinced me to keep walking with him. We didn't walk far before we came to the perfect tree that had two large trunks and was shaped like a saddle. I immediately put all my stuff down and jumped into the tree. He got his fancy camera out and was taking pictures of me but kept getting frustrated because the camera wouldn't take them fast enough or focus well enough for him. He told me that the person he met with the week prior gave us his blessing and it took me a minute to realize he was talking about my dad! Then he got down on one knee, pulled out the little ring box, and said "Sarah, I love you. Will you marry me?" I jumped out of the tree and exclaimed "YES!" and he laughed at me when I asked if I could wear both rings (the wedding band and engagement ring). We then spent the rest of the day together enjoying the moment.