It's amazing to look back on how it all began and see how God was so clearly working behind the scenes. We both attended Rock City Church for almost a year, had mutual friends and attended the same service time but never once saw one another until the night we met. That evening, the message was centered around developing life-giving, Christ-centered relationships, through a journey of transparency. We always joke that to this day we don't understand how our lives never crossed paths, but that night, the transparency was evident and following the moment we met, both of our lives would be changed forever.

Exactly three days after we met, we went on our first date to Innis Woods Metro Park. We spent a couple hours walking around the park, learning as much as we possibly could about one another before heading to Asterisk Supper Club for dinner. Located in Westerville, the quaint and unique atmosphere made this restaurant feel like one out of a storybook. The menus were placed in old books and there were fresh flowers and candles on every table. After dinner, we walked across the street to get Graeter's, but as we approached the door, they locked up and closed for the evening. This was a blessing in disguise because we ended up going home and eating ice cream before proceeding to talk until 2:30am. After that first date, I think we both knew that there was something special about our relationship - we even found out that we liked the same cabinetry (navy with gold fixtures). Let's be honest, that was truly what sealed the deal. Fast forward 5 months, and a walk on the beach would become the beginning of our forever.

Walking alongside the ocean on Venice Beach at sunset provided the perfect backdrop for the moment when he got down on one knee and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him. Surrounded by our closest friends and family, I couldn't have imagined a more perfect moment. We were spending the long weekend in Bradenton, Florida visiting with some of Sheldon's family. My best friend Brittany Flanigan flew in from North Carolina and was able to meet up with us the morning of the 29th. We spent the entire day at Siesta Key Beach before heading to Venice Beach for our dinner reservation. We arrived 30 minutes early and decided to walk down by the beach while we waited for our table to become available. As we were walking, our friends slowly began to fall back and before I knew it, Sheldon was getting down on one knee. That moment literally took my breath away and we are both so excited to see what God has in store for our future together.