1 Corinthians 13:4-7

From the beginning of our relationship, we have always faced distance. When we began our relationship, we were not even in the same state. We went to the same high school, but we didn't really talk in high school. Ryen was in Pensacola Florida for training at the time we started talking. We began texting and snapchatting. There was an instant connection, even from so far away without even talking in person first. We waited for weeks and weeks before finally hanging out for the first time. Ryen got to come to North Carolina for more training, and we got to hang out just about every weekend. We didn't even know yet where Ryen would be stationed. We were growing closer and closer, knowing Ryen could be put half way around the world. However, he ended up being stationed in North Carolina after months of not knowing. The bliss of seeing each other every weekend didn't last long. We found out he would be deployed. We prepared for what would come for moths. The day of the deployment came, and we were ripped apart. For 8 long months, we continued to try to get to know each other from different sides of the Earth. Though it was difficult, we grew closer to each other, to God, and we even dug more into who we were as individuals. We are currently on an 8 month streak of being in the same time zone, but it wont last long. We are okay with that because clearly God does his work in us through these difficult times. We are continuing to trust God in this next step of marriage of our relationship. We could not be more excited to take this step with God at the center of it all!

If you know me, you know I LOVE Christmas time. My favorite activity is to go look at the Christmas lights at James Island in Charleston, SC. We go camping for the Christmas lights every single year with my family. Every night we are there, I have to go around the lights a dozen times because I love them so much. My favorite light is a big oak tree that is covered in icicle lights. Every time we passed that tree, I told Ryen how much I loved it. He suggested that we take a picture under it before we left. I was excited because I love capturing memories in pictures. The next night, my whole family was riding around to look at the lights. We stopped at the tree to get our picture with my whole family there. I put my hand up on Ryen's chest for that "typical couple pose," and Ryen kept moving my hand away. I was so confused haha. There is a swing near the tree that we had also stopped and just talked for about an hour that day. He suggested that we go to the swing for a picture. He told me he wanted me to take one by myself first. I sat on the swing, and he took my picture. After he took my picture, he came and stood in front of me. He began to tell me how much he loved me, and how much I mean to him. He then got down on one knee, and asked me to marry him. Of course I said YES! He put the ring on my finger, and we were engaged at my favorite place on earth, under my favorite tree.