We still want to party with you...

Spencer was invited by a mutual friend to a surprise birthday party my roommates threw me in September of 2017. He had just begun his residency at the church where we both work. My first impression of him was that he was pleasant and friendly in conversation. After that, he continued to receive invites when I would throw movie nights or game nights. I was soon always interested in if he would be attending or not, and he always showed up! From there, we enjoyed movies together, and I realized I wasn't bummed if others couldn't make it--that just meant I'd get to hang out with him! A spontaneous trip to Nashville with our friend, Carter, is what moved the friendship further along. I remember having so much fun with him, exploring some sights of Nashville and enjoying great conversations. I also love our shared passion of creativity, but expressed in two different ways. His photography is phenomenal, and I love music. But we share a passion and a support for the other's art. Throughout the entirety of our relationship, Spencer has been such a solid friend. He is an amazing listener. He is gentle and kind. He is wise and discerning. He loves Jesus, and we share a deep desire to reflect Jesus well. I am so excited to get to do life with this guy!!

A little over 2 years ago, I had just started a residency program at the church where Emily and I both work. On my desk was this weird bottle/cup contraption with a note from Emily that said if I could figure out how to make it a bottle I could keep it. And that was my first interaction with Emily. I didn't know much about her except that she was a really talented singer/musician and that she was really friendly. In December of that year she was making a Christmas EP and my friend Carter was producing it for her. I've always been interested in how the recording process worked so I asked if I could hang out while they recorded. It ended up being a really good time and about a month later the 3 of us went on a spontaneous trip to Nashville. Emily and I spent a lot of time getting to know each other on that trip and that is when I started to fall for her. She is one of the kindest, most talented people that I know, but most of all she loves Jesus with her whole heart and I'm so excited to be marrying her!

Spencer was able to join my family for a vacation to Kauai this past July! Leading up to the trip, I was really hoping he would find some time to talk with my dad about a blessing for a certain wedding that could happen in the near future...but I did a great job of talking myself out of the idea that he would propose in Kauai. Then, Thursday July 25 came along. Spencer and I had planned to go on a date that night. We drove to the east side of the island and rented some bikes, pedaling up and down the coastline. It was gorgeous and one of my favorite dates we've done. Then, Spencer's sunset proposal was in full force and I was decently oblivious. I noticed Spencer had gotten a haircut before the vacation, and he was wearing a nice shirt for a bike ride, and he had a great play list of love songs on our drive, but these factors were all swept aside in my brain in order to not leave disappointed and ringless. Upon arrival at the beach where we were going to catch the sunset, Spencer pulled out his camera and set it up, asking me to stand in the frame and face the water. THIS was a proposal move if I had ever seen one, but again I was able to convince myself it was nothing. Spencer had been getting stock footage all week. When he stepped up beside me and handed me the journal that we've been passing back and forth with cute notes and jokes, I knew either this was really happening or...he was just killing the game at the date night. Both ended up being true. I read sweet words he had written out, and at the end there was a question I had been dreaming about him asking me for months. (I said yes.) Needless to say, the Kauai vacation was pretty fun. I quite enjoyed it.

We were on a trip to Kauai with Emily's family and I figured that paradise was as good a place as any to propose. I had reserved one of the days as a date night for us. We first went and biked the coastline of the island (which was pretty great. It's Kauai). Then we drove up north to catch the sunset on a quiet beach I had researched earlier. It's called Lumahai beach if you want to check it out. Now the weather had been a mix the whole time we were there. Sometimes rainy, sometimes sunny. I couldn't tell which one it would be that night so I prayed that we would get a great view of the sunset (I also asked some family and friends to pray for that too). Thankfully the prayers got through and we had one of the prettiest sunsets I've ever seen. It made the perfect backdrop for the proposal. For the proposal, I gave her a journal that we've passed back and forth. I had written a note for her along with the question "Will you marry me." When she got to that question I dropped to a knee with the ring. Emily was pretty quiet, but she said, "Spencer, yes! I would've said yes six months ago!" From there we enjoyed the rest of the night with the sunset and some fish and chips at a local restaurant. Needless to say, it was a good day.