we're getting married

Thomas and I met at Bethel University our junior year of college. We had a theology class together - although we sat on opposite sides of the room and never spoke once, I like to think we caught each other's eye. At the very end of the semester (as in, two days before I was heading home to Colorado for a month), Thomas chased me down and asked for my number. The next day, he planned a date to an animal shelter and an ice cream shop (he didn't know it yet, but those are two of my favorite things... it really was meant to be!). On the way home, Thomas got a flat tire - he made sure I was safe, changed his tire, then drove me home. It was safe to say that I was swoonin'. While I was back home in Colorado, Thomas found out that I hadn't explored very much of Minnesota or Wisconsin, even though I had lived there for nearly three years. Once I got back to the Minnesota, he made sure to show me all of the infamous places (Taylor's Falls, Willow River, Duluth, Black Sand Beach... the list goes on!). He even asked me to be his girlfriend at Pattison State Park on October 9th, 2022, a bouquet of fresh flowers in hand. While we explored, we also got to know each other - we found that we had a shared love for Jesus Christ and a deep admiration for our families and friends. It also helped that I knew enough about football that I knew what an "LB" was when I asked about what position he played on the Bethel football team. Since then, I have loved getting to cheer on Thomas in all of his endeavors and adventures - college football, starting a landscaping business, graduation, a full-time job, and most importantly, his faith, just to name a few. Thomas is my very best friend, and I am so grateful and honored that I get to be his wife!

Lily and I headed off to Denver, Colorado to see her family over Labor Day weekend. Little did she know, I had been setting up this proposal for weeks! I even planted the idea in her head that she should take me Rocky Mountain National Park. I flew my best friend/photographer, Christiam, to Colorado the day before I proposed. He scoped out the area, and low and behold, he found the perfect spot: the edge of Dream Lake! The next morning, Lily and I drove to the Rockies and started our 1.2-mile trek to the rendezvous point. As soon as we arrived, I could see Christiam as he was lying on the ground, with brush and grass aiding in his disguise. I grabbed the ring from my backpack and asked Lily to walk over to a rock that was five feet from shore. She politely declined, saying, "no, I don't think we should" (Lily would like it known that there was a small sign saying "keep off"). As Lily was off taking pictures, I turned to Christiam, and we were both clearly distraught in what we should do next. Lily then turned back around, and I asked if she would just come over to the edge of the water (so she would be in the frame of the pictures)... again, she said, "no... it's muddy and wet over there." I shook my head in defeat... all while Lily still had no clue what was going on. She then chimed in again, "come on! Let's go - we have so much left to see!" As I looked back, Christiam (who was just as panicked as myself), was trying to gather all his belongings and catch up to us. Two miles of hiking later, I had completely lost Christiam and had no service to get a hold of him. I looked at Lily and said, "man, I have to go to the bathroom" (I didn't), and proceeded to go off trail to run to the peak of the mountain to find signal. After three failed attempts of getting ahold of Christiam, the plan was set: head back to the side of Dream Lake to complete this mission. We walked another 15 minutes (which felt like an eternity), and we reached the spot: a large rock that jut out about 25 feet over the water. Lily made a comment about swimming or jumping in the lake, and all I thought was, "oh, NOW you want to go in the water". After a small rest, and a quick nap from Lily, Christiam flagged me to show he was in position. I held Lily's delicate hands and took a knee on a not-so-flat rock and proposed to the most amazing girl in the world, who makes me feel truly seen.