The Waltons

Jacob and I started attending the same church around the same time. I moved to Athens, GA, and began attending what was then Phoenix Athens in March of 2023, and Jacob joined in June of 2023. We both quickly got involved in the same young adult friend group and began volunteering at the College House church, serving and leading together. We formed a close-knit "friend family" and lived life in community, sharing meals, talking about life, and traveling on trips, including camping adventures. We were friends for a long time before any romantic interest developed. Jacob first noticed me in December of 2023, and I noticed him in February of 2024. We connected through our shared humor and playful chaos. We could have deep conversations about life and the Lord, then turn around and prank a friend five minutes later. From January to March of 2024, there was lots of flirting and feeling things out. Jacob asked me out after a college event where we gave a friend an unfortunate haircut—sorry and thank you, Michael! Afterward, he walked me to my car at 11:00 p.m., shared how much he valued our friendship, and admired the way I lived my life. He asked me to lunch, and I said I would pray about it and call him the next day. Although I’d already been thinking about him, I wanted to give him a clear answer with a fully awake mind. The next day, I called him and said, “Yes!” That’s when our six-month journey toward falling in love began, leading to our engagement! Both of us had a lot of personal growth and experiences that prepared us for marriage. Jacob was 24, and I was 26 at the time, and we had both embraced and enjoyed our seasons of singleness, seeking the Lord in those years. We fell in love with the childlike wonder we each brought into our relationship, without any childishness. It was a beautiful and healing season of learning how to communicate, grow, and truly know each other. Jacob proposed on our six-month anniversary. He took me to the place where he had asked me out and to the spots where we’d had our first four dates. At each location, he had written notes about what he was thinking and feeling in the moment, reflecting on how much he loved me. The final stop was the place where he had asked me to be his girlfriend, and that’s where he had a sweet setup waiting for me, along with a photographer to capture the moment! It was there that his heart rate shot up to 150, according to his watch (and I’m sure mine was somewhere around there too). With a big smile, I said, “Yes!”