I met Brooke at the beginning of my junior year at Texas A&M at a YoungLife party. I was introduced to her by a friend, and while I didn't know many people at the party, I obviously knew I enjoyed being around her so much that I asked her to be my "social crutch" that night. A few weeks later, I ran into Brooke at the famed Aggie Ring Day, and when I saw her, my jaw dropped. I asked my friend next to me "hey, what's her last name again?". I had thought of asking her to an Aggie Men's Club Date Party, but I chickened out as I thought she might be out of my league. Nothing really happened, until the big catalyst for our story, her following me on Strava (a running social media app). Brooke had already checked all my boxes, I just had to make a move. So, I strategically sat next to her at a YoungLife training event, talked with her about running, and after seeing her a couple of weeks later, I asked her out. When I took Brooke on our first date, I knew a bit about her (as I had done my research) - I knew she was really funny, pretty cool, a bit out of my league, and a joy for others to be around. But I still didn't really know her. So, I took her to my favorite park, Lick Creek Park, to go on a walk while sipping on some Sonic Drinks to set up a relaxed environment to have an easy conversation. Needless to say, it wasn't very relaxed, as I was incredibly nervous and just fired away question after question at her. We laugh about it now, but I am very grateful Brooke wanted to go on a second date. As we started to settle into getting to know one another, I found a multitude of excuses to spend time with Brooke, as spending time with her was just so easy. I got to see how hospitable, diligent, and authentic she was as we went on dates. I quickly knew I wanted to prioritize her in my life. The day I was going to ask Brooke to be my girlfriend, I was running a marathon. Several months of training and dedication were done to prepare for this day, and I wasn't thinking about running at all. All I knew was the faster I finished - the faster I got to drive back from Houston to College Station to ask Brooke to be my girlfriend. And so I ran as fast as I could and booked it to College Station, and we started dating that day! Brooke and I would soon head into different directions - as I would move to Denver for the summer and finish up my senior year at Texas A&M as she would move to Austin to start her full-time job. Though we were physically going different places, I knew that I loved Brooke and she was the person I wanted to be with for the rest of my days. I have learned how deep the Lord's love for us is through the way Brooke lives her life. She has pushed me and many other people to Jesus and seeks to remind everyone she encounters that they're cherished by Him. I have had to make countless apologies to her, and she has showered me with grace. I have never smiled so much, laughed so hard, and been so comforted in tears than I have with Brooke. I am so grateful I get to love Brooke Nicole for all of my days! Truly the Lord has ordained so many parts of our story and we would not be here if it wasn't for His kindness and mercy to us. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of our story, we cannot wait to celebrate and praise the Lord with you all on September 6th! "You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy." Psalm 30:11