Our story officially kicked off at Grand Lake, thanks to our 2 best friends… but really, it started a week earlier at their lake house with a little “seed planting” commentary. Their dad casually said, “Brookie, Xander’s coming to the lake next weekend.” I replied, “Nope, not interested. And if I were, I’m looking for someone older, who loves Jesus, and knows what he wants.” Well, I got 2 of the 3 , Xander loves Jesus, knew exactly what he wanted, but was indeed not older. Fast forward 7 days: there he was, a wifebeater-wearing, blue-eyed, sun-kissed gentle giant, and naturally, I couldn’t stop staring at him. On the boat, I did most of the talking (who’s surprised), and I was pleasantly surprised when he actually spoke… because he was funny, a total must in my book. Luckily, Xander seemed interested too, after a swing dance on the back of the boat, but he did almost fumble the perfect moment: he was too nervous to ask for my number. Eventually, he got it, and we went on a walk nerding out over science classes, Christian discussions, and our dreams for the future. Then came the big question: could we survive the long-distance plunge, the kind of love that requires frequent flyer miles, unhealthy amounts of texting / FaceTime calls, and the ultimate experiment of “how many time zones can we survive?”. Life was about to get hectic, PA school for me, final 3 years of Notre Dame followed by a Master’s in Electrical Engineering for him, but somehow, we made it work. And well, little did I know, a year in, he’d admit how much he hates talking on the phone. I still shake my head at that one… the struggle is real, but as always, Jesus’ will be done. On May 31st, Xander proposed in his hometown backyard, a spot he’d always set aside for “the one.” He mowed the lawn, chopped and trimmed trees, and even planted some of my favorite flowers around the proposal site. A hopeful romantic, some might say 🤭 Now, we’re excited to keep traveling, exploring, and cherishing the people God blesses us with, like you, our amazing friends & family, who help us celebrate all the little things, and the big things to come, like becoming one on June 6th, 2026!