We're getting married!

Some love stories start with a grand gesture. Ours started in second grade. Back then, neither of us could have known that years later we'd end up here, planning a life together. Life took us in different directions for a while, but God had a different plan. Last year, at a football game, our paths crossed again. Jack noticed Zalie first. His first thought was simply, "Woah." So, he added Zalie on snapchat and once she saw the name she immediately recognized him as her second-grade crush and thought, "Oh my goodness, my second-grade crush!" After reconnecting, we spent about a month and a half getting to know each other. It didn't take long to realize there was something special between us. In fact, we both knew within the very first week of talking that this relationship was different. Our first date was simple and perfect: dinner at Mamasang followed by Andy's. Somewhere between the conversation, the laughter, and getting to know each other, we both felt completely at home. One of our favorite things about our relationship is that it's centered on Christ. Zalie loves Jack's heart for God and the way he strives to be a God-fearing man. Jack loves how biblically grounded Zalie is and how willfully she lives out her faith every day. Long before we started planning a wedding, we knew we wanted a marriage that glorified God. Of course, no love story would be complete without a proposal. Jack spent a month and a half secretly planning every detail. The original plan involved Zalie's sister, Allyson, "getting back into photography" and setting up what was supposed to be a modeling session. The only problem? Zalie casually mentioned that it sounded like the perfect opportunity for a proposal. Once that information made its way back to Jack, everyone knew they had to come up with a new plan. So about an hour after the pictures took place, Jack's dad called and asked him to go pick up his fishing rods from their ponds before the rain ruined them. So they walked down toward the pond. Once they got there, Zalie spotted a beautifully prepared proposal setup and Jack got down on one knee and asked her to spend forever with him. And that is what made it a surprise. So, what started as a second-grade crush (for Zalie at least) became a friendship, then a relationship, and finally a promise to spend forever together. Through every step of our story, God's faithfulness has been evident, and we are so thankful that He brought us back together at exactly the right time. We can't wait to begin the next chapter as husband and wife.