*PHOTO: champions for spring outdoor league in May 2024! Missing a few. But, hence why we're holding up #1 ;) *

Cassie was asked by a friend if she wanted to join an indoor coed soccer team in August of 2020. Of course, she said yes, and they continued playing until January 2022, when her team decided they wanted to give outdoor soccer a go! The outdoor season started in March of that year, with games every Tuesday evening. June 2022 came around - A guy on her team knew Alex from playing together in another soccer league. He had told Alex that if his outdoor team ever needed a sub, they’d like to bring him in.

Alex was asked to sub on their outdoor team a few times that summer, but it was sporadic - once a month or so. While Cassie had met him that summer, she was not "looking" to date at the time. Alex, not really knowing anyone on the team, had just assumed that everyone was in a relationship, and stayed in his own lane. Alex and Cassie didn't really have any conversations other than "Hey, what's your name again?" or "Thanks for helping us out tonight!" At this time, Cassie thought Alex was good at soccer and a good sub for the team. She liked his work ethic on the field and could tell he was having fun! Likewise, Alex enjoyed playing alongside Cassie, and was impressed by her skills on the pitch. From that time on, neither of them would see each other again until spring 2023, when Alex would sub again.

Fast forward to June 2023. Alex was formally invited to join the team permanently after a member of the team was unable to continue playing. Without hesitation, he agreed to join. Cassie specifically remembers getting ready for their second game back for summer session. They both get to the field around the same time and begin putting their gear on near each other. Cassie can't remember exactly how it got to this, but somehow they began talking about where one another went to high school, how long each had been playing, and where they went attended college. Alex mentioned that he went to school and played soccer in England... that immediately grabbed Cassie's attention - "Wow, he played soccer overseas?! And he traveled abroad?!" Two of her favorite things. ;)

At this point, Cassie was interested to get to know him more. She was hoping the same from him, but she didn't know how to go about it...does she ask him out? Does she wait for him to make a move? Was that just a casual conversation and he was just being kind to make small talk? Was she overthinking it? NOTE: During this conversation, Alex had said "You weren't there at the final game for last session were you?" Cassie said "No, I wasn't, I went to a friend’s birthday dinner to celebrate her that night." Cassie's first thought was "He noticed I wasn't there?!" *insert side eye emoji here*

Cassie feels a little nervous to ask a friend on the team for his number, so she decides to find him on Instagram and Facebook. She adds him, and because he's hardly on socials, he doesn't add her back for over a week. Alex was excited to see that Cassie had added him, as he had enjoyed the few conversations that the two shared together. At this point she wants to get to know him more and decided to go for it... she ends up sending him a DM on GroupMe (ohhh, good ol' DMs!) on June 29th, 2023. She asks him what his plans are for the weekend. She doesn't hear from him until evening time the next day. He says he's going out of town with family for the 4th of July and asked if Cassie had any plans. She doesn't respond for a couple hours. Mind you, Cassie was out with some friends at the time (Shelby, her MOH, being one of them) and was telling them about how she was planning to ask him out, but didn't want to be direct. Thankfully, her friends responded "You have to be direct! You can't beat around the bush!" So, she responds and says she hopes he has a great time, and asked if he wants to get drinks the following week! Shortly thereafter, while her friends were on her phone messing with her dating profile, Cassie sees a message come across her watch – “I’m down for drinks!” Cassie grabbed that phone so fast, she was ecstatic! Alex was elated to have received this text, and immediately began to think of fun first date ideas. Cassie’s friends were also very excited, and glad they could play a part in helping her nail down a date with him. :)

They planned their first date for July 15th, a day after Alex got back into town. Because Alex was dog-sitting for his parents, they decided to go to Bar K, a fun dog park / bar near the River Market. They spent the whole evening together, full of great conversation and lots of laughs, too. Cassie was really intrigued by him and most importantly, his faith in Christ. Alex thoroughly enjoyed the time that they shared together that evening, and instantly wanted to get to know Cassie more. So much so, in fact, that he planned their following date for the very next day!

Six months into dating, Alex and Cassie profess their love to one another, and begin talking about marriage. God has been so cool and so faithful throughout their relationship. Alex and Cassie lean on Christ, keeping Him at the center of it all.

Alex proposed to Cassie on Friday, December 20th, 2024, at Meadowbrook Park, their favorite local park.

God made it the sweetest memory to have our forever start there. Cheers to how God will continue to write our story in the married years to come... once teammates on the soccer field, now teammates for life. ;)