Anika and I met each other about eight and a half years ago. Our families were both part of a homeschool co-op, which is when our families started to get together and spend time with one another. The Stebbins and Johnston bond continued to grow over the years. I now consider the Stebbins family to be an extension of my own, even before it's made official by law.

I became particularly close friends with Anika's brother Lucas, although not long after that, I started to take note of Anika, and we also became good friends. In my years of friendship with her I noticed how kind and caring she is, how serious she is in her pursuit of God, how she's so patient with her siblings, hardworking, and always willing to help her family in any way.

Anika and I didn't start dating until about five years after our families became friends. To many, this seems like a long time to be "just friends" before pursuing a deeper relationship, but I believe that patience is a large part of the success that we've had in our relationship. I'm incredibly happy that Anika and I will be entering this new chapter together, and I look forward to the many memories we'll create together!