Our Story

Neelie and Carter met in one of the finest American establishments, Waffle House, on September 14th, 2019. They were introduced by a mutual friend, Stratton Orr. It’s easy to say it was not an immediate connection for them. The 14th was a Saturday night and all Carter wanted to do was stay at the house and watch football. Thus, he was not in the greatest of spirits at the dinghy Waffle House.

However, as the fall continued, we spent more time together and became friends. Eventually (way too slow for Neelie), they started “talking” (as the kids say) then official dating in the winter. A big event for them was a Halloween bonfire. Carter is not a horror movie fan; naturally, the group decided to watch The Conjuring. Neelie had seen the movie previously and Carter asked her many questions throughout to minimize jump scares.

From there, they took things slow, doing their best to follow the wise counsel of their parents. Looking back, not spending tons of time together at the beginning of their relationship was a blessing from the Lord and allowed them space to grow and develop on their own. Of course, they spent quality time and got to know each other more too. The future was far from certain, as Neelie was headed to Troy and Carter had applied to West Point. In February, Carter was informed he was accepted. After prayer and careful consideration, he decided to go. This meant Carter and Neelie would be long distance, assuming it was God’s plan for them to stay together. Both Neelie and Carter were committed to dating with a purpose, not just to have fun. So, they came to the conclusion to continue to date until God said no.

The next major event to occur was the arrival of COVID and the cancellation of school and extracurricular activities for the rest of the school year. COVID was a unique time, but Neelie and Carter continued to deepen their relationship. After their graduations in May, Neelie and Carter got to hang out for summer until Carter had to quarantine for Cadet Basic Training. He left in July as Neelie geared up for recruitment and life in Troy (lots of dorm decor). They were only able to communicate through letters for all of July. Only getting updates every few days was hard at first, but by the end they fell into a rhythm. Sending letters made the communication feel sweet and intentional - Carter really appreciated the support from Neelie during CBT!

Once the school year kicked off, COVID still made seeing each other tough for Neelie and Carter. There were enough changes happening adjusting to a new environment in college, making new friends, and learning how to do college work. On top of those normal challenges, Neelie and Carter were not able to see one another until December! A whole semester just getting to talk on the phone was hard for them. It is only due to the grace, mercy, and providence of God that their relationship was preserved. Again, the space facilitated Neelie and Carter growing on their own as they became adults (kinda). They also had great support from their family and friends which made the transition much much easier! Getting to see each other over Christmas was a huge blessing even though it did not seem real! That break was restful and needed! Even though the semester was hard, they still grew in their love for one another.

The next semester went more smooth than the first, but no spring break for Carter again made it hard for them to see each other. Carter had training over the summer, so they got to see each other some but not a ton. It is clear that not getting to see each other is a theme running throughout Neelie and Carter’s relationship in college (1100 miles will do that). God has been so faithful and good to preserve them!

The following fall and spring semesters went relatively smoothly; Neelie and Carter continued to grow in their relationship. Even though they did not see each other much, Neelie and Carter cherished the time they did have together. Neelie was able to visit for Yearling Winter Weekend, a banquet for 3rd class cadets, and they got to explore NYC together. In the summer of 2022, Neelie was called to Beach Project. Carter had more time off that summer, so he was able to visit Neelie some.

The next fall (2022), Carter got the opportunity to go to USAFA for the semester. Neelie was able to visit him and they got to experience Colorado together too! Carter also got to go visit Neelie for the Troy vs. Army game in Troy. Getting to see each other more often was great and a welcome change. The spring semester was another quality semester. Neelie got to come to 500th Night (a banquet for 2nd class cadets celebrating them being 500 days away from graduation). Again, the Lord preserved their relationship and helped them grow closer to one another. Their families were key in supporting them!

In the summer of 2023, Carter was only home for 2 weeks total. Thus, he had to plan carefully when he wanted to propose to Neelie. He was able to come home the first week of June. Carter chose this time to ask Jessica and Rodney for Neelie’s hand in marriage. Thankfully, they said yes! That started the proposal planning. Carter had to do 3 weeks of training at Fort Carson and planned to propose the day after he got back. Jessica, Mandy, and Grace were essential in helping him get the plan together while he was at Fort Carson. Saxon also helped by going to pick up the ring the day before. The first time Carter saw the ring in person was the day of! The plan was to have the proposal at Smith Lake on the dock. Both families would be hiding in the basement, then friends would come later to enjoy the afternoon on the lake.

On the day, Carter invited Neelie to come to church with him and his family. This ensured she would be dressed up. After church, Mandy sent them on an errand so she and the rest of Carter’s family could beat Neelie and Carter to the lake. Carter and Neelie then drove to the lake. It may not seem like a long time, but with a big question to be asked on the other end, an hour drive can seem like a long time. Neelie claims Carter was “super nervous.” It was clear Neelie had her suspicions as she was nervous too. Once they got to the lake, Carter made some excuse for them to go to the dock. Once there, he popped the question and she said yes! The rest of the day was spent celebrating with family and friends.

Even though it has been a long time coming, Neelie and Carter are excited to be planning a wedding and getting married! They want to thank their families for their love and support throughout their entire relationship! Ultimately, it is only due to the grace of God and keeping Him at the center of their relationship that Neelie and Carter are together!