Wedding Day

Ceremony

Roeding Park

Reception

Our Wedding

How We Met And Started Dating

<p>We&nbsp;met&nbsp;one&nbsp;Sunday&nbsp;in&nbsp;church,&nbsp;as&nbsp;the&nbsp;pastor&nbsp;suggested&nbsp;to&nbsp;get&nbsp;up&nbsp;and&nbsp;go&nbsp;meet&nbsp;someone&nbsp;you&nbsp;didn't&nbsp;know.&nbsp;I&nbsp;was&nbsp;talking&nbsp;to&nbsp;some&nbsp;people&nbsp;and&nbsp;noticed&nbsp;about&nbsp;7&nbsp;rows&nbsp;up,&nbsp;a&nbsp;lady&nbsp;standing&nbsp;by&nbsp;herself.&nbsp;I&nbsp;thot&nbsp;she&nbsp;was&nbsp;new,&nbsp;so&nbsp;I&nbsp;went&nbsp;and&nbsp;said&nbsp;hello&nbsp;and&nbsp;introduced&nbsp;myself.&nbsp;This&nbsp;was&nbsp;about&nbsp;3&nbsp;years&nbsp;ago.&nbsp;After&nbsp;that,&nbsp;for&nbsp;quite&nbsp;some&nbsp;time,&nbsp;we&nbsp;would&nbsp;smile&nbsp;&&nbsp;wave/say&nbsp;hello.&nbsp;After&nbsp;about&nbsp;6-8&nbsp;months,&nbsp;she&nbsp;would&nbsp;come&nbsp;in&nbsp;and&nbsp;sit&nbsp;in&nbsp;the&nbsp;row&nbsp;ahead&nbsp;of&nbsp;me&nbsp;and&nbsp;had&nbsp;some&nbsp;brief&nbsp;convo&nbsp;before&nbsp;the&nbsp;service.&nbsp;After&nbsp;a&nbsp;few&nbsp;months&nbsp;of&nbsp;that,&nbsp;she&nbsp;started&nbsp;sitting&nbsp;in&nbsp;the&nbsp;back&nbsp;row&nbsp;by&nbsp;an&nbsp;older&nbsp;lady.&nbsp;I&nbsp;would&nbsp;say&nbsp;hello&nbsp;as&nbsp;I&nbsp;passed&nbsp;by&nbsp;on&nbsp;the&nbsp;way&nbsp;out.&nbsp;One&nbsp;Sunday&nbsp;morning&nbsp;after&nbsp;service,&nbsp;I&nbsp;was&nbsp;walking&nbsp;out,&nbsp;and&nbsp;she&nbsp;asked&nbsp;how&nbsp;I&nbsp;was&nbsp;doing.&nbsp;I&nbsp;paused&nbsp;briefly&nbsp;and&nbsp;said,&nbsp;"Okay.&nbsp;How&nbsp;are&nbsp;you&nbsp;doing&nbsp;?"&nbsp;We&nbsp;started&nbsp;talking.&nbsp;It&nbsp;went&nbsp;on&nbsp;for&nbsp;about&nbsp;an&nbsp;hour.&nbsp;Then,&nbsp;the&nbsp;people&nbsp;for&nbsp;the&nbsp;next&nbsp;service&nbsp;started&nbsp;coming&nbsp;in.&nbsp;We&nbsp;decided&nbsp;to&nbsp;go&nbsp;out&nbsp;to&nbsp;the&nbsp;parking&nbsp;area&nbsp;and&nbsp;talk&nbsp;some&nbsp;more.&nbsp;It&nbsp;was&nbsp;very&nbsp;exhilarating&nbsp;to&nbsp;me.&nbsp;So&nbsp;then,&nbsp;next&nbsp;Sunday&nbsp;came&nbsp;along,&nbsp;and&nbsp;after&nbsp;service&nbsp;as&nbsp;I&nbsp;was&nbsp;exiting,&nbsp;our&nbsp;eyes&nbsp;met.&nbsp;She&nbsp;motioned&nbsp;for&nbsp;me&nbsp;to&nbsp;go&nbsp;outside.&nbsp;She&nbsp;followed&nbsp;and&nbsp;asked&nbsp;me&nbsp;if&nbsp;I&nbsp;would&nbsp;like&nbsp;to&nbsp;talk&nbsp;again.&nbsp;I&nbsp;quickly&nbsp;said&nbsp;yes,&nbsp;that&nbsp;would&nbsp;be&nbsp;very&nbsp;nice.&nbsp;So&nbsp;we&nbsp;went&nbsp;out&nbsp;to&nbsp;the&nbsp;parking&nbsp;area&nbsp;and&nbsp;proceeded&nbsp;to&nbsp;chat&nbsp;for&nbsp;a&nbsp;couple&nbsp;of&nbsp;hours.&nbsp;That&nbsp;day&nbsp;(June&nbsp;18th,&nbsp;2023,&nbsp;I&nbsp;believe),&nbsp;we&nbsp;exchanged&nbsp;phone&nbsp;numbers.&nbsp;We&nbsp;talked&nbsp;about&nbsp;going&nbsp;out&nbsp;together&nbsp;but&nbsp;didn't&nbsp;set&nbsp;a&nbsp;date.&nbsp;The&nbsp;next&nbsp;Sunday,&nbsp;we&nbsp;talked&nbsp;briefly&nbsp;after&nbsp;church&nbsp;and&nbsp;decided&nbsp;to&nbsp;get&nbsp;together&nbsp;that&nbsp;afternoon.&nbsp;We&nbsp;chose&nbsp;to&nbsp;meet&nbsp;at&nbsp;Teazer,&nbsp;a&nbsp;tea&nbsp;shop&nbsp;in&nbsp;the&nbsp;Tower&nbsp;District,&nbsp;since&nbsp;we&nbsp;had&nbsp;discovered&nbsp;we&nbsp;both&nbsp;liked&nbsp;to&nbsp;drink&nbsp;tea.&nbsp;We&nbsp;met&nbsp;there&nbsp;early&nbsp;afternoon&nbsp;and&nbsp;spent&nbsp;about&nbsp;3&nbsp;hours&nbsp;talking&nbsp;it&nbsp;up.&nbsp;We&nbsp;decided&nbsp;to&nbsp;start&nbsp;texting&nbsp;each&nbsp;other.&nbsp;And&nbsp;it&nbsp;moved&nbsp;forward&nbsp;from&nbsp;there.&nbsp;About&nbsp;a&nbsp;month&nbsp;later,&nbsp;we&nbsp;started&nbsp;going&nbsp;on&nbsp;short&nbsp;hikes&nbsp;in&nbsp;the&nbsp;mountains&nbsp;by&nbsp;us&nbsp;and&nbsp;around&nbsp;the&nbsp;rivers.&nbsp;Things&nbsp;started&nbsp;to&nbsp;get&nbsp;serious&nbsp;after&nbsp;spending&nbsp;time&nbsp;with&nbsp;each&nbsp;other.&nbsp;After&nbsp;about&nbsp;8-9&nbsp;months,&nbsp;I&nbsp;began&nbsp;to&nbsp;know&nbsp;in&nbsp;my&nbsp;heart&nbsp;that&nbsp;I&nbsp;would&nbsp;like&nbsp;to&nbsp;spend&nbsp;my&nbsp;life&nbsp;with&nbsp;her.&nbsp;We&nbsp;kept&nbsp;getting&nbsp;together,&nbsp;going&nbsp;to&nbsp;simple&nbsp;dinner&nbsp;dates,&nbsp;more&nbsp;outdoorsy&nbsp;adventures,&nbsp;and&nbsp;began&nbsp;meeting&nbsp;each&nbsp;others&nbsp;families.&nbsp;About&nbsp;September&nbsp;of&nbsp;2024,&nbsp;I&nbsp;had&nbsp;made&nbsp;up&nbsp;my&nbsp;mind&nbsp;and&nbsp;listened&nbsp;to&nbsp;my&nbsp;heart,&nbsp;and&nbsp;decided&nbsp;to&nbsp;ask&nbsp;Gina&nbsp;to&nbsp;marry&nbsp;me.&nbsp;I&nbsp;made&nbsp;arrangements&nbsp;to&nbsp;take&nbsp;her&nbsp;to&nbsp;dinner&nbsp;on&nbsp;her&nbsp;birthday&nbsp;in&nbsp;November,&nbsp;about&nbsp;a&nbsp;week&nbsp;before&nbsp;Thanksgiving.&nbsp;About&nbsp;3-4&nbsp;days&nbsp;before,&nbsp;I&nbsp;received&nbsp;a&nbsp;text&nbsp;from&nbsp;her&nbsp;daughter&nbsp;informing&nbsp;me&nbsp;of&nbsp;a&nbsp;surprise&nbsp;party&nbsp;for&nbsp;Gina's&nbsp;birthday.&nbsp;I&nbsp;called&nbsp;her&nbsp;daughter&nbsp;and&nbsp;told&nbsp;her&nbsp;I&nbsp;had&nbsp;made&nbsp;arrangements&nbsp;to&nbsp;take&nbsp;Gina&nbsp;to&nbsp;a&nbsp;special&nbsp;b-day&nbsp;dinner.&nbsp;No&nbsp;mention&nbsp;to&nbsp;her&nbsp;of&nbsp;my&nbsp;ulterior&nbsp;plan.&nbsp;Her&nbsp;daughter&nbsp;asked&nbsp;me&nbsp;to&nbsp;please&nbsp;make&nbsp;dinner&nbsp;short&nbsp;and&nbsp;get&nbsp;her&nbsp;back&nbsp;by&nbsp;a&nbsp;certain&nbsp;time.&nbsp;I&nbsp;said&nbsp;I&nbsp;would&nbsp;try&nbsp;my&nbsp;best&nbsp;and&nbsp;left&nbsp;it&nbsp;at&nbsp;that.&nbsp;When&nbsp;I&nbsp;went&nbsp;to&nbsp;pick&nbsp;Gina&nbsp;up,&nbsp;we&nbsp;went&nbsp;out&nbsp;to&nbsp;my&nbsp;truck,&nbsp;and&nbsp;I&nbsp;asked&nbsp;her&nbsp;where&nbsp;she&nbsp;wanted&nbsp;to&nbsp;go&nbsp;for&nbsp;dinner.&nbsp;I&nbsp;made&nbsp;3&nbsp;or&nbsp;4&nbsp;suggestions.&nbsp;She&nbsp;told&nbsp;me&nbsp;she&nbsp;just&nbsp;wanted&nbsp;to&nbsp;keep&nbsp;it&nbsp;simple,&nbsp;and&nbsp;In-N-Out&nbsp;Burger&nbsp;was&nbsp;her&nbsp;choice.&nbsp;(Her&nbsp;favorite&nbsp;eat&nbsp;spot).&nbsp;At&nbsp;that&nbsp;moment,&nbsp;I&nbsp;was&nbsp;in&nbsp;a&nbsp;quandary&nbsp;on&nbsp;what&nbsp;to&nbsp;do.&nbsp;I&nbsp;didn't&nbsp;want&nbsp;to&nbsp;propose&nbsp;to&nbsp;her&nbsp;there....so&nbsp;I&nbsp;said,&nbsp;"Can&nbsp;I&nbsp;ask&nbsp;you&nbsp;one&nbsp;thing&nbsp;before&nbsp;heading&nbsp;to&nbsp;dinner?"&nbsp;She&nbsp;said&nbsp;okay.&nbsp;So&nbsp;I&nbsp;asked&nbsp;her,&nbsp;"Gina,&nbsp;would&nbsp;you&nbsp;be&nbsp;my&nbsp;wife&nbsp;for&nbsp;life&nbsp;?",&nbsp;and&nbsp;showed&nbsp;her&nbsp;the&nbsp;engagement&nbsp;ring.&nbsp;She&nbsp;got&nbsp;a&nbsp;huge&nbsp;smile&nbsp;on&nbsp;her&nbsp;face&nbsp;&nbsp;and&nbsp;said,&nbsp;"It&nbsp;would&nbsp;be&nbsp;my&nbsp;privilege,&nbsp;yes".&nbsp;We&nbsp;went&nbsp;to&nbsp;dinner&nbsp;and&nbsp;went&nbsp;to&nbsp;her&nbsp;surprise&nbsp;party.&nbsp;Hardly&nbsp;anyone&nbsp;was&nbsp;there&nbsp;at&nbsp;the&nbsp;time&nbsp;I&nbsp;was&nbsp;told,&nbsp;but&nbsp;we&nbsp;went&nbsp;in&nbsp;anyways.&nbsp;We're&nbsp;told&nbsp;that&nbsp;there&nbsp;had&nbsp;been&nbsp;some&nbsp;unforeseen&nbsp;delays&nbsp;with&nbsp;people.&nbsp;By&nbsp;that&nbsp;time&nbsp;Gina&nbsp;knew&nbsp;what&nbsp;was&nbsp;going&nbsp;on.&nbsp;But&nbsp;we&nbsp;told&nbsp;the&nbsp;ones&nbsp;who&nbsp;were&nbsp;there,&nbsp;that&nbsp;the&nbsp;ultimate&nbsp;surprise&nbsp;would&nbsp;be&nbsp;on&nbsp;them.&nbsp;We&nbsp;waited&nbsp;for&nbsp;everyone&nbsp;to&nbsp;get&nbsp;there,&nbsp;and&nbsp;when&nbsp;the&nbsp;happy&nbsp;birthdays&nbsp;were&nbsp;said,&nbsp;I&nbsp;spoke&nbsp;up&nbsp;and&nbsp;said,&nbsp;"Surprise&nbsp;to&nbsp;all&nbsp;of&nbsp;you.&nbsp;We&nbsp;got&nbsp;engaged&nbsp;at&nbsp;dinner&nbsp;time&nbsp;!!"&nbsp;It&nbsp;was&nbsp;a&nbsp;lively&nbsp;time&nbsp;and&nbsp;all&nbsp;were&nbsp;extremely&nbsp;happy&nbsp;for&nbsp;us&nbsp;both.</p>

Dave & Gina

Dave & Gina

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