Like most, my story begins with waiting. Comparatively I didn’t wait nearly as long as some people I know, but I have also desired marriage and to raise a family for as long as I can remember. This desire grew throughout college and at times it led to frustration, disappointment and many hours of prayer begging the Lord to fulfill the desire in my heart. Thankfully our good God knows best and his answer was “not yet”- or at least that was his answer up until March 18th, 2023. On that day I went on a hike through waist deep snow with the only person I’ve met so far who would be willing to do that on a first date! I was quickly intrigued by his convictions, his smile and his sense of adventure that seemed to rival mine.

Fast forward a few months, many dates and lots of phone conversations and we officially started dating on June 13th. We spent the summer hiking, working out, playing pickle ball and meeting each others’ friends and family. The Lord had his hand upon our relationship from the very beginning and brought us through the exciting and sometimes challenging process of getting to know and trust a new person. Fast forward again to October 2023, Nathan and I had some deep conversations about the work the Lord has done in our lives, and I shared more of my heart and soul than I had ever shared with another person. It was after these conversations that we both looked at each other and said, “now what?”. It had been our prayer and goal from the very beginning of our relationship that we would date with intentionality and purpose; we didn’t want to fall into the trap of dating just to date. This was the first moment in our relationship where I felt like there was no more work to do, no more big conversation to have and no more analyses to be made. I loved him, he’d become my best friend and I knew I wanted to create a life with him. I knew then that the next step was THE step! We began talking engagement and a few months later, on February 4th 2024 Nathan asked me to marry him on the most beautiful day at my favorite spot on the North Shore of Minnesota. I am so thankful for the Lord’s grace and direction in allowing Nathan and I to meet, cultivating a love between us and guiding our relationship from day one until now, and I am so excited to see the ways He continues to work in and through us.

Like Emma, my story begins with waiting, though a little bit more waiting than hers. The evening before Valentine’s day 2023 I was expressing my impatience and frustration with dating to a close friend & coworker ~ Ryan. Little did I know, that God’s timing was just around the corner. The very next morning, Ryan asked me out of the blue if I had heard of Milaca (and if it was “far away”). I instantly knew that I was going to meeting someone soon. Fast forward a month, and Emma & I go on our first date, a hike in snowy Minnesota (basically mandated by the friends who set us up). I was instantly very impressed as her ability to hike through deep snow without slowing, carry on a conversation, and also leave me completely bewildered as I was unable to get a read on her. What followed was a few jumbled months of getting to know one another all while she was busy teaching, living 1.5hrs away, and while I was helping my parents move, AND leaving the country for a month. The summer came and we “officially” began dating, and started diving into meeting each other’s communities, getting to know what really made up each other’s personalities and value foundation.

The summer brought its own challenges as we worked to understand the differences in each other and how to communicate and trust each other. Being a very logical person, I got to see time and time again how unique and special Emma was and why we would work so well together as a team. Her focus on family, faith and fitness (or just being adventurous and active) lined up exactly with how I wanted to live my life (and had been). As we both pushed each other to grow in all areas of life, I realized how much of a wonderful helper and teammate she was. Then in August, after some particular tougher conversations, I remember meeting up and it was like the logic that so often ruled my actions, was now complemented by equally strong emotions for this girl. I knew, right then, that I would be marrying this girl. This was only further reinforced later in the fall when we did a day trip to the North Shore and her adventurous spirit only further confirmed to me that we were perfect team. Since then we’ve unpacked and trusted each other with the ins and outs of our lives and pasts. I remember distinctly after one conversation us both realizing and verbalizing “okay, now what?”. The realization that the evaluation/dating phase was long gone, and intentionality we wanted/had pursued in our relationship left us with one step to take.

Feb 4th I was blessed to hear my best friend say yes to marrying me. I greatly look forward to all the adventures we’ll continue to have, the family we hope to someday raise, and the ways we’ll both push each other to be better in all walks of life.