Our story began long before we ever realized it was beginning. Ryan and I went to the same high school, but somehow never crossed paths. I knew his brother, Clark, who started dating one of my longest and closest friends, Anna, and we even shared similar interests — pottery and ballroom dancing — but our story didn’t officially begin until years later.

In the summer of 2024, I was walking through some unexpected health challenges that kept me from going on a work trip I had been looking forward to. Disappointed and trying to adjust to a new reality, I received a text from Anna insisting I come up to the Chalverus lake house. After a little convincing, I decided to go.

When I arrived, Ryan’s mom immediately tried to set me up with her “single redheaded son” — and I quickly insisted I wasn’t looking to date anyone. Then I met Ryan down by the dock.

He was kind, thoughtful, easy to talk to, and understood the difficulties of trying to navigate health issues. The next day, I came back to the lake and Anna boldly asked if I would go on a date with him. I very firmly said no — I truly wasn’t looking for a relationship.

But after some encouragement from Anna and a little intentional conversation from Ryan, I agreed to go on a double date the next week. One date turned into several, and before long, we were officially together.

From early on, there was a deep sense of peace in our relationship. We both felt that the Lord had been preparing our hearts and writing our story long before we even knew it — weaving together two lives that had been close for years, just waiting for the right moment. And we’re so grateful He brought us together at just the right time.