After becoming friends at work in December of 2022, Jared and I maintained a long-distance friendship (me in Chicago and Jared in Washington, DC). While bonding over ‘industry point-of-view presentations’ that to this day remain untouched, we discovered how well we worked together as a team. During a visit to the nation's capital in April of 2023, I was introduced to Jared’s wonderful sister Chloe over dinner (shoutout to Ruthies).

Chloe and Shannon maintained a strong friendship over weekly FaceTimes, sharing details of their lives. Chloe shared much of her journey of following Jesus, which sparked Shannon’s interest in knowing more. Over the summer, they continued to chat and discuss various topics, from theology to current cultural trends. In October of 2024, Shannon made the decision to read the bible chronologically. She was able to complete it in 145 days (Show off), after Shannon accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. Chloe has always supported Shannon, but in December, she decided to embody the typical annoying little sister (thanks, Chlo). She began to tease me about liking Shannon and insisting I should date her (boy, was she right).

In the new year, I embarked on a fun new adventure and moved to Washington DC for my Master’s degree at George Washington University. After moving to the same city and a very interesting 10-hour U-Haul drive across the country, Jared FINALLY built up the courage a month later to take me on a date on March 9, 2024 (a scavenger hunt he planned to show me around town, to this day, I read the clues and don’t understand the 3rd one). During these first moments of the relationship, I kindly asked Jared to introduce me to his vast family piece by piece slowly. Being the great listener he is… he introduced me to all 40+ immediate family members the very next day (thanks, bub) The next 9 months of dating were filled with grandeur, excitement, laughs, and a lot of gluten-free food as we grew closer together, ultimately leading to Jared getting down on one knee in Arizona on November 27th!

Our story is a remarkable testament that no one is perfect, and we all have made mistakes, but God, rich in mercy, has redeemed us and given us a new opportunity. Titus 3:5 reminds us that He did not save us because of our righteous actions but because of his mercy. The best parts of our story together come from the moments of realizing we do not have all the answers. We are delighted you are sharing our story and memorable day, and we cannot wait to begin an adventure together as husband and wife.