Growing up, I always looked up to the relationship my parents had. A relationship full of love, faith, laughter, and living life with your best friend. When I was younger, I had heard that when my parents were growing up, they both used to pray that God would lead them to their future spouse. From then on out, I began to do the same.

During college, I made a list of non-negotiable traits I wanted in my husband. I created that checklist, and told myself that I would not veer from that list. I wrote to myself that I would check off that list, but only after 6 months of dating that person. If every point was not checked off, then chances are, he was not the man God had in store for me. That list included: intentional, Catholic & goes to church every Sunday, good Christian, has ambition in life, secure in who they are/confident, level-headed, comes from a good family & is close with his family/has a great relationship with them, optimistic & doesn’t let mild situations ruin his mood, has a good sense of humor, likes to drive / doesn’t mind driving (yes, this was important because I hate driving!), all my family & friends all love & approve.

I never thought I’d meet my future husband through a dating app (shoutout to Hinge!), but there I was on May 30th, 2023, getting ready for my first date with Connor. I was nervous, but I knew that if it were meant to be, God would make it happen. Connor and I met at Whiskey Cake at 7pm, and stayed until closing at 9pm. We talked the whole time, had so many things in common, and we felt an instant connection. The next night, Connor had called me to ask me out on a second date; we ended up talking on the phone for 2.5 hours. I learned that night (when he offered to drive 40 minutes to pick me up for our second date) that he loved to drive (haha!). It was from then on out that I became what you will call a “passenger princess.”

From the start, Connor has always known how to calm my racing mind, he has always had my back, and he has always known the right words to say.

As we began our dating adventure, I began to slowly check off my list, item by item. By 6 months, I easily had my list completed. My mom had always told me that when I meet the guy I’m meant to be with, everything will come easily & naturally, and she was correct. While there have been a few bumps in the road, as expected in all relationships, I’ve felt at peace from the moment I’ve met Connor. Our relationship has always come easy, and while I’ve only known him for a little over 1.5 years, I feel as if I’ve known him my whole life.

Towards the end of our dating adventure, I’d be at my parent’s house, and I’d get this homesick feeling in my gut. At first I was confused, because I thought to myself “I am home.” I soon realized that I was missing Connor. I realized then that wherever Connor is, that’s my home.

Connor makes me excited for the future, and he brings so much joy in my life. Life was pretty great before Connor, but now life is amazing & wonderful with him by my side.

I will be forever grateful that God has given me one of the biggest blessings in my life: a relationship with Connor that’s full of love, faith, laughter, and living life with my best friend.

*Katherine sent you a like* I scrolled through her profile and thought “Oh, she looks promising!” Cute, Catholic, blonde, a speech pathologist, what’s not to like? We began messaging and texting for a day or so and that’s when I learned about a great trait of Katherine’s: her sense of humor. We had great chemistry before we even met, which was obvious in our exchanged jokes and banter right from the start. Something felt different about her energy, even through text.

Our conversations were going well, so I asked her to meet me for dinner at a local restaurant—Whiskey Cake. I got there early and secured a booth for both of us. Over dinner, our connection in person was as I had hoped it would be. On our date, I learned another trait of Katherine’s: her kindness. She had such a sweet and bubbly energy during our date; it was infectious.

After we left, I called my parents to give them the date recap, and the first words out of my mouth were “I think I just met my wife…” It was a surreal moment; I reflect on it from time to time, because it felt like divine intervention. It was one of those moments that created a permanent snapshot of what you were doing and where you were. Yet another trait: her presence was impactful.

Dating for a couple months, meeting her wonderful family (and trying to remember all their names), and spending more time together, made me more convinced that she was the one for me. Only being able to see her a couple times a week always made me look forward to seeing her next. I always felt as if something was missing if I wasn’t hanging out with her after work. My place didn’t feel complete without her, which made me realize one of my favorite traits about her: She is my home.

Wherever Katherine is, that’s where I want to be, and who I want to be with. I can’t wait to call her my wife.