We first met in November 2020 at a Fort Worth Young Adult Catholic event - we began as acquaintances, then friends. We initially bonded over similar encounters with Christ that prompted our conversion/reversion to the Catholic faith and a shared taste in electronic music.

We took a group trip to Zion National Park at the end of April 2021 with some of our friends and had a blast - bonding over nature, laughing so hard that Katlyn almost fell down a cliff hiking down Angel's landing, talking about the Faith, and slowly giving glimpses into the other's heart. The last day we visited the Hoover Dam while waiting for our evening flight after all our friends had gone home and we opened up our hearts to each other in a deeper way, sharing our stories to another trusted soul. Little did we know, this would be the spot we would return 3 years later to begin our honeymoon.

After returning home from the trip, we started to spend a lot more time together, at board game nights, group friend dinners, rock climbing together, and visiting a HiFi (high fidelity audio) store. After leaving the HiFi store, Ben slipped his feelings and predicted that was the day we would tell our grandchildren about - the day we grandma and I decided to get HiFi and our lives were changed. Within a couple weeks, Ben was buying an engagement ring.

The ~~slow~~ work of God transformed our infatuation and admiration into true, mature, lasting love day by day, month by month, year by year. Over the last three years together, we've uncovered the many layers of our souls, healing old wounds and embracing the future with open hearts. Whether it's the silliness that ensues during our laughter-filled moments, the quiet moments of our daily routines, the heart wrenching moments when we cry into the other's shoulder, or our shared love for various hobbies, our connection and openness to the other has deepened.

We find joy in the simple pleasure of preparing meals together, being silly, hosting friends and family for dinner, jamming out to music, reading together, being "poor sweetie pies", learning new things, talking about our hopes and dreams and recent rabbit holes and obsessions, and heading outdoors to hike, take rosary walks, backpack, ski, mountain bike, and embrace the beauty of the natural world. Our love extends beyond the boundaries of our own relationship, as we're both actively involved in our parish community, sharing our faith with those around us.

Many of those close to us know that our journey has been characterized by waiting. We waited longer than expected to get married. We've chosen to wait until marriage before sharing a bed and a home, a decision that has only enhanced our love and respect for one another. We even waited longer than expected for us to close on our future home together. Not only has all of this waiting helped us to grow in the beautiful virtue of patience, but it has been a period of growth, deepening our connection, and preparing for the lifelong sacramental commitment of marriage.

Our love is a testament to faith, shared laughter, transformation, deep trust, and the adventures that have filled our lives. We look forward to sharing this new chapter with our family and friends. We appreciate your prayers as we continue to prepare for this sacrament and beyond as we begin our lives as one flesh and start our family together.

Thank you for being a part of our lives, and we eagerly await celebrating our love with you on our special day.