Laura and Mike have known each other for more than 3 years from being on the worship arts/production team at 2|42 Community Church in Brighton. Other than working together, they supported each other as friends and church family until January 2022.

One of the things Mike does as part of his work (and because he's a caring and compassionate guy) is support his team when they need help. When a piece of Laura's trim came loose in a windstorm in October 2021, Mike made time to come and reattach it, and he and Laura talked for three hours after that. Mike came away from that time pensive about the possibility of a relationship, but Laura was not in that frame of mind... yet.

In January 2022, they were talking after a church service about life and the subject of online dating came up. It was cathartic to vent about the hot mess that online dating is with a friend. But toward the end of that conversation, Mike mentioned some of the things he was looking for in a potential match and said "like you"... and immediately followed it up with the caveat that he didn't want to date someone on the team in case it didn't work out and made things awkward.

Laura took that at face value and didn't think anything of it, until she had a walk with her friend Jen. Jen thought Mike might be testing the waters to see whether Laura was interested in dating him. Since Mike was such a quality guy, Laura thought it was worth following up on, so she called Mike the following Tuesday and they talked for hours on the phone about everything from the possibility of a relationship, to the history behind Laura's divorce, to the healing process from Mike losing his wife, to the needs of the kids and what we envisioned relationship and family to look like in the long run.

While they didn't *quite* start dating then, they were 'hanging out' together to get to know one another, and still serving together and helping each other out as friends. Both were praying for God's direction and leading as to whether they should date each other or not.

After Laura found out that she talked to Mike for several hours on his birthday which he forgot to mention in the course of the conversation, she decided to make some Reese's cupcakes and personally deliver them the day after his birthday. So Mike got a call from Laura that she had something she wanted to drop on the porch and Mike asked when she would be stopping by and she said I'm right down the street at the gas station. How convenient right?... So upon arrival Laura was greeted by Jaime who is Mike's older adopted daughter outside with her dog and invited Laura in. Laura handed Mike the cupcakes and talked for a few minutes and left. After leaving Jaime asked Mike if Laura was the "church lady" to which Mike replied yes and Jaime said, "go dad, she's cute!" Laura then became known as the "cupcake lady" to some of Mike's family.

In April 2022, Laura and Mike became official and exclusive, and the dating profiles were shut down.

Through the next year, they got to know each other, their kids, and their extended families.

We survived a road trip across the United States in a Suburban with 4 kids, adapting to change, navigating kids through some very tough changes, joy, difficulty, and bringing families together (or at least as much as we have the power to). We have marveled at the many things we have in common and strengths in one/weakness in another that mesh together so well. It's like God knew what we needed more than we did.

It's been a blessing to be on this journey together and this wedding represents the beginning of many new adventures!

Registry

We are both truly grateful for every one of you who has been there for us throughout our lives, and blessed to be a part of your lives.