Our story is over a decade in the making and is a story full of waiting, of friendship, of answered prayers, and love.

We first met at Wofford College in the fall of 2008, and while some of the details might be a little fuzzy, we both vividly remember riding over the mountains on the way to a track meet in Tennessee. We both ran the 400 meters, and though it was a race we both didn't want to run, it is a moment we will be thankful for forever.

The next year, we both were accepted into the same January term class. We signed up to complete our SCUBA certification in Spartanburg before flying down to Bonaire (an island off the coast of Venezuela). This trip was a chance for us to get to know each other better, and we will always remember the incredible dives and experience that we shared.

On this trip, Chris realized he liked more than just the fish he saw and decided to ask Maggie out on a couple of dates when we got back to school. After a few dates around Spartanburg, a date to watch a lacrosse game and one to Denny's, we decided to remain friends.

Over our remaining years at Wofford we stayed friends and would catch up whenever we saw one another, or even go on hikes in Asheville with a group of friends. We graduated college and headed our separate ways, Maggie to UGA to earn her Master's Degree in Counseling, and Chris to Charleston to earn his Master's in Public Administration.

For several years we remained out of touch, but then one Facebook Message changed it all (we will let you guess who sent the first message). After catching up, we remained in touch and even made plans to visit one another over the following year. These trips never happened, and while we laugh about it now, we were both disappointed because we hoped to see one another.

We continued to stay in touch over the phone and through social media, occasionally reaching out and wondering "what if" about each other. Chris continued to move around the country planting churches, and Maggie established roots in Athens, GA, where she served students and families. And then 2020 happened.

When the pandemic struck, we were living 815 miles apart. Chris was living in Chicago and helping plant a church, and Maggie had just bought a house in Athens. Chris's job was transitioned, and one of the first things he did was reach out to Maggie. Over the years, we have talked for hours about job callings and opportunities within the workplace, a speciality of Maggie's as a career consultant. As Chris reached out, we scheduled a zoom to talk about resumes and ended up talking for over two hours, very little of it about resumes. We then continued to schedule weekly zoom "meetings" and plan a date for Chris to visit Athens.

This visit actually happened. Chris arrived in Athens, GA just after Maggie's birthday in July to help celebrate and (finally) check out the Classic City. Maggie showed Chris all of her favorite spots around town (many of these listed under Things to Do), and after 3 days together we were both excited to see each other more.

Within a week of visiting Maggie, Chris secured a job in Charleston, SC and made the move back to the Southeast. We were able to see each other more regularly and establish a foundation for our relationship. We went on a few adventures, too, which included a 15-hour U-Haul trip from Chicago to Charleston, camping trip in SC (ask Maggie about sleeping on the ground lol), and hiking in GA. By October, we both told each other "I love you" and knew we wanted to spend our lives together. We began praying about the timing of our engagement and marriage, as well as where to begin our lives as a couple. We still don't have it all figured out, but we know that we want to do life together and call Athens home (at least for now).

There are a lot of other sweet moments we could share, but let's fast forward to the proposal in January 2021. Maggie was for sure it was going to happen every Saturday in January, and on January 23rd, she was right. We started the day in Athens doing our usual run around UGA's campus and post-run coffee and bagels on North Campus. After breakfast, and while still on North Campus, Chris insisted that we take a picture together on his polaroid camera. While setting this up, Maggie got ready to strike a pose on the blanket, and Chris took a deep breath with the ring box in hand. He then walked back over to the blanket and got down on one knee just in time for the camera to catch the shot. Although so sure the proposal would happen that day, Maggie was surprised asking, "Are you really doing this right now?" Saying "yes", Chris continued on with his proposal right in front of the Chapel on UGA's North Campus. Maggie said "yes", of course, and a nearby photographer snagged pictures that we will cherish forever. Students and passersby cheered as they could tell the proposal was a success!

We know that 2020 and 2021 have brought a lot of challenges for so many people, including ourselves. It was a year of deep prayer, of hope, and of significant change for us. We are incredibly blessed by all that God has done in our lives this year and have so much to be thankful for, including getting to celebrate our Wedding Day with family and friends. A milestone in our story will happen on November 12, 2021, and we are thrilled to share it with all of you!

Chris

I have had a crush on Maggie for years, all the way back to our SCUBA trip in college. After a phone call with Maggie in 2019, I began praying about two things: moving back to the Southeast and visiting Maggie to ask her out on a date. Moving back has clearly been one of the greatest decisions of my life, and after that first trip to see her in Athens, I knew.

Maggie

When Chris was called to ministry and planted a church in Aiken, SC in 2015, I reached out (on Facebook) to celebrate and encourage him. We stayed connected after this, and I began to view him as a trusted friend. I did not go a year without talking with him in some way. When the pandemic hit and we began weekly zoom calls, these conversations were different than others we'd had—we talked about anything and everything. I saw just how closely our values aligned, plus Chris let his sister, Anna, join us from time to time. That's when I knew.