Sam and I have known each other since we were 10 years old. We grew up attending the same church, going to the same Awana classes, memorizing the same bible verses, having the same friends. At that time Emma Heath and I began a wonderful friendship full of adventure, shenanigans, and art. Around the time Sam and I were 13 years old, he started noticing me more, especially since I was always around with Emma. Still, we were just kids growing up in our own little worlds, until our friend groups collided which brought Sam and I closer. At 14 years old, on a late summer evening in August after a youth group event, Sam came up to me and asked if he could tell me something; Of course, I said yes, and he pulled me aside. "I like you" were the words that tumbled out of his mouth, and we both stood there in surprise and silence. He walked away, probably embarrassed, when I finally wrapped my mind around what he had said. "Hey Sam, I like you too."

For the next year, our relationship was obviously awkward. Sam was a guy with his goofy guy friends, I was a girl with friends of my own, we were around each other but neither of us really knew at that point what to do about a relationship. But that changed in when our families had both come up to Spring Canyon for a retreat. Every morning Sam and I would venture down to the ponds and take pictures with our cameras. We started to talk to each other about real things; we were growing a little older and a little more mature. That was when we clicked. And just like that we were best friends and haven't stopped talking since.

It's been almost 5 years since then...And we both have made it back to Spring Canyon in unexpected ways. On August 31 of this year we get to begin our marriage where we first began to really build a friendship.