We first heard about each other from our friends Matt and Matea. Selah had just moved to Phoenix from Texas and Kevin was living in Chicago. We were both told we should date the other person, but seeing we lived apart, did not think much of it.

We officially met in person at a friends birthday party when Kevin was back in Arizona for a wedding.

Kevin moved back to Arizona and we met again, this time living in close community together, as Selah was living with Matea, Kevin's best friend Matt's fiancée.

We started spending more time together, playing games with friends, having lunches after church, celebrating birthdays, and seeing each other multiple days a week.

Kevin started being interested in Selah, but waited a while in fear of jeapardizing the friendship. But then, Kevin asked Selah's roommate Matea whether I (Selah) would be open to going on a date. Selah said yes, and not much later, Kevin asked Selah out on their first date.

(Above, a photo of when Selah was waiting for Kevin to ask her out, but we didn't know the other knew)

We went on our first date, getting ice cream at Tempe Town Lake. We acknowledged the risk of dating within a friend group, but decided it would be a bigger risk to not give it a shot. We then drove around the city for 3 hours, with all our friends and family tracking us. Charis (Selah's sister) thought Kevin may be murdering Selah, but not to fret, this did not happen.

After our third date, we became official! These two photos were the first ones we ever took together.

Left: second date, sent to Selah's best friend

Right: first picture as official couple

This photo was taken at Selah's birthday party, the first time we were a couple officially with our friends!

Selah was supposed to have surgery, but it got cancelled morning of, so we took the opportunity to take a day trip to Sedona! This trip gave us time to slow down and enjoy intentional time with one another. Both of us look back on this trip as a turning point in our relationship, and we started to see a future together.

The next few months were spent with friends, making memories, going to weddings, and going on hikes. We were slowly becoming inseparable and best friends.

Selah had her long-awaited surgery, and Kevin was by her side throughout it all. Selah was on complete vocal rest for a week. We even went to a wedding before Selah could talk again, which made for a fun night of charade-like communication. This month, we started having more serious conversations about what marriage would look like.

April was spent with friends and we even took a weekend trip to San Diego, where Kevin sadly got stung by a sting ray. We also spent this month intentionally praying and processing indepedently on what the Lord had for our future together, and whether we should get engaged.

May was a big month! Selah graduated from grad school, we took a trip with our RC to Payson together, spent time with Selah's college roommates, went ring shopping and toured our first wedding venue!

We got engaged! Kevin asked Selah to marry him at Saguaro Lake, with her family and grandparents there to watch. After, there was an engagement party at his house where we got to celebrate with all of our friends and families.

Within the first week of June, we decided on our venue, and booked tickets for our honeymoon! Then, Selah left the country for 3 weeks and we worked through long-distance. It wasn't easy, but we did it!

We are so excited for all that is to come. We cannot wait to celebrate our wedding with you!