Our story is in part thanks to some of our dearest friends. Both Lindsey and I spent a portion of our lives in Redding, California. I had left to join the Marines well before I ever got the chance to meet Lindsey. Luckily enough, over the years, we both had friends who would mention our names to one another. Stationed in Hawaii at the time, Lindsey and I would occasionally flirt back and forth and get to know each other. Then, life sent me to Germany, and our communication only increased. After several weeks and a few bold flirts, Lindsey realized, “I could wait around for a few more years or buy a plane ticket to Germany and potentially meet my husband.” And that is what she did. Fueled by romantic interest and backed by positive testimonies of his character, In July of 2023, Lindsey flew across the globe to Germany to spend ten days with a man she had never met in person. I picked Lindsey up from the airport on July 17th at 9:18 am to start the first ten days of the rest of our lives! Despite the plane arriving late, being fined 120 euros for taking the wrong shuttle, completely missing our first train, and having another train delayed and rerouted, we finally made it to the first stop on our romantic European adventure. Brugge, Belgium. We spent five amazing days in the beautiful, slow-paced town before heading to Paris, France. We spent two days in the hustle and bustle of Paris, making sure to take photos in front of the Eiffel Tower. Lastly, we spent three relaxing days in Bern, Switzerland, where the future of my life started to become clear to me. Each leg of the trip had defining moments uniquely powerful in their insights. And the night before Lindsey returned home, on July 25th at 11:23 pm, I asked her to be my girlfriend! It was a sad goodbye but one of the happiest events of my life.

Lindsey and I would continue to nurture our relationship and take turns visiting one another. In November, I flew out to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with both her family and mine, knowing that Lindsey would be my wife. Spontaneously, in Tennessee, we even went and looked at engagement rings! Our families were not yet informed, and they were only meeting us for the first time. Yet, we knew we were ready to be engaged. And in December, Lindsey would fly out to Germany for over a month to celebrate Christmas, New Year’s, and her Birthday. For Lindsey’s month in Germany, we wanted it to reflect what our every day lives might be like. I made sure to continue working during the week, and we stayed local for Christmas and New Year’s to see how we live life together. It could not have gone better. After a very successful time together, I had an extraordinary birthday set up for Lindsey. We flew to Malta, a beautiful little island under Sicily, and on her birthday, in the Upper Barrakka Gardens, I got down on one knee!

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Following our wedding on July 25th, we will be preparing to start our life together in Germany! There have been many plans, changes, and unforeseen circumstances, but after a lot of prayer and communication, we feel very confident in our decision! We are so blessed and excited to be getting married, and we welcome you to join us in celebrating!