Hailey: What clicked in each of your guys's brains that made you interested in starting to date one another?


Neil: Essentially the first time we really interacted with one another was on a hike. After church, a mutual friend, Nicole, took us on a hike. I was very quiet on that hike and spent a lot of time listening. Anyway, when we got back, I requested to follow her on Strava. I then went on a run. When I got back from my run, she has accepted my follow request and I saw that she had just done a 10 mile workout that morning. At that point, I knew she was my athletic equal. 


Taylor: Neither Neil or I are quick to make important decisions - we both like to sit with things before taking action. Which is why it is honestly so surprising that we decided to date after knowing each other for 2 weeks and made it work in the long run after only dating in person for 3 weeks before a year of Neil chasing me across the country wherever I had rotations. I think it clicked in my brain when we did the Crevice hike. For the non-Rehoboth family + friends... the hike's climax is progressing down the crevice with your back against one wall and feet in front of you on the other (chimney style). Not only that adrenaline-inducing experiences bond you to the person who knows the way out. During that hike, Neil and I went through a lot of the first date genre of questions and realized that we view the world quite similarly.    

Eric: What are your stats: height, 40-yard dash, vertical jump, bench, deadlift

Taylor:

Height - 5'7"

40 yard dash - 7.11s

Vertical Jump - 32"

Bench - 75

Deadlift - 210

Neil:

Height - 5'10"

40 yard dash - 6.63

Vertical Jump - 32"

Bench - 120

Deadlift - 265

Hannah: What's been your favorite date you've been on together and why?

Neil: Our valentines date! A couple days after Valentines day, I was in Lynden. On that trip, we dressed up and went the the Newsroom Pub. It was fun! The food was pretty good, I can recommend the baked mac-n-cheese with brussel sprouts (although the roux was a little grainy). Anyway, Taylor was wearing a nice dress and she got a burger! I have a fun memory of her in that nice dress eating a pub burger. Fun!

Taylor: I think my favorite would have to be the Albuquerque zoo. We swung by there in January when I took a trip to NM for my birthday week. It was kinda cooler temps and a weekday so the zoo was pretty empty which worked nicely in our favor. Neil was entertained at how much I loved the penguins. It was just fun to be caught up in how fun a good zoo is - feeling like we stepped back into the childhood wonder of seeing hawks, wolves, monkeys, tiger, and so many others.

Jimmy: What is the other person most likely to die doing?

Taylor: It would be a freak accident since he is usually very careful when backpacking/climbing. He would probably be canyoneering and fall of the edge of the Grand Canyon.

Neil: Anaphylactic shock... Taylor's going to develop a peanut allergy late in life and find out when she eats a Reeces. And for some reason or another she cannot make it to the hospital in time.

Riley: If your fiancé was a cartoon character, who would they be and why?

Neil: Road Runner, Duh! Can you think of someone who likes running more that Taylor?

Taylor: Alfredo Linguini from Ratatouille... he is gentle and kind. He knows how to work hard and is a friend to all. And he is a redhead too!

Kyle: What is the strangest quirk or habit you have noticed about the other person, even if it just makes you love them more?

Taylor: SUPER quiet thinker. Often, when he has been thinking and not saying much, he has something profound to offer. The kinds of people who talk just to be heard never get to appreciate this side of him.

Neil: "coldcoldcoldcold"

Ask Taylor

Kaitlyn: What are 3 similarities (value/interests/characteristics) between you two that you've appreciated in your relationship?

Neil: I'm sure grandma Weeda would appreciate this; we both love dessert. Second, we are both a little crazy in the head. After a week of dating, we decided to hike Mt. Taylor. It happened to be the day of the Mt. Taylor 50K. At the time, both of us thought that would be a really fun experience. So yeah, both a little crazy in the head. Finally, there is the fact that opposites attract. She went to Calvin and I, Hope.

Taylor: Neil and I got set up by a mutual friend (Nicole). After we were dating, Nicole told me that she saw a couple of similarities between the two of us. She said she wasn't going to meddle, but she knew we had to meet. Those three things she saw I think are three similarities I come back to that I really appreciate between the two of us: (1) Faith - this is something important to us both and a crucial part of who we are and how we act (2) Active - we both love being outside whether that is running + hiking or learning new skills like backpacking or rock climbing for me! (3) Deep thinkers - Neither of us is satisfied with surface level answers to big questions. We like to push and know how things work and find ways to make them work better

Hope: What is the best hike/run you guys have gone on (best by whatever criteria you want)?

Neil: The week after I ran the Mt. Taylor 50k, we went back to Mt. Taylor. we did an 11 mile run. It was horrible. It was also really good. There was a tunnel of golden aspens that we ran through. It was pretty good.

Taylor: I think probably the first trail run I took Neil on in Washington. We ran around fragrance lake and in the Chuckanut Mtn region in Bellingham. It was so much fun for me because it made me see the beauty in a new way again. Neil was so captivated by the mossy trunks of evergreens and the ferns and undergrowth - I think it made me appreciate how phenomenal and beautiful the area really is.

Micah: Taylor - What is your favorite hike or adventure in New Mexico, and why? Neil - What is your favorite hike or adventure in Washington, and why?

Taylor: I think probably the second time we ran Mt. Taylor. It was the week after Neil's 50k on the mountain and we headed back for a long run. The fall colors were in prime with tons of yellow aspens. It was hard but also so much fun to just be able to run/hike and explore/enjoy the beauty together.

Neil: While Taylor had a rotation in Seattle, I went on a 5-day backpacking trip in Olympic National Park. I really enjoyed that mix of rainforest valleys and high mountain passes. It was a good time!

Katelyn: When was the moment you knew you wanted to spend the rest of your lives together?

Neil: Taylor has abundant desirable qualities that are easy to see, but there was one activity that I wanted to make sure she tolerated at minimum. In January of 2024, we backpacked in the Grand Canyon. And Neil Alden Weeda in his infinite wisdom chose a horrible trail. Like, I mean... SO bad. There were parts where rock slides had destroyed the trail. Also, on the second day, I forgot to get water. So yeah... the fact that she didn't break up with me on the spot was a very good indication.

Taylor: There have been so many moments, so I will give honorary mention to a couple. One of these moments was when I was living in Denver and working at the Women's Correctional Facility with a lot of stress from school. He was such a good listener and helped me tone back my anxiety and stress levels. Another major one was at the end of my OBGYN/peds rotation in Gallup. I got a stomach bug the day before I took my rotation exam. He stayed up rubbing my back and slept on the floor in the next room over - letting me take his bed because I was too miserable to move a muscle that night. There have been so many other moments that let me see that he has a heart of gold and will always be there to love and support me.

Kaysha: Who was the first to say "I love you" and when did they say it?

Neil. 10.06.2023. On the green couch in the mission house.