I guess you could say it’s been two years in the making.

Marcus and I crossed paths when I was a wee-little high schooler through mutual acquaintances, but it wasn’t until years later that we met again at a young adults church group led by our dear friend. After the teaching, I bounced over to slap him with the infamous I-don’t-know-you-well-but-we’re-going-to-hug-like-best-friends embrace that you’ve surely received if we’ve met. In that moment, he had no remembrance of me. His response? “Wow! Yeah, it’s sooo great to see you!” Thank you, Marcus. Over the next three months, we spent a delightful time together as friends, until I noticed feelings were-a-stirrin’ on his end I had to set the record straight. It was a talk I’d had thooousands of times, “I’m sorry, you’re really nice, but I’m just not interested in anything beyond friendship… sooo, let’s just be friends”. There was no crying, no breaking of fine china, or stomping off crushed and heartbroken for eternity. In fact, there was little expressed emotion at all. Oddly enough it was the following day, after waiting impatiently for a phone call and NOT getting one, that I knew somewhere in the future this man was going to care for me as his wife.

Marcus is from a charming town in Ohio that’s visited less than desired, but doesn’t remember much else from before we met. He’s a man who beat the raging odds against him, learns and teaches from his mistakes, and loves in the wholehearted, unashamed, vulnerable kind of way. He is my gentle warrior, and God has an impossible life ahead for us. Yes, impossible. We are part of a plan that could never be accomplished in our own strength, and for that, I am so thankful.

As a couple, we have experienced the excitement and oblivion of new love, but have dealt with our fair share of trial and tribulation. Sitting here, witness to the work God has done in both of our lives to this point, overwhelms me with humility. Preparing for marriage, and the daily sacrifice to one’s self, is a choice and commitment we are BLESSED to be making. 

Because we’ve been planning our wedding for four months, the majority of the details were finalized a while ago. Stay tuned for engagement pics and how it all went down, our plans for the date, and (most importantly) what happens after!

The fruit of waaay too many jobs. Asscher cut. Deeelish.