Our First Time meeting... The very first time Madison and I met was during an insane downpour during the first couple weeks of our freshman year at Liberty. What felt like the whole campus was outside, mud sliding down hills and making a real mess of the campus greenery. Some friends and I were playing Spikeball in the rain and Madison was part of a group that joined us out there. We barely even introduced ourselves, but that was the first interaction we had before a big group hike several weeks later where we got to actually talk with one another. Our Relationship Begins... After the hike, our friend groups sort of merged into one and we all started hanging out a lot, whether it be talking in the library when we should’ve been doing homework or doing random activities around campus. LU organized a prayer march in Washington DC with busloads of students attending and on the drive back to from it, Madison and I somehow ended up sitting with each other. I remember us hitting it off immediately and having such great and fun conversation for the whole bus trip. Maybe a couple weeks after that, a big group of us decided to hike up Sharptop Mountain (which can be seen from our wedding venue if you are looking down the aisle) and when we had a moment alone I told Madison I would love to get to know her more outside of our group setting and that I thought she was beautiful and kind. She was also interested and after a jam-packed week of 1-on-1 dates, I asked her to be my girlfriend. Thankfully, she said yes. The Proposal... After 2.5 years of dating (929 days to be exact), we got engaged on April 28th, 2023. The plan to propose to Madison had been brewing for a long time and as the date crept closer I got more and more excited to see her face during that moment. We were blessed by Madison’s parents as they decided to give me the diamond from Madison’s late grandmother to use for the new ring, making it all even more special as, for Madison, a significant family heirloom and, for me, a personal and moving demonstration of their support in our marriage. With the help of some good friends, the proposal area was set up while I took Madison out for her “birthday dinner.” After stalling a bit using my advanced skill set of moving slowly and without purpose while we finished up dinner and got ice cream, we finally made our way to the park where I proposed to Madison. Thankfully (again), her answer was yes and we celebrated with friends in a nearby gazebo where they had been hiding very patiently that evening. It was an incredibly joyful day.