We’re getting married!

Moving during the COVID shutdown is hard enough. Meeting new people during the shut-down was altogether near impossible. Luckily, we both decided to brave the crazy world of online dating via the same app…Facebook. After a little over a week of easy back and forth, we thought it was time to meet in person. Due to complex schedules though, the first available time was Sunday, the 14th. Of February. Valentines Day… Not wanting to wait another whole week just because of a stupid holiday, we agreed to meet on Sunday, the 14th of February. Period. In an awesome stroke of luck, we went to a chocolate store, where we had the best wingman since Greg had no game. After the ice was broken, we walked along the rushing waters of the Occoquan river, where the conversation started to flow just as easily. Finally, we went to get some food at the Silver Diner in Woodbridge, and after several hours of terrible jokes and sharing their passions, (maybe some under-the-table foot rubbing) they closed out the diner and thought... hey there's something here, maybe let's do this again. Second date was supposed to be ice skating but we had to resort to bowling where lack of coordination was on strong display. Charly's awkward and weird sense of fun was hypnotic. The night was fun, but more importantly, it was so easy to talk about real things and cut through the small talk. At the end of the night, after reading all the signs correctly, Greg asked Charly if he could kiss her. DENIED! Probably the best swing and a miss ever. For the third date, they planned a nice day of hiking in the beautiful Prince William forest. But then a twist! Surprise family attendance! Greg got to show off how good he is with kids and dive head first into meeting mom and sis. Turns out the first kiss wasn't denied, just delayed. On the fourth date, Greg literally saves Charly's life....in practice. Charly gets to put her acting skills on display while smacking and cursing Greg as he tries to save her life during TCCC (tactical combat casualty care) certification training. All in all, a good way to wrap up the first month of dating. And with that, they were hooked. It was a magical romance filled with their favorite coffee spot, pups, games, Van Gogh, and belching.

Everything was moving along smoothly until.... another Twist!... unexpected opportunity promptly throws all plans out the window! Charly received the incredible chance to go on tour as the star dresser for the First National Tour of Pretty Woman the Musical. Which she would ultimately totally kick ass at. So Greg found his plan to propose in the spring accelerated into only a matter of days, almost all of which would be spent on a trip up to Ohio for Thanksgiving with her family. Using the trip to ask Charly's parents for their blessing, Greg managed to put together a going away party for her back in Virginia. Enter another Twist! This was no mere going away party, no it was an engagement party disguised as a going away party! Greg knew he had found the woman God had led him to and wasn't about to let her leave without knowing exactly how he felt. Surrounded by their Manassas friends, Charly was given a gift as a token of everyone's love and support as she embarked on this next adventure. Inside was a beautiful handmade ornament expressing Greg's six-word love story: "I can't imagine life without you." Charly turned around to find Greg on one knee, holding a small box, which he opened to reveal..... a ring pop! Quickly replaced by the engagement ring she's wearing today. (Obviously she said yes or this would be a really awkward wedding) And off Charly went to tour the country and share her amazing talent, while Greg stayed home to build American Drengr Krav Maga with his students. They made the best of the time apart, filling their time by sharing daily devotionals and calls, Monday gaming nights, and being able to travel and see each other every couple months or so. They even squeezed in a quick 10 min visit when she had a layover at Dulles on their 1 year anniversary. Finally, they were reunited as Charly's time with the tour ended and they could start planning this awesome shindig you're all invited to!

Here is a playlist of some of our favorite line dances. Some of the videos break it down step by step and some are just a demo of the dance to the song. Feel free to become acquainted with as few or as many as you wish! The best part about line dancing, is you make it work for you! If you can't handle a jump, just step ;) https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLn3I6RdiJrajo3iGjrIt7sWywIdfHIf89 **beginners might want to start with Boot Scootin Boogie**