Through our amazing siblings, Eley and I were always mutuals. Our siblings were best friends, so we’d find ourselves saying hi to each other at school as if we hung out all the time. That didn’t change until we both started serving as leaders with Wyldlife, a youth ministry at Collegiate. After a middle school hangout one night, I asked all the leaders if anyone was up for McDonald’s, and Eley was the only one who said yes. That’s how we unintentionally went on our first date.

Those of you who know Eley know how intentional she is and how deeply loved she makes you feel through her friendship. I knew she was someone I wanted in my life forever! After about three months of being “best friends,” I asked Eley to be my girlfriend.

College brought what we called “medium distance” and plenty of challenges that helped us grow both individually and as a couple. Knowing the distance was only temporary helped us make the most of our weekends together! We took turns visiting each other, with Eley coming to my football games and me making the trip to catch an OSU football game or attend one of her sorority formals. Those weekends made the miles feel small and only strengthened our relationship.

As many of you know, one of Eley’s hobbies is photography, and our favorite tradition is taking updated pictures every spring and fall with one of her photographer friends. This time, though, I beat her to the punch. I contacted our dearest photographer and longtime friend and asked her to give Eley two dates to choose from for a photo session. Little did Eley know, she was helping plan her own proposal. On July 28th, at Flint Hills Golf Course, I got down on one knee and asked Eley to be my wife. She said yes!

Through every season, we’ve been abundantly blessed by our loving families and friends who have walked beside us. Most importantly, our faith in Christ has been the foundation of it all. We can’t wait to begin this next chapter together, surrounded by the people we love. We can’t wait to see y’all there!