Hello everyone! The story of how we ended up together is quite interesting to tell. To begin, we must go back to the time of bottle flips and the Mueller investigation: 2017.

The two of us met in seventh grade in a history class. A casual friendship soon developed while playing a game of Castle Risk. When Gabe won the game in a crushing victory, I knew he was the one! Both of us shared common interests and even ended up on the same soccer team! We remained friends through middle and high school. Throughout high school our relationship grew, with us becoming dance partners in gym class, participating in various sports together, discussing psychology during lunch hours, and plotting to solve world hunger after school.

I took it upon myself to pursue a relationship with Gabe late in our senior year. (A very long and arduous road, as he was a very stubborn individual.)

Gabriel left town for Wisconsin upon graduating, leaving North Branch and myself behind to work and search for purpose. Despite the distance, our communication never ceased. I had not given up on the chase for his heart when he returned from Wisconsin. Even so, Gabe was not willing to commit to a dating relationship. He still, much to my disappointment, was unsure of where life would lead. We grew very close by November of 2022, and regarded one another as best friends. Gabe traveled to Tampa Florida in December of 2022, once again to work and look for purpose. He came back with a change of heart. Immediately following Christmas, we finally began to date.

Our relationship seemed perfect! Both of us had long harbored feelings of attraction for one another, and we brought to the table years of shared memories and experiences. However, we also brought our own unresolved personal struggles. I had never felt like I had true peace, and Gabriel did not understand his life's purpose. Thus, we struggled for the first year. My lack of peace and Gabe's continued search for purpose placed an immense strain on our relationship. We could not find in one another all that we were looking for, and our relationship began to fall apart.

At this time, the most important character in either of our stories made his dramatic entrance: Jesus Christ. Gabe, who was a long-time skeptic of Christianity, chose to devote his life to Christ. Soon after, I too came to the faith and was baptized. In knowing the Lord, we both found what we were looking for: Gabe finding his life's purpose and me finding true peace. We came to understand that Jesus is the only one who could ever truly complete us, and we no longer looked to one another to fulfill such an impossible task.

Fast forward to today. After many trials and hard discussions, we have a deep, profound, and loving bond with one another that is rooted in Christ Jesus. Always seeking the Lord for guidance has taught both of us how to love one another more deeply and compassionately. Putting God at the center of our relationship has led us to where we are today: deeply in love and eager to begin a life together, earnestly seeking God with all of our hearts.