Met in 2019, engaged in 2020, hitched in 2021!

Us

My first impression of Sarah

Wow this girl is fun. She showed up for our first date. She really showed up  - so many people don't do that these days. She never looked at her phone. She was engaged. She was excited to be there. Did I mention how stinkin' cute she looked? Anyways, conversation was easy and I wanted to know more. So much that at the end of the night I told her that it technically wasn't a date (since I didn't buy her dinner) and asked if I could take her on proper date sometime soon. She said yes... but we didn't make it to a restaurant until our third date. 

First impression of Phil? Glad you asked...

"I'll be the guy in the coral button up (really wish I didn't have to put that in writing)."
​Wow this guy is confident. Although, by some mysterious mistake, he didn't pay for my drink. Nevertheless, we were off to a second location. And then a third. And then a second date in the park where he ransacked Trader Joes, scavenging all the right goodies. He must have really been paying attention and wow, he remembers everything I say.
​I think he is too good to be true. 

When can I see you again? 

That's the question I kept asking. Our next date could never come soon enough. Time with Sarah was easy. We traded childhood memories, travel adventures, and hopes and dreams for the future. I wanted to kiss her on our second date, but before I could, she put my feet to the fire, asking, "so Phil... what are you thinking?" In hindsight, I should have kissed her then, but instead I told her that I enjoyed spending time with her and wanted to keep taking her out. So I did... up until her big trip to Nepal!

Then what happened? 

I got scared. What can I say? I left the country with the prospect of a very serious budding relationship and I freaked. Three weeks and one breathless (literally I couldn't breathe) conversation in Phil's basement later, and we were over. Immediately I knew I had made a major mistake. As I began to waver back and forth (as we 7s do, know what I mean, enneagram lovers?) I told friends and family if I still felt like it was a mistake in a month, I would reach out to Phil for a second chance. October 28th came and I sent this...HMU? Who says that? 

Here goes nothing

So sue me, I was trying to move on! I headed to Italy for a week alone, determined not to give the girl I hadn't heard from in a month any real estate in my head. But then she sent that stinking playlist... which I downloaded... and listened to on the train. OK, my interest was piqued again -- but I needed her to show some initiative so I didn't get left high and dry again. I got back and we made plans to meet at Legion... which was a SUPER awkward date! I knew I was guarded -- and even though Legion wasn't fun, I knew to give it at least one more try.

And then...

Thank you Jesus he asked me to hang out again! Actual sigh of relief. I started to work hard to rebuild some trust and then the train picked up speed. Ok, that's over simplified, but you get the gist. We started getting serious about getting to really know each other and intentionally dating and well, we fell in love. The holidays rolled around and we were stoked to get to spend pieces of them together, getting to know friends and families. Then covid hit. Like everyone, our world slowed down, but the growth in our relationship somehow managed to pick up speed. Lots of puzzles, exercise, takeout, random car rides, trips to the beach, MOVIES, days, hours and minutes shared.
​I was in. And I was pretty sure he was too. 

I want to marry this girl

Yeah, I was in. So in. Early that summer, I told my parents I wanted to marry you. Later that summer, I told your parents. Then came all of the research, excitement, and chaos of finding someone to make a ring. "Sarah, do you want to go to the mountains with the Wilsons the weekend before Thanksgiving?" On Friday, November 20, we hit the road by noon. I'm still impressed with how cool I played it. We hiked on the south side of Grandfather Mountain to a rock where things changed forever -- and then snuck down to Linville where our parents were waiting to celebrate for the weekend.

On April 22, 2021, we drove back up the mountain. On April 24, we both said "I do".

#PSiloveyou