The Story of Us

How we met...

Andrew and I first met when I was in undergrad at Lindenwood University. He had recently graduated from Covenant College and was back in St. Louis, where he grew up. (I was a recent transplant to the area: I grew up in Tennessee, but moved to St. Louis during my senior year of high school in order for my dad to study at Covenant Theological Seminary.) We were both going to the same church-- Kirk of the Hills Presbyterian Church-- and he had expressed interest in getting to know more people our age and investing in new relationships now that he was back in the area to stay. I, along with some friends, invited him to lunch for a few weeks in a row and he was never able to come. I remember him distinctly, but he has no recollection of me. After these few weeks, I did not see him again for a few years. I found out later that he had been working with the youth group during Sunday school hours (which is why he never came back to our class) and then worked in Hawaii for a year doing youth ministry.

Flash forward to January of 2010. Andrew was coming back from his year-long assignment in Hawaii. I had become close friends with Jess Lyle, who had worked with Andrew in the Kirk youth ministry before he went to Hawaii. Jess and her husband Scott had both been talking to me and telling me all of Andrew's fine qualities and how they hoped we would get together when he got back. Unfortunately, I was still struck by our first meeting and was sure that he was cold and unfriendly. Jess and Scott assured me that he was not like this at all and were both puzzled as to why he would have acted in such a way.

When he finally came home from Hawaii, I remember seeing him at church. He commented on my mandolin playing, but our conversation did not go any further. This lasted for a couple of weeks and I was intrigued. Finally, I was at home one Sunday evening and got a call from Jess, saying that Scott and Andrew were at Blockbuster picking up a movie and that they were all hanging out at the Lyles' house that night. "Do you want to come over??" I assured her that we would not get along, but decided to go anyway. He was, fortunately, not in any way what I had expected. I was glad.

During the next couple of weeks, we both got information from Jess and Scott ("secretly") as to what the other had been saying: information from texts, conversations, etc. He finally called me a week or so later and asked if I wanted to go to dinner. We went to Fitz's on the Loop, to Starbucks to get hot tea afterward, and then went ice-skating in Forest Park. Neither of us felt much of a spark and were secretly disappointed. However, for some reason, we both decided to give it a try and go on a few more dates just to see how things went.

The rest is history.

Our dating relationship has been a constant process of sanctification, as we have both been confronted and challenged to grow to be more like Christ. We have both grown so much and have learned to communicate well with one another, despite our incredibly different backgrounds and personalities.

Here are a few pictures from the past year:

At GC Brewery, celebrating Jess's birthday.



Taking silly pictures of ourselves at Schlaflys,
after Jess's graduation ceremony.


Finally celebrating Jess's graduation, a month later,
at Algonquin Golf Club.


Summertime at the Muny!
My first time in the real seats. It was fabulous.


At Lake Michigan. We went to Chicago with his parents
this past summer and it was my first time to the lake.


Another picture of our Chicago trip,
here with his Aunt Elvira eating pancakes at Walker Bros.


Summertime in TN at my grandparents' cabin.
(Yes, that is Belmont. Yes, he has a lovely beard!)


Visiting John at College of the Ozarks
with the Jones fam and our significant others.


Chicago again, this time with the Lyles in the fall.


Halloween 2010... or maybe 1985


Picking out our first "grown-up" Christmas tree
with my roommate, Chrissy, and his roommate, Kevin.


With my sister and Will on a double date
at Seven Saints pub after bowling


Our first lunch party! Host/hostess at the youth house


At Will and Dusty's wedding in January


With the fam (minus the newlyweds)
after Dusty's wedding ceremony


Celebrating Andrew's grandfather's 90th birthday
(Here with his grandparents in Carbondale)


Visiting Dusty & Will at their new home...
and shooting BB guns

How he asked...

My birthday was March 30th-- a Wednesday-- and I had to work all day long and then go to class until 6:30. He had asked earlier that week if I would like to go out, but I felt like I would be exhausted and suggested that we do Thursday instead (my day off). On Wednesday, he got a key from my roommate and came to my house and made dinner (the same meal he made for me the first time he cooked for me when we were first dating) and had everything ready when I got home-- with candles, flowers, and wine! He had an envelope at my place setting with a manicure for my birthday (which came in really handy as I was soon-to-be showing off my ring!). He seemed really nervous throughout dinner and did not eat his meal, but I soon found out why when he asked me to stand up (for a hug) and then got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. My answer? "Of course I will!" We went to his house around 9:00 that night, where he had a few friends waiting to surprise us with congratulations and well wishes.

Tired and happy after a long day



Party at the youth house celebrating our engagement!