Our Story Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Full Speed Ahead! (Jeremy’s perspective)

After the “official” conversation had taken place, we embarked upon a journey over the next four months to engagement. I’m not so sure either of us imagined that we would be engaged on March 25, 2011 but that’s what happened.

Through those 4 months we grew to understand each other and spend time playing tennis, watching movies, going to church, having coffee, watching sports, and simply enjoying each other in conversation. We found our pasts were very different yet very much what has made us who we are and where we are in our relationship with Jesus. The greatest conversations centered on the grace we have experienced through God in giving His Son.

These four months were a wonderful time filled with getting to know each other and getting our families to meet! That was really exciting because we all come from different backgrounds and that always makes for a good time. We had our “first” Christmas and that just so happened to be the first time we told each other “I love you.” The next day we had 11 inches of snow on the ground!

Mandi left for the Dominican Republic and was there during New Year’s Day. It was one of her many trips that she had been on through the years and her last one without me! January and February sped by with us talking about marriage and ministry and being missionaries in another country…wanting to give up our comfortable lives to know God deeper and to take the Gospel to people who need to hear it.

During this time I was training for my first running race, which just happened to be a half marathon. I had gotten talked into it by my friend Ben from church and the date was set for March 20^th…5 days before our engagement. Mandi and our friend Moth supported me in the race but had trouble keeping up with me because I was chugging full speed during the race. Moth has been a great friend first to Mandi and now to us…she’s been a piece of our story as all good friends are.  ( I love my mothy! -Mandi)

Here I am, finishing my race and planning to pop the question soon after. Mandi and I love sunsets and that was one thing that we shared with each other through pictures and texts during those few months…so my plan was sunset at the beach. The only problem is that a storm came up and was going to be a miserable day on that Saturday so I had to improvise…Friday night was going to be the night! The plan was New Bern and the place was a little park right on the water.