My wife and I met on Christian Mingle in June of 2012.  Brandi was a single mom (her husband passed away three and a half years earlier when their daughter Madison was only a few months old).  We exchanged several emails and text messages before meeting for our first date. On our second date we went on a long walk and both shared about our pasts.  Although things were new, I think we both had a feeling something special was in store.

Things gradually became more serious, which led to me meeting Madison. The three of us spent lots of time getting to know each other. We went apple picking, to the arboretum, to lots of parks, and to the aquarium. When the time was right we began family introductions and from there things became more serious. We were falling in love and had trouble being away from each other.

I could not believe what I had found in Brandi and Madison.  Brandi is the most selfless, hard-working, kindest, gentlest person I have ever met.  She is absolutely beautiful on the inside and out.  Her daughter, Madison, is beautiful, smart, sweet, funny with a little bit of sass, and was very accepting of me from the beginning.  Not only was I completely in love with my two girls, but after several meetings with my family, they were as well.  

I proposed on February 10, 2013, with an elaborate scavenger hunt in Brandi’s house.  She and Madison were required to follow clues which led them around the house to various gifts and letters.  While they were going around the house, I was hiding in the basement until their final clue brought them downstairs to me, waiting with the ring.

We got married on June 8, 2013, in the park where we took our second date walk.  Our first summer as a new family has been amazing.  Brandi and I are both teachers, so we had summer break to spend lots of time as a family and start “blending.” It is not always easy, but we have no doubt that God’s hand has been on us.  We have said over and over again that two people aren’t supposed to be this happy!  

We are extremely thankful and grateful to ChristianMingle for providing the forum for us to meet.  Finding each other was more than we could have hoped or asked for.