Even though we started off more than 1,000 miles apart, Casey and I both graduated college and moved to the nation’s capital.  We were both living in the area for about five months before taking the leap and joining ChristianMingle.  After his first day on the site and my first week on the site, Casey and I began communicating in October 2011.  We talked on and off for a couple of weeks.  In such a dense area, it was nice to have someone to connect with both spiritually and emotionally. On Halloween night, Casey asked me if we could soon meet up.  So, on November 2nd, we met for dinner.  Immediately after that night, I had to go on a five day trip for work so I was afraid the time apart would affect us.  However, while I was away he asked me to go with him to a show at the end of November.  It was such a good feeling knowing that we both wanted to spend more time together. 

The moment I knew Casey was the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with was about six weeks into our relationship when we went to a movie.  We got into his car and the local Christian radio turned on immediately.  He didn’t even flinch to turn the station, he just hummed along.  We were both twenty-two at that point, and meeting a guy who was not afraid to be open and honest about his faith was such an attractive trait.  It was easy to be around each other because we were both on the same page.  Neither of us had to hide our passion for Christ, the excitement of trying out the new local beer, or our competitive nature.  Our love of being outdoors, active, and sports was also a huge contributor to us spending countless hours together.  We were perfect for each other in every way.

Over the next two years we spent a lot of time together; meeting each other’s families and learning all those little idiosyncrasies about one another.  When Casey told me about his interest in joining the Coast Guard, I was shocked.  A mix of emotions came over me, but I knew this is what he had always wanted to do and that he would be perfect at it.  Going through the process of enlisting was a long and testing time for us.  With his boot camp date fast approaching, we decided we wanted to experience this journey together.  Casey got down on one knee on November 26, 2013, and asked me to marry him! Our wedding date is set for April 27, 2014. Soon after our wedding date, I will be going on a two and a half month mission trip while Casey is at boot camp.  We are both following our dreams, and having each other’s love and support is such a wonderful feeling.  God blessed us both after we put our faith in Him and gave up control. We will continue to praise Him and are excited to see what He has in store for us.