Caleb and I were introduced to one another by a mutual friend at Word of Life Church. We first began to spend time together when Caleb invited a group of my friends to his house after church on Friday night. I wasn't really interested in pursuing a relationship with him, or anyone else for that matter, but wanted to make some new friends within the church. After careful consideration, my friend Sarah (my maid of honor) and I went back inside the building to ask Caleb for directions to his house. That was the first evening I talked at all with him.

After that, he began calling all the friends I frequently spent time with, and asked them to hang out. I was invited and attended most of the time, but I wasn't sure why he hadn't ever called me or asked to spend time with me. As we spent more time together, I knew he was interested in me. But, I still wasn't sure I wanted to be anything more than friends; he was a great guy and I loved spending time with him, but my future was already planned. I was going to the University of Missouri-Columbia that fall to become a doctor and that's all I could think about. I knew studying would be very time-consuming so I didn't really want a relationship with anyone, let alone long distance.

Caleb finally was brave enough to call me and ask me out. He asked if he could talk to me alone one night and I knew he was going to tell me he was interested in pursuing a relationship, but I had decided I didn't want to. We talked alone that night and I never got the guts to tell him I was interested but instead just talked to him as if we were the best of friends. What I intended to be the end of a relationship was actually the beginning of a lifetime together.

The rest of the summer we spent with another couple; I don't really remember a first date. Once I decided to give the relationship a try, things progressed rather quickly. Caleb and I knew that we wanted to get married after a short period of time but would have to wait a while because I was in school three hours away.

It was a dark and stormy night...

Ashlie and I met via mutual friends. Well, that is not 100% true, because we didn't have any mutual friends, at least at first. The first time I saw Ashlie, it was at Word of Life Church. She was with 3 or 4 of her girlfriends. I had no reason or excuse for introducing myself, nor the bravery to do it anyway. So I did what any normal red-blooded American boy would do. I started talking with her friends. Now, I realize this sounds like a very immature, junior-high approach to things, and I won't argue with you. It is, but it worked!

One evening, I was having a group of friends over to my house to eat pizza and watch a movie or two, and I invited Sarah (the maid-of-honor) and several of her friends, which happened to include Ashlie. Ashlie and I talked quite a bit that evening, and from that point on, whenever I was involved in some activity with friends, I would always ask Sarah to see if Ashlie wants to come along.

Eventually, Ashlie and I were close enough friends that I felt comfortable to ask her to go on exclusive outings. Our first date was to an area park one evening, where we walked among the trees and along the waters edge of a small lake. During this date, I told Ashlie how I felt about her, and my desire to be her boyfriend. Ashlie didn't really say much this evening. In fact, I don't remember a single word she said. She never really gave me her feelings, but left me with just, I'll really need to think about it.

Well, I never got an answer from Ashlie, but from the way things have turned out, I think she feels the same