Our very first “date” was way back when we were in high school. I was 15 and Christian was 18. My brother Michael was very good friends with Christian. They were seniors together at the Jefferson County Christian School. Christian and Michael were looking for dates for senior banquet. Michael gave Christian his approval to ask me to go with him. I said YES. The picture above was taken the day of Christian’s senior banquet—our first date. We had a great time and continued to see each other until the start of the next school year. I was very young, just starting my junior year of high school. Christian was starting his first year of college. So, we decided to end our dating relationship and remained friends. Life went on. Christian and I would go on to date other people, never finding the right one, of course. Then, 7 and a half years later, a message popped up on my phone. It was Christian. He wanted to know if I would like to go to a Penguins game with him. He said he received a couple of “free” tickets from a client and he didn’t want them to go to waste. I wasn’t dating anyone at the time. So, I told him that I would love to go! I found out later that Christian didn’t really have free tickets to that game. He had rushed out to buy them when I told him I’d go. We went to the game together, had a great time, and never looked back. Just ten and half months later, two days before Christmas, he asked me to marry him…and I said YES!