Our story
Catherine and Peter have a rather non-traditional version of the boy-meets-girl story.
Catherine and Peter first met on the last Friday in April. It wasn't quite a blind date, but they had never talked to each other before! In fact, they also didn't even know what the other looked like (good thing for Peter -- it meant he had a chance with this one!). You see, Catherine had employed a professional matchmaker who found Peter and set them up on a date. The matchmaker was the intermediary, telling each person just enough about the other to see if the two were compatible.
Well, they ended up going on a date to a hipster pizza place. Both had an okay time at the date, and by the end of the evening, they were in love! Just kidding. Actually, by the end of the date, both were uncertain they wanted to see the other ever again! Not so smooth sailing for this couple as they each ended the evening in disappointment.
That was not the end of the story...no, in fact, it was just the beginning -- they each decided they would give it another shot, and Peter asked Catherine out on a second date to...the grocery store (little did she know it would portend things to come for this relationship...). Seriously, though, they went to Whole Foods and sat by the fire pit and drank some wine and they still weren't sure this thing was going far.
But, they decided there was enough of something there to keep at it. A third date was arranged. Peter made Catherine his famous grilled peanut butter & jelly sandwich, and it sealed the deal. The two kept spending time with each other, going to dinners and watching movies.
Even still, Peter just wasn't sure if this was the girl for him. One weekend, however, that all changed, and Peter fell in love. Catherine went with some ladies to a women's church conference out of state. Over the weekend, the two continued their ritual of reading the Bible and praying with each other. In the evening after they ended their call, Peter sat back in his chair and realized this was a good woman and who valued God and family, and wasn't afraid to talk with him about hard topics. He thought "This is a good woman, and I love her. I want her to be my wife, and the mother of our children."
He didn't tell her for a while, but one evening it became clear it was time. That evening happened to be during a weekend visit to Catherine's parents' home. This particular evening, they were enjoying some quiet as everyone had gone to bed except them. Nervous, Peter said with a goofy grin "Hey Catherine -- I love you", and her face beamed. Catherine had (not so) secretly fallen in love with Peter a while earlier in the relationship. Sorry for having kept her waiting so long, Peter needed to make up for lost time. Now it was official...they were in love.
The last Thursday in September, Peter took Catherine to a local park and proposed to her by the pond (in the rain). Catherine said yes and it was time for Peter to place the ring on her hand. Which hand? Which finger? Thank goodness Peter had Google to help. He asked her to take a few steps away from the pond before he took it out of the box (precautions), and there it was -- a beautiful sparkling ring for the beautiful shining light in his life.