Our Story

How We Met

By Liz

August 23, 2021

I begin my first semester in the MSA program at Wake Forest University while Raine returns for his third and final semester.

August 31, 2021

Professor Aldhizer stops me after class to talk about the MSA bible study, GAAP. He lets me know that the student leader, Raine, will be reaching out to me soon for details.

September 1, 2021

I choose a random seat in Professor Simpson's tax class, and the seat to my right is soon taken. He notices my name plate (and makes a joke about me possibly stealing it) as he introduces himself as Raine, the leader of the bible study. He explains how he was coincidentally going to email me during that very class, not knowing who I was when he chose his seat. We sit in those seats the rest of the year and continue to see each other in bible study once a week.

December 2021 - October 2022

Raine graduates and moves to Charlotte to begin his career at Deloitte while I finish my last semester at Wake. I had a job with RSM lined up in Connecticut so it was unlikely we'd see each other again. As graduation approached, I was having reservations about moving to Connecticut. I liked being in North Carolina and many of my friends would be in Charlotte, so I asked RSM to transfer me and they did! I move to Charlotte in September and begin my job in early October.

October 24, 2022

this date seems familiar :)

I remembered that Raine from bible study was also in Charlotte. I worked up the courage to reach out to him on Facebook and see what life has been like since we last saw each other nearly a year ago. Thankfully, my message was received very well.

November 12, 2022

After some texting back and forth, we have our first date. I thought we would decide on a casual place to meet and catch up for the first time since the MSA, but before I could suggest this, Raine sent me the details for the reservation he made at Angeline's, an upscale Italian restaurant in Uptown Charlotte. I was very impressed by his initiative, which was followed by an equal amount of excited nerves.

December 31st, 2022

A very special early date for us:
Pizza, homemade macarons, Sonic 2 (neither of us had seen Sonic 1), perhaps a first kiss at midnight, marking 2023 with the start of our new relationship.

January 1, 2023-September 16, 2024

65% studying for and finally passing the CPA exams together ; 20% working overtime, eventually getting better jobs ; 10% travelling and meeting family members; 5% having fun.*

*made up numbers for dramatic effect

The above breakdown may be dramatized, but it's true that the CPA exams made up a considerable amount of our dating season. Despite the stress and challenges that came with studying for these taxing (accounting humor) exams, we persevered—both through the exams and in our developing relationship, which at times felt as though we didn’t get to fully enjoy. We proved that our relationship could withstand those less than pleasant times and we loved each other's company through every bit of it.

Above all else, we strived to put God first and He took care of the rest. We would not change a thing as we believe this was all part of His plan for us—not just the exams, but everything that led to us meeting and everything after.

September 17, 2024

Engaged!

The Proposal

By Raine

Here was the pitch to Liz: a trip to Germany as a reward to ourselves for passing the CPA exams. A land far away, a fairytale castle, perhaps an easy hike up a scenic mountain.

The trip started out normal enough. Our first day out we came across a dead body in an attic a mummy on display at the Abbey Library of St. Gallen. Liz and I enjoy antiquing in our downtime but the millennium old books and equally ancient decor put us in a great mood.

The trip was just half a year after Liz had changed companies; our bodies and minds were demanding rest. Luckily we were staying at a spa nestled in the Schwangau mountains, and our second day was spent in the quiet German village of Füssen. I was nervous for the day to come, and I knew she could tell. The Holy Spirit kept me sane that day.

The morning of the Hike, God turned my anxiety into excitement. We stepped onto the trail by 8am after a hearty breakfast. A few hours in we were just below the clouds, above the castle of Neuswanstein, and free from onlookers for several kilometers in every direction.

We held each other tight as we stood on a clay covered outcropping, overlooking Bavaria. I went to my knee, fumbled to get the ring box out I had been smuggling in my coat for the past 4 hours, and looked up at her. With each tear on her face, all the planned words, a monologue of love and devotion, left me in an instant. I was left with the simplest of words to give: I want to climb every mountain, trod every path, and cross all the bridges, together as one.*

*I was too nervous to recall the exact phrasing, but I can tell you I was utterly relieved and shocked I didn't ask her "Mill you Wary me?". Shocked.

After the proposal, after many tears and a long warm embrace, I set out with my new fiancée to conquer the mountain. What proceeded was a beautiful lesson in humility, what Liz and I see as an early wedding present from God.

I had planned the hike to end where a gondola lets out on the ridgeline of the mountain. There, our loved ones had ridden the cable car up and were waiting for us. Instead, after an additional 2 hours since our engagement, I realize how unprepared we were. I hadn't factored in the snow fall. We clamored over the remnants of little avalanches, about a dozen or so. Each one was about 10-20 feet across, resembling still rivers of snowballs. Each gave me a bit of apprehension. But Liz stuck close by and trusted me along the way.

We came to a big gully. Foot prints in the snow that had given us a sense of hope and confidence were no where to be found. The ravine before us was treacherous, and a loose foot spelled doom. We were knee deep in the snow at this point, our ponchos in shambles. I sat and prayed. The adrenaline of the proposal had propelled us up this mountain and deep into the Bavarian wilderness. I knew I couldn't risk Liz's safety.

Sitting in the snow at the brim of our path, as I wondered what to do, the clouds cleared for just a moment. It was then clear enough to see we were immediately below the outlet of the gondola. Our loved ones were waiting for us, 30 meters above our heads. As the clouds rolled back in and we lost sight of our destination, I tried to savor the lesson.

The German word for wedding is Hochzeit, which directly translates to "high time". Marrying Liz is certainly the peak of my life. Our hike taught me many things that I'll carry in my heart, but above all I learned that in seeking such heights in life, humility is paramount.