How We Met
It was October 14, 2011 and we like to caption this day as, “The walk in the Rain”. In the year of 2011, Bennett and Hannah were freshman college students at Concordia University Wisconsin. He was studying graphic design and she was studying special education. During the first few months of college, they did not know each other at all until that October day.
Hannah’s college roommate Rachel and her got invited to a lunch with some new people in the cafeteria. It wasn’t until the end of the lunch when things started getting exciting. Hannah, Rachel, and their friend Mary asked the group if they wanted to go for a walk. Only two people, Bennett and his friend Steve, responded because the rest of the group was busy with college studies (they sure missed out!). As everybody left the cafeteria, the four of them stood by the door only to see that it was pouring rain outside. They looked at each other and questioned whether they should even go for a walk. It clearly didn’t stop them. Instead, it motivated them to get their rain jackets and go for a walk in the pouring rain! Oh but then, Bennett announced that he didn’t have a rain jacket so Hannah spoke up and offered that she would give him her high school track hooded jacket. When she came back with her rain jacket on and the other rain jacket in hand, they all went outside and walked in the pouring rain. That is when Hannah had her first conversation with Mr. Bennett. The conversation consisted of classes, what they liked to do in their free time, and some other things that she can’t clearly remember. What she can very, very clearly remember on that day was heading back to her dorm with Rachel and telling her with the biggest smile on her face, “he is really nice”. From then on, Hannah had a huge desire to further learn more about Bennett’s kind and gentle heart, talents, and goals. Who knew that on October 14, 2011, Hannah would have given a jacket to go for a walk in the pouring rain with her future boyfriend and now fiancé. She didn’t know but God knew and she and Bennett are forever thankful.
how they asked
[ Exactly almost 4 years later, Mr. Bennett asked Hannah the big question and his question included one extra special word.]
Hannah loves Bennett and loves everything that God made him to be. As their 4 year anniversary, November 28th was approaching, Hannah prayed that Bennett would ask the question. She knew there was no one that she would rather spend the rest of her life with here on this earth than Mr. Bennett. At this time in their lives, they had graduated from college. He started his first full time job as a web designer/graphic designer, and she started working her first full time job at Shepherds College, a college for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. They were living 45 minutes apart, but were both thankful that it was not hours and hours away from each other. Since its 45 minutes away, they would plan to hang out on the weekends. It was the weekend of November 21st that turned out to be an answer to Hannah’s prayers and a forever memorable weekend for the both of them.
On a walk outside (yes, another wonderful walk) a couple months before November 21st, Bennett asked her if she would like to go to the Hamilton Wood Type & Print Museum in Two Rivers, WI for a tour and a workshop of creating prints with wood type letters. With no hesitation, Hannah said yes, of course! Hannah’s sister Rebekah lives in Green Bay, Wisconsin—about 40 minutes from the Museum—so they made plans to spend the weekend also with her. Hannah and Rebekah had been talking weekly about when Bennett would ask the big question up to this point. They pondered about this particular weekend, but the signs were not hinting towards it happening.
It was November 21st and they made it to the Hamilton Wood Type & Print Museum. The tour group introduced themselves, they began the tour, finished the tour, and began the workshop. An two hours into the workshop, it was time for lunch. Bennett and Hannah went to lunch at a sandwich shop nearby. By that time, they only had about 2 hours left to print their Wood Type letter prints. Thinking back at her conversation with Rebekah, Hannah thought they were officially right about him not asking this weekend. But oh, was she wrong.
As they were back in the workshop, Bennett and Hannah were diligently working on their prints at their letter press stations. As Hannah was working on hers, she heard Bennett say “Hannah, can I show you my finished print?” She, of course, turned around expecting the design quote “Innovation” that he was claiming to be “working” on. Instead, she found him standing smiling with the print “Faithful I will be Will You Marry Me?”. Next thing she knew, he was down on one knee asking her to marry him.
[Faithfulness means so many things. Bennett and I have learned from God that it means trusting each other, having confidence in each other, being assured of each other’s character and dependability, being true to each other, and resting in each other until the very end.We cannot wait for our big day on May 28th, 2016!]
