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Our Story
How We Met
IAN
Alaina and my story began in 2016 when my older sister, Caitlin, discovered the Pearson family during her clinical rotations. She often told her own family of the amazing fellowship she had with this Christian family. Over several visits to see Caitlin, I slowly got to meet all the Pearsons. During one such visit I finally met Alaina... I was just about to head out, when she asked if I wanted to play a game of Mastermind. Of course, I said, "YES!" I will never forget that night.. as we talked I was incredibly struck with her. In a way that anyone who knows Alaina knows, she almost instantly found some way to bring up the Lord and seemed genuinely interested in discussing Him. She had an fantastic sense of humor - even while being thoroughly beaten at Mastermind - was very competitive, but she seemed to just be relaxed and at ease. What struck me even more, was that she cared enough to ask my older sister the next day if I'd gotten back home alright and how some assignment or other that we had discussed had gone.
I needed to know more about her and her family, so on one of my next visits, I asked to help her family repaint their fence that summer and when that project ran out, I asked her dad if I could help him build their porch... over the next year we got to become friends while attending her younger brother's (Wolfie) wrestling matches, football games, going to church and any other excuse I could come up with to talk her. Her desire to talk about the Lord and his word, her compassion for those around her, and her love of her family was so consistent that I knew it could not be feigned. I knew she was an incredible young lady and I was determined to ask her out, so on Wolfie's last game of the season, I finally asked her dad if I could. Thankfully, both he and she said "yes"!
ALAINA
It all began on the day Ian and his family came to assist Caitlin, our new best friend, with moving in to our home. When their white Jeep Wrangler pulled down our driveway I was excited to meet her family but was unaware that her tall studious brother had come too! He seemed so willing to lend a hand, attentive to his sister's needs, and enthusiastic about sharing his latest engineering lab report :) Wow, what a smart guy! That day I thought to myself, if he had the ability to show me up in a game of mastermind, than he was someone I needed to get to know more. What do you know... I was easily defeated :)
As the weeks and months went by I found him frequently asking to come over to assist us with renovation projects, attend Sunday meetings and midweek bible studies, and hang out with my family. I began to admire his knowledge of the scriptures, his close relationships with his sisters and parents, his desire to work together on projects, and his fun loving character. He also became a frequent fan of Wolfie’s sporting events, always getting to them early to save seats for the family. There was also something about the way he listened, took to heart, and remembered things people said that impressed me. This was clearly evident in Ian’s new found relationship with our Sunday school teacher, Dick. He wouldn’t hesitate to call him and discuss what had been spoken on, ask further questions, and enjoy fellowshipping over God’s Word. On another note, he struck me too with his willingness and self-confidence to do things out of his comfort zone, not being hindered by what others might have thought. I caught myself laughing more when he was around which was something only few people had the ability to draw out of me. After catching his gaze many times during the fence project, witnessing his dedication and love for the Lord as we attended church together, and seeing his care for my family, I was amazed that God would put this kind of man in my life. One Wednesday evening in the winter of 2017, after attending prayer meeting together, Ian asked me out for coffee, and I was thrilled to begin this amazing journey with him.
Summarizing all the way to the present; after many letters, long walks, coffee shop dates, phone calls, Bible studies, football games, track meets, kitchen experiments, and one memorable classical music concert in the balcony, we have grown so much closer together and in the Lord! Soooo, without much further ado....
The Proposal
After one very prominent video chat on Sunday afternoon, March 5th of 2023, marriage became an exciting and regular topic in conversation. That day Mom, Dad, Wolfie, Nadia, and even Omi were huddled outside my room listening to Ian and I’s conversation about our commitment to one another and mutual desire to see out this relationship for the rest of our lives! After a few months of dreaming and enjoying the idea of marriage, Ian decided it was time to seal the deal :)
Several of our conversations after March 5th, centered around “futuristic” topics followed by a bit of nervous titering from each of us. After a visit in April, I started to get some very not so subtle hints from Alaina’s family (looking at you David, you know what you did)! But I’ll never forget a text conversation one Wednesday night, my pastor had point blank asked me if I was going to marry Alaina. Without hesitation, and a persuasion that I know took him back, I exploded, “Absolutely!” Well I had to tell Alaina about that conversation, she replied that had just finished a similar conversation with her Grandmother. Grandma Pearson was asking Alaina for her thoughts and she responded with, “well I’m going to marry him someday!” I needed no other argument. The next night I called her dad and asked if we could have a conversation the next time I was in Pennsylvania. While I won’t recount every detail of that conversation, it will always be one of the most precious and privital conversations in my life! Armed with his blessing, I was ready to start putting my plan in action….
One of our favorite traditions is starting the morning by reading the Bible together. So when I was invited to join the family vacation (and with a little help planning from Alaina and my family), I had the beginning of a plan…
Now to the day!
We woke up super early, the morning of August 18th and walked down to the beach. I wish I could say I provided perfect conversation on the short, pre-dawn walk to the beach, but in actuality I was just repeating “Alaina Louise Pearson, don’t forget to say the middle name… will you marry me?” in my head over and over again. Finally we sat down and began to read. I was watching out of the corner of my eye for her family to get into position to get pictures. Then by some amount of planning and the providence of the Lord, Proverb 18:22 says “Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord.” I wish I could remember all the things I tried to bring to mind as I tried to explain to Alaina the importance of this verse to me, and the certain confidence that I had of the absolutely amazing favor I had found from the Lord! And then I got down on one knee and finally asked, “Alaina Louise Pearson, will you please marry me?” In the most thrilling miracle the Lord has done for me she said “Of course”. Praise the Lord!!