Highschool sweethearts! That feels crazy to say still...but we couldn't be more thankful.

Cali Joy:

Brad came to Midland Christian in the second semester of our Freshman year. To me, he was always the goofy new kid who had a funny laugh and was in a couple of my classes. Little did I know then, Brad may have had a little crush on me :). So our senior year, when I found out the really cute, popular, star football player still liked me, it wasn't long before I was interested in him too. REALLY INTERESTED, lol. We started hanging out with our group of friends, and I got to know why everyone loved him so much. He was and still is hardworking, passionate, warm, funny (don't tell him I said that), and the perfect balance to my stressed-out and serious. Brad brought out sides of me that I hadn't seen in myself in a long time. By the grace of God, we both ended up at Texas Tech, where we got to grow up together in so many ways. Our relationship turned into the best friendship, love, and happiness I had ever known. He was there to calm me down through all of my stressful classes, and I was there to push him to do his schoolwork (except for that one English class, oops). Brad and I got to embrace each other's families and build bonds that are so important to us. Most importantly, we both individually strengthened our relationships with Jesus and found a solid community to call our own. I got to see Brad grow into a beautiful example of a leader, Christian, friend, and future husband, all while growing so much myself. The day Brad asked me to be his wife was an answered prayer and the easiest decision I have ever made. We cannot wait to celebrate what Jesus has done in our lives and the future we have together with you all!

Brad:

I moved to Midland Christian at the end of my freshman year. For the first couple of years, I wasn’t looking for a relationship and was focused on sports. But, there was a certain girl that I had my eyes on. Fast forward to the summer before my senior year I started, I felt the need to begin looking for a girlfriend as literally every single one of my friends had a girlfriend at the time (great reason, right?). I kind of started looking around but no one "tickled my feathers" and I’m picky so I just held off on trying to find someone. Homecoming rolls around a few months later and as you’d probably guessed it: I went with a different girl, lol. Cali was newly single and at the time we were just friends. Cali and I had always been friends, but she didn’t know I had a thing for her. So, when I found out she was newly single; of course I go tell all her friends how I thought she was super cute and always have, like any logical high school boy does. As Cali and I started to talk more and more I still had zero clue if she even liked me, until Friday, October 15, 2020. I had posted a picture of myself on my Snapchat story from our Boys vs. Girls pep rally and all of us boys had on wigs, skirts over our shorts, and our sleeves rolled up as high as possible. I had taken a picture and said, “Am I a pretty girl?”. Cali couldn’t be at the pep rally because she was at a volleyball game. She swipes up on my story and says, “You can stop flexing now, it's okay”. From that moment on, I knew I had her hooked. Fast forward to the Halloween homecoming dance, where everyone wore a costume. I went to the dance with the girl I originally asked, but neither of us wanted to be there together. We split and didn’t see each other from then on because a boy dressed as a mummy saw this girl dressed as a biker and knew that was who he wanted. The first time we danced, something about how her hand fit in mine made me not want to let go. Fast forward to December 5th, I asked her to be my girlfriend. We spent the rest of our senior year together, and through the power of the Lord, we both ended up going to Texas Tech where we have learned so much about each other and life. I have learned that this girl I once thought was just cute is selfless, Christ-loving, and one of the hardest workers I have ever met. I have learned so much from her (mainly about how to clean things). There was absolutely no doubt in my mind when I got down on one knee that she was the one that I wanted to go through life with.

Photos