As many of you know, Van and I are both originally from Georgia. What most people don’t know is that we attended the same junior high school. I even worked with Van’s oldest sister, Tammie, who once took me to buy my first expensive purse, a Dooney & Bourke, but Van and I never crossed paths.

In the spring of 2018, I met Ms. Joann Joseph through our church, where we were both members. When I first joined, I was searching for healing and a sense of family, but I had no idea how much that would come to mean. Ms. Joann asked if I was single, and although I was skeptical, I told her I was. Without hesitation, she said she wanted to introduce me to her son. The picture above is of the handwritten note she gave me that day. She encouraged me to call him, but I smiled politely, thinking, "I don’t make the first call."

Fast forward to September 28, 2018. We were at a church clothing giveaway when Ms. Joann asked me, “Did my son ever call you?” I replied, “No, ma’am, but you know, some things just aren’t meant to be.” She wasn’t having it. She picked up her phone and called him, saying, “Van, I’m here with that girl I told you I wanted you to meet. Talk to her.” It was 6:00 AM Alaska time, and he was just getting to sleep after working all night. Once he realized it wasn’t an emergency, he politely asked if he could call me back after getting some rest. I quickly responded, "Listen, I’m a mom, and I know how moms can be. You don’t have to call back." But he reassured me that he had always planned to, the time difference was just tricky. I agreed, though I didn’t really expect him to call.

Later that afternoon, he did call, and we talked for hours. From that day on, we FaceTimed every day. Van even agreed to come to Georgia for Thanksgiving—the first time he’d been back in 10 years. Right before his flight, he told me that if I turned out to be everything I said I was, he was going to ask me to be his girlfriend. I thought to myself, "I’m too old to be anyone’s girlfriend, but okay..." I picked him up from the airport, and that marked the beginning of our whirlwind love story that spanned 4,475 miles.

Before leaving, Van asked if I’d consider flying to Alaska to spend Christmas with him. Hesitantly, I agreed, knowing that he had already met my sons—who, at 6’4” and 6’2”, made it clear they weren’t quite fans yet.

As promised, I flew to Anchorage on December 25, 2018. As I nervously walked toward the exit, thinking I needed to freshen up before Van arrived, I suddenly saw him walking towards me holding a sign. It wasn’t until he got down on one knee that I could read what the sign said: “Amanda, will you marry me?” Little did I know, his friend Ryan was there filming as I nervously nodded yes. All I could think about was how I was wearing hideous marigold-colored tights and hadn’t brushed my teeth in what felt like two days.

We originally planned a beautiful wedding in Anchorage, but those plans changed due to COVID. Instead, we were married in a small ceremony at Van’s parents’ house.

Van and I are both avid sports fans—football, baseball, basketball. Although we are a house divided when it comes to college football and basketball, we both love all things Raiders and Braves. This year, we’re celebrating five years of marriage by renewing our vows in one of our favorite places—Las Vegas!