One night on a hot summer day in Knoxville, I randomly stumbled upon a street where I met the most important person in my life. Here is how our story goes…

Jared had recently moved to Knoxville to begin his new job at the University of Tennessee Orthopedic Clinic, and Monica had recently moved home after college. Jared and Monica met through mutual friends and became friends themselves; little did they know that Monica’s sister Rachel was already devising a plan to make their match happen! Jared was working on Christmas Eve that year, and Rachel took full advantage of that situation by inviting him to their family dinner. It should be noted that Rachel did not inform Monica of this addition until Jared was already at the door–needless to say, Monica was slightly surprised! That night, Jared met and mingled with Monica’s entire family like he had known them for years (they all assumed he was the ‘new boyfriend’) and she got her first glimpse into the incredible person he is. Even though it wasn’t until several months later when Monica finally agreed to go out on a date with him, she can look back and know that Christmas Eve was the night she started falling in love with her future husband.