THE LOVE STORY

While Steve & Karlei had met one another several times over the years, they really got to know one another and began to spend more time together in Fall 2025. Steve’s daughter Bailey was a huge part of that—instigating trips to the park, the Austin Aquarium, and even Sea World San Antonio. As the saying goes, “it always happens when you least expect it”—and their story was no different. By Spring 2026, both of them felt a tug that there was something more to their friendship; which led to the now somewhat infamous conversation in Steve’s Porsche Macan. That initial conversation led to a lot of deep discussions and prayer, as both of them wanted to not only protect each other’s hearts, but Bailey’s too. While Steve and Bailey were visiting Austin during Easter 2026, Steve’s parents flew in to visit. At the same time, Karlei’s family came to town for a surprise visit. That allowed Steve and Karlei to meet each other’s families a lot sooner than they expected. Both parents immediately offered their seal of approval—which was another unexpected Godwink along the way. Their intent was to take things slow, but God had other plans. Somehow long distance (while Steve was still living in Seattle, Washington & Karlei was in Austin, Texas) sped their relationship along, rather than slowing it down—and they realized that “distance really does make the heart grow fonder.” Fast forward to Summer 2026; Steve and Bailey found themself on an international trip to visit Karlei’s hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Seeing Bailey playing with Karlei’s nephews and how easily Steve fit into Karlei’s family helped confirm what they already knew—this was all a part of God’s plan. By the time Steve and Bailey were settled in Austin full-time, they realized that it wasn’t a matter of if they would get married, but when. So when Steve mentioned the idea of getting married, buying a new house, and moving in before December 2026, so that they could celebrate Christmas as a family of 3, there was no going back. They found their dream house, set a wedding date, and can’t wait to make that dream a reality! God truly does write the best stories!