The purpose of this narrative is primarily to tell the story of how Caleb and Kristin's relationship began and to tell their engagement story.
Caleb and Kristin's relationship was certainly not "love at first sight." However, they did become good friends shortly after meeting freshman year at Valparaiso University. They really got to know each other as two of the leads in a freshman musical written and performed by the humanities honors college of which they were both members. Kristin played a narcoleptic twin, and Caleb played a man in love with his imaginary pink elephant friend.
After freshman year, Caleb and Kristin saw each other periodically, since they had a large number of mutual friends. They would stop to chat with each other on campus and even went to a dance in a small group; still, neither saw each other as a romantic prospect.
Their feelings towards each other began to change senior year when they went to Wicked, the musical, in Chicago. Kristin had sent out an email to many of her friends, and Caleb and a few of Kristin's sorority sisters were the only people who wound up going. Kristin's friends suspected something was developing between Kristin and Caleb, asking Kristin, when Caleb left the room, "What's going on between you and Caleb?" To which Kristin replied, "Nothing. He just really likes musicals." "Nothing" was maybe painting things a little too starkly...but Caleb really does like musicals.
Shortly after going to Wicked together, Caleb and Kristin decided to meet regularly--going out to eat, going to the Wizard of Oz Festival, taking walks, etc. After about a month of their "meetings," another guy asked Kristin on a date. She needed to know if her relationship with Caleb was going anywhere so she emailed Caleb a message that basically said, "What is our relationship?" Caleb replied, essentially, "We go on dates, so we must be dating."
After about eleven months of dating, in September of 2006, Caleb and Kristin took a trip together out to the Thomas Farm out in Virginia. The original plan was to visit Kristin's paternal grandma there, but, unfortunately, she had passed shortly before the trip began. The trip was almost cancelled, but Caleb insisted that the trip proceed. On the first day of the trip, Caleb and Kristin planned on traveling from Minneapolis to Fort Wayne, IN. Having stopped to visit some friends on the way, Caleb and Kristin were running late, but Caleb insisted stopping at Valpo to see how the campus had changed in the several months it had been since they had graduated. Kristin pushed to get going after Caleb stood on the pile of rubble that was once the apartment complex in which he lived. Caleb agreed that the travel could resume...but only after he could get a chance to re-enact Kristin and his first kiss under the "Merlin tree," a picturesque tree on campus. To this request, Kristin replied, with a smile, "OK, OCD [Obsessive Compulsive Disorder] boy." Caleb and Kristin walked to the tree, under the clear, star-filled sky. Reaching the tree, Caleb and Kristin kissed. Following a large gulp, Caleb said, "Kristin, I love you, and, even though it might be hard sometimes, I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Kristin replied, "Are you sure?" Kristin couldn't yet see why this occasion was different from others in which they had discussed their relationship. Caleb said, "Yes," and dropped on one knee to indeed show his certainty. He continued, gulping again, "Kristin, will you marry me?" Kristin, very surprised, said, "Are you serious?" "Yes," he said. Much to Caleb's relief, she said "yes," too, and he slipped the ring on her finger.
Though Caleb and Kristin's relationship began as a friendship, their love grew and has continued to grow to this day. There will most certainly be "hard times" in their relationship, but they boldly believe that their love will last through all adversity.