Nathan Maxwell and Melanie - engaged August 2nd, 2001

(Special note: Nathan and Melanie were married on January 26th, 2002. A complete wedding report is available.)

We are very pleased to announce the engagement of our oldest son, Nathan, to Melanie. After a five month courtship, Nathan proposed to Melanie on August 2nd and she said, "Yes!"

If you are interested in a thumbnail sketch of their relationship and engagement night, the story is included here.

When Nathan began praying about buying the house across the street from us last fall, the Lord started impressing on his heart that it was time to marry. This was not exactly what Nathan thought was going to be a result of his praying about a house purchase!

Nathan knew if the Lord was telling him "Now" for marriage, He would also tell him "Who." He began praying, and told Steve and I what was on his heart so we could pray as well. The Lord put the same young woman on all of our hearts - Melanie.

Nathan asked Melanie's dad out for lunch right after New Year's of this year, and there requested permission to court Melanie. After talking it over as a family, they felt a "getting to know you" phase, where we spent time together as families, would be good before committing to courtship since the families knew each other from church but not very well.

After a six-week phase of "getting to know you," Melanie and her dad were ready to move the relationship to courtship. Then with five months of courting, it was time again for the relationship to take the next step.

I thought Nathan did a wonderful job of making Melanie's engagement night memorable and romantic. He hired a beautiful, white, stretch limousine to drive him out to Melanie's house to get her. Melanie thought she was coming over to our house for dinner.

Melanie couldn't believe it when she saw the limo drive up. She screamed and dashed off to finish getting ready. Nathan gave Melanie a rose and walked her out to the car.

Nathan and Melanie rode in the limo to Nathan's house where he had romantically decorated a small table with a pretty tablecloth, candles, roses, and Precious Moments figurines, with the engagement ring and a key to his house in the middle under a lace cloth. Nathan had received permission from both sets of parents to be alone in the house with Melanie long enough to propose to her.

After she said, "yes," they got back in the car to enjoy the rest of their limo time. Then the driver dropped them at an elegant restaurant in a historic home in town where they ate dinner.

We had invited Melanie's family over for dessert so Nathan and Melanie could tell everyone the story together. The Mahers arrived about 15 minutes before Nathan and Melanie did. With our family of ten and her family of twelve plus one son-in-law, we are an engagement party in ourselves! What a "hoopla" went up from their families when they walked in the house!

After being hugged and congratulated by each family member and showing them the ring, Nathan and Melanie shared about their evening while Dr. Maher videotaped with everyone asking questions. Nathan showed the Mahers his house since they had never been through it before. Melanie had just seen it the Saturday before for the first time.

For dessert we enjoyed Baskins Robbins' ice-cream cakes decorated with "Congratulations Nathan and Melanie, Proverbs 18:22" which says, "He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD."

Finally we ended the evening with each family member, who wanted to, praying for Nathan and Melanie. It was a beautiful, fitting way to end a memorable evening since, "Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain" (Psalm 127:1).

Can you tell we are pretty excited? Wedding plans are being considered for January 2002, but they could be as late as May.

We praise God for His bountiful goodness. Neither Melanie nor Nathan have ever dated. They have kept themselves emotionally and physically pure in anticipation of the one person the Lord would have for them to spend their lives with. Melanie is a delightful, godly woman who is everything we could have ever hoped for as a spouse for our son.