OUR STORY

How it all began

We both spent a long time unsuccessfully trying to find the right person. By the time we matched on Hinge in October 2024, Christina was actually ready to delete the app entirely. She had become really selective and rarely felt interested in taking conversations offline.

Daniel had been having a similar experience in Texas. He knew he wanted someone who shared his faith, loved being active, and valued both ambition and more traditional family life. After enough near-misses, a friend suggested he change his location to Denver, since he traveled there often for work and family.

Even though Christina had sworn off long distance, something about Daniel felt different. He split time between Texas and Colorado (for his work as an Air Force instructor pilot and visits to his parents in Manitou Springs), and somehow, despite the logistics not making much sense on paper, we matched anyway.

The conversation was easy and genuine from the start — enough that, despite not expecting much, Christina said yes to a date.

Our first date: Daniel took a photo, so Christina obviously had to, too.

Daniel flew into Colorado Springs, rented a car, and drove over an hour to meet Christina at Cheesman Park for a simple first date: painting in the park.

We never even opened the paint. Instead, we spent hours talking until Christina had to leave for a photoshoot. Rather than heading home, Daniel waited around in Denver so he could take her to dinner afterward — complete with a call to his dad for restaurant recommendations first.

After dinner, he drove all the way back to Colorado Springs that same night to return his rental car on time, and flew back to Texas early the next morning.

He called the next day, and we’ve talked every day since.

Our first real photo together, taken before Daniel left CO to go back to TX from his cross-country work trip, November 2024

Second in-person date, skiing in Keystone

About to take the Historic Cog Railroad up Pikes Peak after meeting Daniel’s family for the first time

Meeting Daniel’s parents! December 2024, taken at the top of Pike’s Peak

Hanging at the Willett home in Manitou Springs, CO

Taking Josie & Polly for a walk at Garden of the Gods, right behind Daniel’s parents’ house in CO

Our first time doing the Manitou Incline together

Hiking Camelback Mountain in Scottsdale, AZ with Christina’s parents

Looking at constellations in Scottsdale, AZ

Sunrise Easter service at Red Rocks Amphitheater with the Willett fam

Summiting La Plata, our first 14er together

The 3rd of July at the Utah state capitol building

Hiking outside of Salt Lake City, UT July, 2025

Moving Christina 0.3 miles from one house to the next, during Daniel's cross-country

At Okehmos + Cristy’s wedding in Denver, CO

Riding together for the first real time ever, in Del Rio, TX

At Daniel’s childhood home in San Clemente, CA

Serving together at a Neighbors outreach event, September 2025

Double date with Christina’s parents to see Nate Bargatze in Denver

Lovely fall walk with Christina’s family and family friends in Rochester, NY

Double date + Josie at Letchworth State Park in NY

At the gardens in Tokyo, Japan with Michelle

Wonderful family flew out to Denver for our surprise (to Christina) engagement party!

Visiting our wedding venue together for the first time

On the way to meet Daniel’s parents at church during one of his cross-country flights to CO Springs

Double date/haircut hangout with our faves, Samantha & Erik, in Rochester

Sunrise Manitou Incline hike on Christmas morning

Daniel’s first Christmas with the Ambalavanars

First time finally getting the entire Ambalavanar family together at one time!

Our first time in Spokane, March 2026, to spend a few days house hunting

Our last date in Del Rio before Daniel relocated to Altus, OK for the summer for training before heading to Spokane

Going to dinner (with Kevin) in Denver on one of Daniel’s cross-country work trips

At Daniel’s last student graduation ceremony as an instructor pilot for the T-6 aircraft

Another beautiful sunset during an evening walk in Del Rio, TX

Moving Daniel from Del Rio, TX to Altus, OK in his trust old car, Helga

At Matthew & Lauren’s rehearsal dinner in Rochester, NY

At Daniel’s first Amba family wedding, congrats Matthew & Lauren!

What started as something neither of us expected quickly became something we knew we had each been praying for.

Since we were long distance from the beginning, being together meant a lot of travel, intentional time, and figuring things out as we went. Weekends (or weekdays, since Christina is self-employed) often meant flights, road trips, or meeting somewhere in the middle.

Somewhere along the way, though, it stopped feeling like something we were trying to make work, and started feeling like something that just did.

Daniel still opens Christina’s car door and makes sure she walks on the inside of the street— small things that never go unnoticed.

We’ve been blessed to visit 3 countries and 11 states together so far, and look forward to many years full of as many hikes, bike rides, and exploring new places as possible. Oh, and using military deals and credit card points to stay at cool hotels for free ;)

Recently, we bought our first home together in Spokane, Washington. Daniel will be moving in this July, and Christina will be joining him after the wedding.

We’re really looking forward to making it feel like ours—there are already a few projects we’ve started from afar, which we’re excited to take on together (and with the help of our handy families!).

We’ll be in Spokane for the next three years while Daniel completes his second Air Force pilot assignment flying the KC-135, followed by one more assignment (location still unknown) before he completes his 10-year commitment to the military. Christina will continue to run her own photography & design business from whatever state we’re in, as well as her non-profit (Neighbors, based in Denver) that serves and ministers to the unhoused population in Colorado. After that, we’re hoping to settle down—most likely in Colorado or New York—and build a life there.

And the rest is history

None of this really made sense on paper in the beginning.

Christina didn’t want to do long distance.
Daniel wasn’t even living in the same timezone.
We weren’t expecting much when we met.

But it’s also been really intentional from the start. It hasn’t always been easy—there’s been a lot of logistics, a lot of change, and a lot of figuring things out as we go.

And somehow, through all of that, it’s only made us more sure of what we’re building together. We’re so grateful for how God has brought us (and kept us) together through it all the last couple years! He is a giver of good gifts, and we’re blessed to have each other as one of them.

We’re really excited to finally start our life in the same place—and even more excited to celebrate that with all of you!

Morning beach walk in Cabo San Lucas, MX

At Chas & Christi's wedding in San Antonio, TX

Riverwalk (on Marriage Island) wedding in San Antonio, TX

Riding in the middle of the desert near Big Bend National Park, TX

Morning coffee visiting Daniel's parents in San Clemente, CA

Walk with Christina's parents in Rochester

Photos taken right after Daniel proposed!

Celebrating just us the day after we got engaged

Engagement photos in Spokane, WA during our house-hunting trip