I had been looking at Alex's profile for a few days before I pulled the trigger. From her profile I had determined: 1. She's tall 2. She loves Jesus 3. We have similar interests You know, all the things I was looking for. So I was very excited when she responded about an hour later! Success! My follow up went unanswered for a day. Then two. Then three... But that's how online dating goes. People get busy. Or other people are talking to them. But I was impatient. So on the fifth day I double texted her. "Hi Alex! How did your week go?" I got a response the next day. *Phew* we're still in this. I responded five minutes later. And then waited TWENTY ONE DAYS for a response. I complained to my roommates the whole time. "I finally found the 'total package' and she's not responding!" "I'm in the 99th percentile for height. There's no way she found some other guy to talk to!" When her response finally came, it was one of the best things I'd read in a long time. She likes reading! And video games!! She's played Skyrim and Portal?!?! And likes board games?! Whoa...she's incredible! But she made me wait a long time to hear back. Maybe I should do that too? I made it about 15 minutes before sending a follow up. The next day I went to an MN United soccer game with my aunt, uncle, and cousin. After the game I went home and got a message from Alex: "This is a long shot, but a friend and I went to the MN United game and are out and about in St. Paul for the evening. Any chance you want to come meet up?" Um, yes please. So I went. Immediately. Later that night my roommate Dave was very concerned. I wasn't in my bed with my book like I always was. So at about 11:11 pm he sent me a message. "Hey are you ok?" Yes. I was. I was very ok.

---------- 2021 ---------- July 17: Matched on Hinge August 14: First in-person meet up after a MNUFC game w/ Katie as third wheel September 3: First date at Hamberguesas El Gordo for tacos and then Dairy Queen, because neither of us wanted it to end September 9: Alex visits Josh in his backyard for late night banana boats. She kindly doesn't point out until much later that he is very bad at managing camp fires. September 16-October 7: 10 dates that lasted on average 6-8 hours each. We probably like each other. October 12: Alex surprises Josh with a great night downtown - dinner at Melting Pot and Frozen at the Orpheum. Afterwards we give ourselves the labels: bf&gf October 27: Josh realizes that since we both work from home, we can work in the same place. I know what you're thinking, but we were actually really productive because we're both nerdy try-hards that had to prove it to each other. November 2: Josh meets Alex's parents November 5-7: Alex goes on a weekend trip with this random guy she met online and his friends to a cabin in the middle of nowhere Wisconsin and she meets his parents! December 27 - January 1: Alex joins Josh and his parents in Florida (must be getting serious) ---------- 2022 ---------- January 2 at around 12:30am after getting back from Florida: "I love you" January - May: Alex's busy season. Josh learns what it's like to be in a relationship with an accountant June 28: Josh meets with Larry July 8: Josh and Alex go for a romantic kayak ride and get 60% engaged July 9: Josh orders fake rings online because the real one won't be ready for another month July 17: Josh proposes exactly one year after matching

July was a busy month for us: - Erin came to visit from California for almost 3 weeks - Josh went to Milwaukee for the 4th while Alex went to Crosslake, MN. - Josh joined the Jamieson's in Crosslake for the week after the 4th (this is when we got 60% engaged) - Alex went to Chicago for 2 days for training - We had a friend's wedding in Lacrosse, WI on July 15 - Alex introduced Josh to her second family, the Stoa's on July 16 - Josh's roommate got engaged and we attended their engagement party on July 16 This whole time, Josh was prepping to move out of the Josh/Josh/Dave/David/Tom household. Lots of packing and cleaning! We were both EXHAUSTED. But we were starting to get excited because we knew we were 60% engaged. Josh had told me that the ring was ordered but wouldn't be here for a month. I was feeling stressed about whether we could tell people and start planning or if we should wait. I didn't want Josh to feel pressure. Erin was leaving for California and asked me if I wanted to get coffee and catch up on her last day in Minnesota. I thought, "Of course! That'll be nice to just have some sister time." She suggested we go at 9am so that we'd have our sister time while Mom and Dad slept in and then we'd be back for Sunday brunch. Made sense to me! So I woke up Sunday morning and took my time. I mean it was just coffee with my sister, right? It wouldn't matter if I was just rolling out of bed at 9... But Erin is always so trendy and cute so I thought I'd better wear something kind of cute but low maintenance. I got a text from Erin: "You alive?". Ugh, yes I'm coming! So we head to the car. Erin grabs keys and I wonder why I wouldn't just drive. Erin says it's her last day to drive Mom's car. I think, "Sure, I suppose. Kind of dumb, but whatever, it's Erin." So we head to Caribou. She heads toward the drive through and I question why we don't just go in and sit. We're here to hang out, right? Erin: "Um yeah I thought we could get coffee and walk somewhere? Plus I don't really like the vibe of this Caribou." I think to myself, "Lol, okay Erin... But sure. A walk sounds nice." We pull up to order and I ask her if she wants to get breakfast stuff. She blows me off and says we'll have brunch with Mom and Dad when we go home. I think to myself that brunch is like 2-3 hours away...and I'm hungry now! But sure. It's Erin. And I'm not starved. We pull out of the drive through and I ask... "So...are we just going home to walk?" Erin suggested Weaver Lake Park which is just on the way and we haven't been in a while. Sure. Let's go. We park right near the park and hop out. I head toward the lake and suggest we start on the deck overlooking the lake. Erin: "Nah." Alex: "But it's so peaceful and nice....what do you mean?" Erin: "We'll come back". I think to myself, "Okay it's Erin again. Her free spirit has us on a path." We get to the top of the hill and she's being weird. Why is she walking slow? Why is she on her phone? What are those footsteps? I turn around, and there's Josh. And I realize.... OKAY, so we're doing THIS today...! He had set up a beautiful picnic in the park with a beautiful spread. Our favorite pastries from Patisserie 46, berries and mimosas. We played cribbage, the game we played a lot when we were first dating. I beat him. Best proposal gift ever. We both knew what was coming next, but of course at that very moment some guy came up to us and was looking around for his glasses he dropped the day before. I could feel Josh's stress radiating and realized with a smile, "We will have to wait a lot in life, why not start now?" When we finally had privacy again, he said the best words I've ever heard, got on his knee, and asked the big question. With a ring! That wasn't supposed to be here for a month! He had obtained a very convincing placeholder which would serve its purpose on this day and going forward into life for backpacking trips and other adventures. And then I said Yes!