In true millennial fashion, Ben and I met using the Bumble dating app in 2016. I was a senior in college and Ben was navigating a new job in a new city on his own. Our first date did not go well. We got our dogs together and Phoebe was terrified of Rocky, so we ended up on opposite ends of the dog park. Strike one, but hey, that was understandable, so next we went out to dinner. I was trying to be flexible so I suggested we eat on the patio since there was a long wait to sit inside at Red Cow in Minneapolis. Well... it was late October and Ben was not wearing a jacket... Brrr! Strike two. Finally, I was so nervous that I couldn't get myself to eat my dinner and ended up having a *liquid* meal instead. I must have been charming in my liberated state because Ben asked to get together the next day! From that point on we were inseparable. Our dogs bonded quickly and after I graduated, I informally moved in to his new place in Plymouth. I began working at Medtronic and Ben moved up the ladder at Ameriprise. In January 2018, we started a new chapter when we officially moved in together in our new townhouse. We started fostering with Secondhand Hounds, traveled to Mexico together, attended a couple friends' weddings, and spent the holidays with Ben's family in Wisconsin. On August 10th, 2020, Ben asked me to marry him. We had been watching a friend's dog, creating a full house, so we decided to get out for a walk on our own. It started drizzling, so we ducked under a gazebo at a park to chat. I stood up to go home but was stopped in my tracks when Ben suddenly got down on one knee. Then I said yes! Shortly after, my parents arrived for a surprise engagement brunch. And now here we are! We can't wait to spend the rest of our lives together and to celebrate our special day with all of you! You, our friends and family, are the most important people in our lives and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your continued support as we enter into life as a married couple.