Their story began on two separate journeys that came together. They both graduated high school in 2016 and enrolled in college at the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater. They landed dorm rooms in Lee Hall as next door neighbors. Little did they know rooms 212 and 210 was just the beginning for them! They passed by each other a few times during school but hadn't spoken much. Eventually Brooke told Riley's roommate, Colin, that she had the hots for Riley. Collin so kindly passed the message to Riley while he was away hunting with no service. Brooke texted Riley and patiently waited for a response. After what seemed like an eternity, Riley finally replied. They began to hang out and got to know each other. After two months, Riley asked to make it official on January 22, 2017 after watching the Packers lose... a bittersweet day to say the least ;)

Riley's favorite memory is a classic one. In the summer of 2022 Brooke, Riley, and Jax (their first dog) took a week long camping trip up to the UP. They did all sorts of things to explore like hiking, biking, swimming and sight seeing. They took Jax out on the paddle boards and relaxed on the water. Jax felt much more comfortable riding with Brooke than Riley (I wonder who the favorite is ;) Later that night they cooked a warm meal and sat around the fire relaxing in peace. Later that night Riley and Brooke fell asleep to the sound of light rain and the waves of Lake Michigan.

Brooke's favorite memory isn't so much a happy one but more so filled with love. In February of 2020. Brooke, Riley, Jason (Brooke's Father), & Morgan (Brooke's Sister) all decided to hit the slopes one evening. Brooke has always been a cautious person, probably due to growing up as the oldest. They went to the terrain park, where jumps and tricks can be done. The second or third time down the hill, Brooke took a jump that she expected to just slide down easy-peasy, boy was that a miscalculation. She was launched into the air and immediately had to brace herself for impact. Brooke fell hard and broke both of her wrists. Yes... both of them.... She underwent surgery on both her wrists to fix the miscalculated damage. Now the thing that completely overtakes this experience was all the love and care Riley showed for her. He took her to all her physical therapy appointments, helped clean and dress her, and even helped feed her in the beginning. It was a long road, but she had no doubt in her mind that he was the one.

Brooke was getting very antsy for a proposal and was catching on to every clue when Riley was brainstorming. Brooke told Riley years ago that she didn't love holiday proposals because it was already a special day. However, anyone who knows Riley knows how much he loves Christmas time. For reference, he makes Brooke listen to Christmas music from December to sometimes early March. If it's snowing, the music is on. Riley knew this was the only way to actually surprise her like he always wanted. Kathy, Brooke's mother, took pictures of the two with their two dogs, Jax & Ash, kneelling in front of the Christmas tree. Riley asked to take a picture with just Brooke. She thought nothing weird about it. Brooke asked Riley if he wanted to kneel or stand for the photo? Riley replied, "I'll get down on one knee" The rest is a happy & fuzzy eyed blur. An added plus to this happy day is the Packers won their game, December 25, 2022. He must have a thing for relationship milestones being on packer games days... After seven years together, we can’t wait to celebrate with all of you on August 24, 2024!