As millennials we, of course, had to try the horror of online dating. We matched on the app in October 2015 and after one date we never looked back. We always recommend proper precautions when delving into the messy and complicated world of online dating (Amanda didn't give her apartment number and her friend snapped a pic of Nathan's license plate when he picked her up) but in our case it was 100% worth it. After living together in Iowa for a few years, the California in Amanda just couldn't take the snow anymore and we moved to California in 2018. We loved being with all our friends and family in Iowa but the warm weather just wouldn't stop calling, so we packed up our stuff and wrangled our cats to make the drive. We can not wait to introduce all our friends and family to the beauty of our new state!

In February of 2020 Amanda's best friend Christine was incredibly insistent on Amanda and Nathan joining her and her husband at Fleming's in Rancho Cucamonga, like so insistent we were there just 1 week after she gave birth to her second child. Despite Amanda's protests that she should be resting, Chrissy dragged her along to a nail salon and made reservations. While at dinner Christine insisted the waiter take a picture of us standing up in front of our table (Yes, we were those people) and while Amanda was posing Nathan dropped down on one knee and popped the question. The best part of the proposal was the ring, this wasn't just any ring, in fact it was a family heirloom. Unknown to Amanda, Nathan had actually been planning this engagement with Christine and the rest of her family since the previous Thanksgiving. This ring was custom designed by her grandmother from her old wedding rings and given to Amanda's mother 16 years previously. Ever since Amanda has always hinted (often not so subtly) that she wanted this ring. So when Nathan said he was ready to pop the question it was an all hands on deck affair to get this ring to her. Her niece suggested the ring to Amanda's mom, Amanda's mom told Nathan not to buy a ring, and her sister made the hours long drive during a rare California snow storm to bring this ring back to them. It was the perfect ring for the perfect proposal from the perfect boyfriend. The engagement video can be seen on Amanda's Instagram (Rated PG-13 due to strong language). And yes, Amanda had to put the ring on herself, Nathan was too nervous to take it out of the box and just shoved the whole thing at her.