Jacob and Kaela met in high school in 2019. It was throughout that year that they became friends, sharing a study hall where they would sit next to each other and mess with one another. Their friendship continued even as Jacob moved to Moscow, ID to attend the University of Idaho while Kaela continued her senior year at St. Maries High School. They kept in touch throughout the school year, and would occasionally hang out at group events during school breaks. A couple of years went by and the pair fell out of communication. They were both busy with their own lives and adventures. However, the summer before Jacob’s senior year of his undergrad the two reconnected and got back into touch. That fall they briefly texted back and forth while Kaela was attending a Bible school with YWAM Amsterdam, but the difference in the time zones made it hard to keep in touch. When Kaela moved back to Idaho in the winter of 2022, she attended a little New Year’s Eve get-together at Jacob’s parent's house with her friends. Jacob was in attendance, and Kaela remembers all his jokes and how hard she laughed that night. Seeing each other again rekindled their friendship, and for the next couple of months, the two would spend a good chunk of time texting and chatting about their days and thoughts with one another. In April of 2023, Jacob and Kaela set a time to meet up and hang out. They refer to this day as their first “not date”. The pair played racquetball at the University of Idaho REC center and Jacob wowed Kaela with his deep knowledge and awesomeness at chess. As the day went on, the two noticed that they kept finding things to do to only delay their “not date” from ending. They played more card and board games, spontaneously went and ate sushi, Kaela introduced Jacob to the deliciousness of a Baja blast freeze from Taco Bell, and Jacob even faked enthusiasm of watching Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well” short film. The day, however, did end, but not without hope. During their “not date”, the two had “hypothetically” discussed the process of what it would look like for two long-time friends to pursue a relationship. So, it was of great excitement for Kaela when she received a text from Jacob the day after, asking if she would like to go on a "real date" with him. Jacob and Kaela’s first real date happened two days after that, when the pair played more racquetball, board, and card games, and spent more time together. At the end of the day, it was official. They talked about their expectations and hopes, and Jacob said something like “not wanting to think about it [them] not working out”… I think it’s safe to say they won’t ever have to! In the last year or so, the couple has spent more time apart than together, putting the saying “absence makes the heart grow fonder” to the ultimate test. Many days were spent calling and FaceTiming, and Kaela frequented the trek from St. Maries, ID to Eugene, OR as often as possible. The two still play racquetball, now have their fair share of go-to card and board games, and will still find any excuse to eat sushi. Jacob proposed to Kaela on May 10th of this year, the day she walked in honor of receiving her associate's degree from North Idaho College. One month later Kaela got to travel to Eugene to watch Jacob be hooded for his master's in finance from the University of Oregon. The two will start their lives together living in Spokane this January, and could not be more excited to celebrate their union with you on a day that, they recognize, played a big part in where they are today. Thank you for your love and support, we cannot wait to ring in the new year with you!