Alex and Josie first met at a Berlin v. Wautoma high school basketball game where they were cheering for opposing teams; Alex was coaching for Wautoma and Josie, having gone to school in Berlin, had to cheer for the home team. Set up by two of their best friends Belle and Jacob, who were also dating, the 4 of them went to a local restaurant after the game where Alex tried to engage in conversation with Josie, but she didn't say a word. The glimmer of a spark was rekindled a few weeks later at a New Year's party thrown by Belle and Jacob who strategically invited both Alex and Josie. The night consisted of games and eating grapes under tables, but most importantly Alex and Josie talked and laughed fueling that spark. After that night, both Alex and Josie knew they wanted to get to know each other more. Going on dates became dating and spending as much time together as possible. It only took Alex 2 months to finally tell his parents about the girl he had been seeing. Josie's parents knew about Alex before the New Year's party but eventually everyone was on the same page. Weekend dates became weekly family dinner as they started spending more time at each other's houses, getting to know each other's families. July 2025 Josie was invited on the Hendrickson family vacation to Alabama and loved every second of it. Laying on the beach and seafood dinners were magical and each night was wrapped up watching a different Marvel film. Months came and went with weekly plans and new reasons to see each other. January 2026 Alex was invited on the Reich family vacation on a cruise around the Caribbean. The second day, the most memorable, was the day they stopped at Coco Cay Bahamas and where Alex got down on one knee and proposed to Josie. After both families had kept the secret for many months, everyone was overjoyed for the couple and Josie was incredibly surprised. The rest of the cruise was a bubble of happiness and excitement for the planning ahead. We couldn't be more blessed to spend our day with each and every one of you and we're thankful to have you in our lives.