We met over 7 years ago at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for the first time when Jake was paired with Emmett for an admitted students day shadow program. Fast forward 5 months. We both were in the music education program at U of I and played trumpet in the Marching Illini. Throughout the fall, we started becoming friends and hanging out. After a basketball game in October, Emmett asked Jake if he wanted a ride back to the dorms. He said he was going to drop him off first and then drop off his friends. Thinking there was no way anything else could happen, Jake agreed. Once we had started driving, Emmett switched the plans and said he would drop Jake off last. Instead of leaving, we talked for the next 3 hours about our lives, sharing stories, laughing, and realizing that we had feelings for each other. And that was the beginning of our story. Fast forward 7 years, we have built a life together that is everything we could have imagined and more. We love to spend intentional time together running, cooking, getting ice cream, hanging out with friends and family, going on long road trips, camping, hiking, and being outdoors as much as possible. We continue to add to our list of National Parks we have visited. We hope to visit all of them. And of course, our pride and joy that we spend every day with (aside from each other) is our passionate, energetic, treat-motivated, attention-seeking, lovable, and very vocal dog...Moose. We spoil him and take him to as many places as he's allowed. Since we graduated college, our conversations and wants of getting married turned into a reality. We decided in July 2025 to start the next part of our journey by buying rings. In November, right after Thanksgiving, we took a "detour" to Saugatuck, Michigan to "go get some coffee" at a coffee shop that means a lot to us. What wasn't mentioned was Emmett's surprise to get on one knee as Jake was sitting on the ICONIC rainbow bench outside of the coffee shop and ask Jake to marry him. Through overwhelming joy, the answer was...Already??...and then an EASY YES! A month later, in December, one of our traditions every year is to go to the Christkindlmarket in Chicago. That was where we said "I love you" to each other for the very first time and knew we were going to spend the rest of our lives together. After the briefest splitting of Emmett going to go get some roasted almonds and Jake going to the hot chocolate booth to get the annual mugs that we have been collecting every year, Jake asked "Will You Marry Me?" on the bottom of the mug. With the biggest smile and the warmest eyes, Emmett said "yes." We can't wait for the next chapter in our lives together as husband and husband!