Neither of us can remember the first time we met because we've known each other for THAT long. We didn't know each other well when Tristehn moved to Potosi in middle school, but we became best friends in high school. Although we didn't have any classes together, we were somehow always able to find time in the school day to hang out. The event where we spent the most amount of time together was the musical during my junior year/Tristehn's senior year of high school. The musical was "State Fair," where Tristehn and I played as love interests (see the photo at the bottom of the page). Although this was our first official kiss, the romance didn't kick in until years later. Even after graduating high school and going to college in Mankato, Minnesota, Tristehn still made an effort to come out and visit me. The same thing was true even when I moved FARTHER away to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He was always excited to visit me, and to spend time with me when I came home. After a couple years of long-distance friendship, Tristehn came over to my parents' house for a fire during the summer of 2024. We hadn't seen or talked to each other in a while, and having the chance to catch up sparked something deeper. After the fire, Tristehn and I talked every single day. There were Snapchats, texts, Instagram reels, phone calls, and even the occasional video call. Although the distance was great, I had never felt closer to him. Finally, in November of 2024, Tristehn came to Sioux Falls and asked me to be his girlfriend. I said YES! The not-quite-a-year of us dating flew by. The endless phone calls, halfway weekend visits, and busyness of life felt like the blink of an eye. And then... August 10th, 2025 came. This was the St. Peters Church 150th Anniversary, just two weeks after my sister, Hannah, was married. Apparently, Tristehn was a nervous wreck, but I had absolutely no idea that he was about to propose. I was expecting a proposal in November, during our pickleball trip in Curacao... but Tristehn had other plans. On the back porch of the church, Tristehn surprised me and proposed. Guess what? I SAID YES! Tristehn and I have been best friends for years. Although it's cliche, what they say is true: you SHOULD marry your best friend. They are the person that understands you, that loves you, and stands by you through the good and the bad. Thank you, Tristehn, for being my best friend <3

I don't remember the first time we got to hang out. What I do remember is taking every single possible chance I could to spend time with her. I was a boy in love with a girl so far out of his league he could only dream of the day she would go out with him. She had no idea, but I had loved her for a very, very, very long time. Due to the distance and progressing of our lives (she went off to college in Minnesota, and then she moved even FARTHER away to South Dakota), we unfortunately didn't get to see each other much and had lost touch. There's only one day that beats the day we reconnected at the fire, and that was the day she said yes on the church porch. We have a running joke about the fact that she made me wait 10 years. She jokingly apologizes for it, and I laugh it off. We both know that being friends first is what has helped us build what we have today. It may have taken longer than I would have liked, but I wouldn't have it any other way.