We knew each other from school but ran around in different groups so we didn't get to know each other until late 2016. A fun story of how we started talking... I (Katie) was gifted a mustang for my 16th birthday. Mom told me I was allowed to drive to town (Atchison) for the night, with 2 conditions. 1, "DO NOT let anyone else drive it" and 2, "DO NOT get pulled over". Okay, yep sounds good, that should be easy enough. So off I go headed straight to the river where all the cool kids hang out. I pull up and there's a group of boys, I bet you can't guess who?? Augie and the boys!! I threw the car in park and hopped out. The boys were inspecting the new car and of course asking "can I drive it?" "Please?? just down the road and back." I remained strong and told all of them no. We went on just talking in a circle and THEN little Mr. Mullet Man spoke up... "Could I take it for a drive?". WHERE DID MY STRENGTH GO?? I threw him the keys and said "sure lets go". We hopped in the car, seat belts on, he was adjusting the mirrors, and my stomach SUNK. Oh gosh, what if mom finds out?? How would she find out?? "Oh its fine, as long as we don't get pulled over". So off we went, up the hill to second street. All is good, smooooth sailing. Complete stop at the stop sign, check. Blinker, check. All clear no cars coming, check. Make this turn without hitting the parked cars on both sides, check. So we turn, and two seconds later BAM cop lights behind us. OH NO, both moms rules broken in a matter of 5 minutes... Augie and I are frantic, what did we do?? Augie asks "do you have insurance?" Well yeah, I mean I think, but I don't know where the insurance card is. "Registration?" Oh gosh I think it's on the kitchen counter. OH NO. Cop comes up "what are you guys doing?" Augie immediately "I'm sorry sir, this is her car, she just got it." OKAY WOAH YOU'RE THE ONE THAT GOT PULLED OVER NOW THIS IS ON ME?? The cop laughed "Oh its fine, I was just letting you know that your headlights aren't on. Those are just your fog lights." He kindly showed us the difference and let us go on our way. PFEW, no ticket. I tell Augie "we cannot tell ANYONE. this cannot get back to my mom." He agrees that it also can't get back to his mom haha. Okay perfect, secrets safe with us. NOPE, we pull back into the parking lot and all the boys are laughing "Why'd you get pulled over?" "What? We didn't" "Yeah you did, we saw the cop lights right behind you up on the hill." GREAT. Augie and I started texting once a week "Did your mom find out?" "No, did yours?" Luckily, Augie's boys were good secret keepers too! Our texts grew longer and we started dating early 2017. The next 2 years were spent with Augie meeting me at my locker between classes, staying after practice to talk, attending each others sporting events, and spending the weekends with the boys! Augie graduated May of 2018 and started working. He did good to make it to my sporting events and still, weekends with the boys were very common. I graduated in 2019 and went off to K-State, Augie had applied to the apprenticeship around the same time. The distance had started. For the next 3 years, he was living out of a camper working long hours as an apprentice. I was going to school and working multiple part time jobs. We were busy during the week, but prioritized a couple phone calls. We'd coordinate weekends to go home and see each other (and of course, hang out with the boys). I graduated college in 2023 and decided to get my Masters online. I moved into the camper with him and we've since moved often for his work, I finished school and started working a remote job from the camper. We've had lots of fun with his work pals at the campgrounds, traveled a bit, make it back home to see family and you guessed it, still spending weekends with the boys. After 7 years he proposed and now we're getting married!