We met online still very much in the middle of the pandemic. We started messaging back and forth and set up a FaceTime coffee date and ended up on the phone for more than four hours! During the call, we discussed having both recently tested negative for Covid-19, and the next day, Kayla surprised Ellen by inviting her to meet in person! We met at a drive-in movie theater between Pittsburgh and Morgantown for our first official in-person date that night!

We traveled to Ann Arbor to visit Michigan, attend a football game, and visit Ellen's friends & family. Kayla planned a trip to the University of Michigan Botanical Gardens and with the help of some friends, surprised Ellen with a proposal in the garden followed by celebratory lunch and dinner with family and friends. A week later, Kayla and Ellen planned a picnic at Cooper's Rock State Park to tell Cooper and Cohen our engagement news. But, with help from the boys and close friends, Ellen proposed back to Kayla and presented the boys with rings as well!