Depending on who you ask you may get a different story… But the truth is that it all started in 2002 when Baxter and Kendall met in the first grade. This love story wouldn't take off for another 12 years, but 2002 was when Baxter made the first move. One day after school Baxter marched up to Kendall as she was approaching the bus and boldly asked her if she had a crush on him. In typical Kendall fashion she told him that of course she didn’t have a crush on him and marched off to her bus. It turns out that Kendall’s uncle Frank was doing work at the Call’s house and took it upon himself to meddle in their young love lives by planting the rumor. As it turned out Frank would be proven right, if a little premature. And how fitting is it that 20 years later Kendall and Baxter would be celebrating their relationship with family and friends at uncle Frank and aunt Colleen’s home.

Fast forward to senior year of high school. It’s late winter and everyone is applying to colleges and very preoccupied determining their post high school plans. Kendall (being a life long Oregon Ducks fan (scoducks)) applied early to the University of Oregon. She was ecstatic upon being accepted and eagerly anticipated starting her journey in Eugene. Unbeknownst to her, Baxter had applied to Oregon State University and would be starting his own collegiate career just 47 miles up the road in Corvallis. But that is getting ahead of things. Kendall and Baxter were not out of High School just yet… They began dating in early March with just a few months left in the school year. In between rowing, cheerleading, and counting down the days until graduation; the new couple spent as much time together as they could, quickly realizing the significance in their feelings for one another. Discussing what may come after high school never came up, as they decided to just live in the moment and see where it took them. Graduation came and went and next thing they knew Kendall was packing and preparing to move to Eugene early to begin gaining residency in Oregon. Meanwhile, Baxter and his family were preparing for a family rafting trip in Alaska on the Tatshenshini river. So it seemed there was no time like the present to finally discuss what each others plans were for college. You could imagine the shock when they discovered they would only be 45 minutes apart and that they both wanted to see where the relationship could go.

College was a proving ground for Kendall and Baxter's fledgling relationship. Over the next four years they would become more than just high school sweethearts, and become true partners for one another. During a time when so many other young people are struggling to find their identity, Kendall and Baxter were a constant source of comfort and encouragement for each-other. In addition to the rigors of the classroom, Kendall and Baxter were both heavily involved in extra curricular activities that played a large role in their college experience. Kendall would eventually join the executive council of her sorority (Gamma Phi Beta for anyone who was curious) and Baxter would be honored as a captain on the Men's Rowing team. These accomplishments did not come without a cost. More often than not, Baxter and Kendall would have to settle for text conversations and long phone calls rather than the pleasure of one another's company. Their rigorous schedules taught them to become good at communicating, and to cherish their time together when they could get it. Summers were a perfect opportunity to make up for lost time. Trips to the Oregon Coast allowed them to discover a mutual love for hiking and camping, activities that have become a mainstay in their relationship. Teammates, roommates, and sorority sisters that Kendall and Baxter grew close to would also become common fixtures in their lives. In fact the wedding parties are so chalk full of Beavers and Ducks it will be a miracle if the ceremony doesn't erupt into a Civil War (the historic UO vs OSU football rivalry game is known as the Civil War).

After college they moved back to Seattle, where Baxter would be pursuing a Master's degree at the University of Washington and Kendall started a career in the wine industry. They quickly fell in love with their quiet neighborhood of Magnolia, with its beautiful views of Mt. Rainier and the Puget Sound. After a few months of living together they decided it was time to add another companion to their home, and they got a sweet kitty who they named Toby James Toebean. During the summer and fall of 2020 Kendall and Baxter would spend hours walking around their neighborhood day dreaming over all the beautiful homes and imagining what they would want their future to look like together. (In fact, Baxter would later say that it was during these walks together that he decided he was ready to ask Kendall to marry him.) The only thing that seemed to be missing from their walks was a sweet pup to join them. Kendall had always dreamed of having an English Springer Spaniel like her aunt Kiki had when Kendall was younger, and with a little convincing Kendall, Baxter, and Toby were joined by Moose. In April of 2021 on a classic drizzly Seattle spring day at the Ballard Locks, with Moose in hand, Baxter proposed to Kendall. And so 20 years after Baxter made his first move they were ready to take the next step in their lives together. Kendall and Baxter look forward to celebrating their love with friends and family on Vashon Island on August 6th, 2022.