We found each other amidst all the left swipes, on Bumble, the trendy dating app at the time. For those who don't know, the unique thing about Bumble, is that it gives the power to initiate conversations to the women, while men patiently wait for women who are interested to start the conversations (Kristen loved this, btw!) So, as the app would have it, Kristen reached out to Nathan after they matched with each other, inquiring about the unique profile he had, where he said he was looking for the "next member of his moped gang" (Kristen didn't own a moped) :) Within a few days, we exchanged numbers and began texting, and on Monday, February 26, 2018, we had our first date. Nathan originally asked Kristen to meet at a local brewery, but on the way to the date looked it up and noticed they were closed on Mondays. We quickly changed plans and found ourselves sitting at the bar of Buffalo Wild Wings in Eagan, MN. It was a fun first date full of getting to know each other and realizing our shared love of beer, live music and nachos. Things went so well that Kristen's roommate, Cat, texted her 2-3 times asking if everything was okay because she was out so late! After that first date, we started hanging more and growing closer to each other each day. Every date was (and continues to be) fun, unique, spontaneous and full of love. It's been 4 years of trying new local breweries and restaurants, cooking weekend brunch, doing crosswords together, playing with Lucy, seeing live music, and our infamous "Wine Wednesdays." Nathan's favorite memory: One particular spontaneous night out in Uptown Minneapolis, with pizza at Muddy Waters, arcade games at Up-Down, rooftop beers at Lynlake Brewery & unexpected funky live music to end the evening. Kristen's favorite memory: April 2018 (very early in our relationship) we got a ton of snow and EVERYTHING was closed, so we were stuck inside hanging out with each other ;) It was a fun day with lots of laughs & lounging around the house.

One activity that we have enjoyed throughout our years of dating has been taking turns planning surprise dates for each other. We’ve had classy nights out on the town, trips to sunflower patches, downhill skiing, and even mini road trips. We have kept this tradition since we met years ago. In October of 2020, it was Nathan’s turn to plan a surprise date for Kristen, however, Nathan had been secretly working for months to make this the biggest surprise yet – a proposal. He talked to Kristen’s parents, researched rings, worked with Kristen’s friends and family to find out what she had been dreaming her engagement story would look like (Cat Gangi was crucial in this), and he even made some phony plans for them (shout-out to Jake Ziebell for contributing to the ruse), to ensure Kristen would not suspect a thing. When the date finally arrived, the plans were set and it was time to execute. The date began with a delicious lunch of dumplings and pho, followed by a trip to a brewery with Lucy, our golden doodle. Next was a stop to pick up some hot coffee and go for a walk by the Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis – a location that Nathan had told Kristen his “dating coach” (a self-proclaimed title by Mitch Brown) recommended. As we neared the proposal site, Nathan’s roommate Jake Odom crawled (quite literally) out of a hiding spot where he had been waiting. As Nathan got down one one knee, Jake captured the moment on camera from nearby, while his girlfriend Mo took pictures from atop the Stone Arch Bridge. Ring presented, question popped, tears, ‘Yes!’, ’camera shutters. It was perfect. From there we went to a local cidery for one last surprise. As Nathan and Kristen walked in, a group of close friends and family screamed with excitement, gathered to share the beautiful moment with the newly-engaged. There was pizza, drinks, good conversation, and love. We could not have asked for a better day.