We're Getting Married!

Dave and I met through mutual friends. I spent New Years Eve with a friend in Milwaukee and, recovering from the previous nights festivities, we thought it would be fun to go watch a football game at one of her guy friends place on New Years Day. I must say, walking into their apartment it was not love at first sight. Dave was wearing a Packers jersey (still not sure why) and I was wearing shoes that were 2 sizes too big for me. While watching the football game, the idea came up to go bar hopping for the Wisconsin bowl game the next day (Go Badgers!). So that’s what we did. Having such a great time on that bar crawl and discovering Dave had never been to UW-Madison, where I was still completing my 5th year, we all thought it would be fun for them (Dave and his roommate) to come visit and celebrate his 23rd birthday there a couple of weeks later. Fast forward those couple of weeks and from there I owe all of my thanks to the Double U, a bar on campus, for bringing out all of Dave's best dance moves. Something I couldn't resist... they were flawless! After that night, the rest is history. A week later I drove to Milwaukee for our first date, and two weeks after that (on 2-12-17) Dave brought me a tub of ice cream and asked me to be his girlfriend. How could I say no to that?! He then sealed the deal 3 weeks later by bringing our puppy, Mia, home!

Kristen seems to think I don’t remember how we met, so I’m going to do my best. It was the final days of 2016, the Bears still sucked, I was a fresh college grad who just began his first adult job, and I had a decent puppy fever. My roommate’s friend had one of her college besties in town for the New Years (Kristen), but we were unable to meet up before the ball dropped so the next day we invited the girls over. The girls arrive and we finally meet. At the time I was a bandwagon sports fan and was wearing a Clay Matthews jersey, trying to fit in with my packer-loving friends. For Kristen, and most Minnesota Vikings diehards, any guy in gaudy green would be easy to dismiss. So when we met for the first time, I wonder what she thought. I’m still surprised she gave me a shot, probably because of my good looks or maybe just because Kristen is generous. The next day we planned to watch a Wisconsin football bowl game at a local bar. Naturally, any bar in Milwaukee is going to be filled with a fanbase outfitted in red and white - go Bucky. I managed to fit in with Kristen’s friend group by finding a red shirt in my closet. Kristen, although mostly focused on the game, seemed friendly. I had a good time and had no idea what was in store, but I did know 2017 was off to a great start. For my birthday weekend (end of Jan) we were invited to Madison (my first time there). Kristen was our tour guide as we bar-hopped. She got to know me and my goofy dance moves and I learned what a “snorkel” at Chaser’s was. We had a blast! Driving back to Milwaukee, I had Kristen on my mind and two months later we got our dog, Mia, which I must admit helped solidify Kristen in my life.

6 months before Dave proposed he bought an engagement ring and had it hidden in the bedroom closet between some sweaters. Thankfully, Kristen was so preoccupied with work that the thought of a treasure hunt never crossed her mind. The day before the proposal, Dave suggested some brunch plans and made a reservation which made Kristen slightly suspicious (as Dave never made reservations - especially not just for a random Saturday). Anyways, with a nice brunch destination on the itinerary, Kristen and Dave put on their nice outfits and walked over. It was a warm 46 degree sunny day in November, which sparked Kristen’s suggestion of a walk along Lake Michigan with the pup later that afternoon… which unknowingly to Kristen was just according to plan. Upon returning from brunch, Kristen quickly curled up on the couch for a cat nap. Dave, with an agenda for the day, woke her up so the two could continue on with their previously discussed walk. The box for the ring was way too clunky to inconspicuously fit in Dave’s vest pocket so he had to improvise and put the ring in a little jewelry bag. On the walk and with the intended proposal location in sight, Dave could feel his heart beat ever so fast. The two arrived at a fork in the road and Dave nonchalantly suggested walking straight through the grass to a couple of trees ahead. Kristen’s intuition quickly uncovered what was about to take place. Dave got on one knee, Kristen starting crying, and Dave struggled to get the ring out of the little jewelry bag for what felt like 10 minutes (…it was 45 seconds at most). With the ring finally out of the bag, Dave proposed and Kristen instantly said “Yes!”. This was followed with a celebratory surprise engagement party with our closest family and friends. We’re so excited to celebrate this next chapter in our lives with all of you. See you in Chicago!