Backstory Sam grew up in Gillett, and Katie grew up in Abrams. Their schools played against each other in sports, and they knew many of the same people. Sam and Katie had never met before. October 2022 Sam met Katie on a traffic stop while he was on duty. The details are not important, and no, Katie did not get a ticket. Next topic, please. February 2023 Katie followed Sam on instagram and told her friends she was going to end up with him one day. For the record, Sam was already following Katie - no idea when that happened. Katie's friend, Emma, knew Sam from the gym. Emma told Katie how great of a guy Sam was. May 2023 Katie moved back to Abrams for the summer, and the location of her dating app changed. Since Sam is from Gillett, their profiles lined up. Just to be clear, Sam swiped right first. After about three days of silence following the pivotal "match", Emma ran into Sam at the gym. That's when she notified Sam that Katie was actually interested in him - Emma is the ultimate wingwoman for that. That night, Sam finally took his shot and messaged Katie. First Date: Coffee at The Shop in Oconto Katie knew he was special because Sam kept her talking, and she knew he was actually listening. They agreed that it was strange they hadn't met before (besides that one time last October). June 3rd, 2023: "Officially" boyfriend and girlfriend August 2023 They had a run with long-ish distance while Katie finished nursing school in Madison. May 2024 Katie graduated from nursing school, moved back home with her parents, passed the NCLEX, and started her job at Aurora. Sam was constantly in her corner cheering her on. August 2024 Sam and his brother began building their house - very convenient that it was only a mile away from Katie's parents. December 2024 Katie moved in with Sam and the boys. The boys = Sam's dog, Sam's brother, and their three friends. April 2025 Katie brought home her puppy, and Sam and Katie endured the "puppy blues". It was extra fun because they didn't have grass in their yard yet. (Special shoutout to the boys for helping out with both dogs) October 2025 Ring shopping began and Katie became extra annoying. March 2026 The Proposal! Sam and Katie went to Bond Falls for the day, and Katie knew Sam was going to pop the question. They were going to walk "the easy way" to the falls, but Sam last minute suggested the more scenic route. The UP had been getting nailed with snow, and the hike was brutal. Their feet kept punching through the snow (a solid 3 feet in some areas), and the stairs were completely covered in ice. Eventually, they made it down to the boardwalk. Katie noticed a man with a camera across the way, and she very confidently told Sam it was probably someone taking photos for a calendar - a common occurrence at Bond Falls. Sam agreed. They walked closer to the photo man. Katie thought this was weird because Sam is not the type to make a scene, and she knew he was about to propose. She went with it anyways. Sam got down on his knee and asked Katie to marry him, and she quickly said yes. After the moment was over, Sam pointed to the photo man, who was suddenly unveiling his "disguise". The photo man turned out to be Sam's lifelong friend, Arthur. Katie was shocked to see him - she really thought Sam was just being weird and proposing in front of the only other person at the falls. LOL. (It should also be known that Arthur was recovering from an extensive knee surgery and a broken back. They backtracked the trail and found all of Arthur's "imprints" in the snow from falling and sliding so much. To add to his commitment, he shaved his face and also considered shaving his head for the bit. Art is a fantastic friend.) August 7th, 2027 Sam and Katie will finally tie the knot on that invisible string!