Over the summer of 2014, Emily downloaded an app called Tinder. After analyzing every profile, she “swiped” on a few guys she thought looked like decent human beings. Ross and Emily matched right away, and soon after, Ross messaged Emily saying, “Hey, cutie”. They chatted for the rest of the summer, slowly becoming friends on Facebook, adding each other on snapchat, and finally getting each other’s actual phone numbers. After living in different cities all summer, Emily moved back to the dorms at UNI in the fall, and they decided to finally meet. At the end of a full week of band camp for Emily, Ross met her in the Hagemann Hall lobby, where he handed her a box of Scratch cupcakes. The first thing Emily remembers saying was, "You’re taller than I thought”. They played cards with a group of Emily’s friends, and once the group decided Ross was an okay guy, they gave the couple their blessings to go on a walk around campus, alone. Ross and Emily walked around campus in circles, taking every path they knew, and walking each one several times, just to spend more time talking. After that, and a day at the pool, Ross and Emily became virtually inseparable. On September 2nd, 2014, Ross made Emily one of his famous culinary creations - some kind of fajita dinner - and they watched a movie at his house. Ross asked Emily to be his girlfriend that night, and Emily quickly accepted. It was hard to stay away from each other after that point, and they haven't been separated for long, since.

Ross and Emily booked a trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for the end of February, 2019. They had so much fun exploring the city, trying the fresh guacamole at a local restaurant, and lounging by the pool / ocean. After a little hiccup with bedbugs, the resort upgraded their room, and Ross and Emily had to turn in most of their laundry to be washed. On February 28th, they made dinner reservations and dressed their best. Emily managed to save a long beach dress from the laundry, while Ross wore a nice shirt, kakis, and his black water shoes - the only shoes he didn’t send to be washed. That night, the two took a long walk around the resort, just as they had the night they met. They stopped in a grassy area by a gazebo, all lit up, overlooking the water. Ross asked Emily to be his wife, there. The day after they got engaged, Ross and Emily went on an unforgettable excursion where they got to ride a speed boat, watch whales, swim with sea lions, snorkel, and zip line. Their excursion ended with frozen drinks and wonderful food, overlooking the ocean.