Matt's Story: "I just had tea in your former house!" This is not a text typically shared before a first date, but then ours is not a typical boy-meets-girl story. By the time we had hugged and sat down for dinner at Imperial, we had already established many mutual passions (including board games, family, and coffee, coffee, coffee!), a former/current employer (Lawrence Tech), and about a dozen mutual friends (including the ones who had serendipitously subletted their house to me the previous fall!). Honestly, I wanted somebody to pinch me. And although our many common friends thankfully did not take me up on that request, they did assure me that, yes, you were definitely real, and you were just as wonderful as you had seemed that day. Karen's Story: If you don't know, you soon will: Lawrence Tech and I go *way* back. My family worked there for generations (literally. If we include Ryan helping to set up a workshop when he was 2, we had 4 generations of us employed and/or taking courses over the years). Matthew and I later learned that our social web included so many more overlaps than just LTU connections, but having Lawrence Tech in common was instrumental in drafting my first message to him in the dating app. (Yes, I used the term "LTU sports" in a pickup line and namedropped a colleague.) We exchanged several messages over a few weeks, learning about our hobbies (he may have sent a photo of his board game collection), each others' children, and our myriad common connections. I started looking very much forward to meeting in person. I'll always remember, over our meal and later our drinks at Traverse City Whiskey Co, our eyes meeting often and feeling a sense of curiosity and connection to this sweet human. I wasn't completely sure he felt the same until a goodnight kiss on Woodward Ave and a text asking me out again the next day, leading to many more conversations and times together that have shown me how caring, fun, and empathic you are.

Matt's Story: "I need to breathe but I am not alive. I can be young or old but I can never die." If you know the answer to this riddle, you might enjoy one of our game nights---or have been witness to my heart-felt sweaty-palmed proposal to Karen Elaine Liska on April 10, 2021. The night started with yellow daisies (although not quite a thousand of them!), followed by a meal of tarragon chicken (our first pandemic-era cooking-class-at-home recipe), and then a scavenger hunt with five challenging riddles and "fun facts". Ryan and Olivia were instrumental in making sure everything went smoothly, including "finding" the first clue and hiding the last one when Karen's back was turned. The evening was capped at the campfire pit with the words "Will You Marry Me" written in diamond art, me down on one knee, and a beaming smile I will never forget as she said "Yes!" Karen's Story: We talked about getting engaged and building a future together, but not about a specific "when" for that step. Once the kids were in the loop, however, I was very much aware that something was happening soon! They spilled several beans at several points, but the elements of Matthew's proposal were still very much a surprise, and no amount of knowing in advance could quell the butterflies when I knew what was happening. I still couldn't tell you exactly what words Matt said as he asked, on one knee in our backyard, but I know they were perfect. I will never forget Olivia jumping up and down saying, "just say yes!" and Ryan taking her out to the front yard to play after I did say yes so that Matt and I could have a moment to hug and celebrate this next step. Having Ryan and Olivia there for that important moment was a big deal for me, because this is all part of their journey, too. I smile every time I look at my ring (or the impressive piece of diamond art!) and recall the love, connection, and joy upon which we are writing our next chapter together.