Kevin and Maddie met for the first time at the Nitty Gritty™ - a Madison bar infamous for free beer on your birthday and a nightly power hour where drinks are half price. Kevin had come from the nearby Kohl Center from the Badger men's basketball game versus Iowa. The Badgers had won and Kevin was high on Jäger bombs and the fact that our star player, Bronson Koenig, was sitting in a booth 20 feet away from him. Maddie was at the Nitty for a friend's birthday. She was wearing a flannel and still had her invisalign retainers in - thank god Kevin was very much taking part in the power hour and didn't notice. He confidently came up to Maddie and she immediately shot him down. Minutes later she found out that Kevin was her roommate Rob's Organic Chemistry lab partner and per Rob, Kevin was very smart. That changed Maddie's mind and when Kevin came back for another try, she ended up giving him her number. They texted for a few weeks and then on January 29th, 2015, Kevin invited Maddie to go ice skating at the Edgewater Hotel's small ice rink. Maddie proposed going to dinner beforehand at Nattspil. They chatted about life over three-cup chicken and survived the ice rink. They spent the night going to bars and ended up at the KK (Kollege Klub) at the end of the night. Even though they went there approximately twice during college, this is where they had their first kiss - in a corner booth, amongst the frat stars, jersey chasers, and a floor covered in vodka Red Bull and lost dreams. They continued to date and live in Madison through Kevin's senior year, Maddie's super senior year, and Kevin's year-long Master's program. In 2017, they moved to Minneapolis together. Kevin began to work at Minnetronix and Maddie attempted to start her Masters in Public Health and UMN. The next few years were filled with a lot of highs, but also some very big lows as Maddie struggled with her health, being evaluated for a double lung transplant two months after moving to MN. During those years, Kevin was often found squished next to Maddie in a hospital bed watching Badger games, TV shows, and movies. Maddie continued to chip away at the MPH and work for Team Diarrhea at the Minnesota Department of Health when able. Finally in 2020, during the height of the pandemic, Maddie received her double lung transplant. Kevin visited her through the window and sacrificed his privacy for 3 months, moving in with his parents while Maddie's mom took over their apartment as she was the only one allowed in the hospital due to COVID. After about a year of dealing with complications and waking Kevin up in the middle of the night due to pain, Maddie was finally feeeling back to normal, or rather better than normal, thanks to Kevin's constant support. She finished grad school and Kevin and Maddie got back to playing tennis together and going on hikes. They we finally able to travel and went to London to celebrate Maddie's transplant and graduation. Eventually, Maddie got a job offer as an epidemiologist in San Diego, CA. Kevin got a new job at Medtronic at the same time, so he was not able to move with her right away. In 2023, after 6 months of living apart (and 4 visits to see each other), Kevin joined Maddie out West. They now love to go surfing, eat tacos, take their dog Nino on extensive walks in the middle of December, and play beach volleyball together. In January of 2024, Kevin asked Maddie to go on a family walk with Nino to the park across the street which borders Mission Bay. Kevin asked Maddie to marry him there on a hill with Nino licking their faces and no one else around (per Maddie's request). Of course she said YES. We are excited to celebrate a decade of love with our friends and family this summer. You all are a part of our story and considered beloved family and friends to both of us. Thank you for joining us if you are able, we can't wait to see you all! Love, Kevin and Maddie