Makenna and Patrick met in the Fall of 2022 in Colorado Springs. Makenna moved from Anchorage, which is where she grew up, to Colorado Springs in the Summer of 2022 to start a new job as a NICU Nurse at Colorado Children’s Hospital. Patrick is from Denver, Colorado and he moved to Colorado Springs for University and stayed after finding a job in town. Makenna and Patrick began dating in February 2023, finding a shared passion for endurance activities and personal finance. In the Summer of 2023 Makenna moved back to Anchorage so she could enjoy winter again and be closer to family. Patrick had a brief stint living in Oregon with his mom and her husband. He started a new job while living with them that would allow him to make the move up to Anchorage, he made the big jump in the Fall of 2023 just in time for winter. Makenna showed Patrick all there is to love in Anchorage and Patrick quickly saw why Makenna wanted to move back home. The number of outdoor activities, in particular winter activities, is unparalleled in Alaska. The community of friends and family were also incredibly welcoming and made the transition to living in Alaska as seamless as it could be for Patrick. Makenna and Patrick moved in together on the last day of 2024 in a home Makenna purchased right next to the trails she grew up skiing and running on. They have learned a lot together since moving into the house, not without their fair share of small home improvement projects like hanging bike racks and shelves in the garage for their muddy shoes to yard maintenance and attempting to use a push mower to do so. Patrick proposed to Makenna on February 16th of 2026 on the Turnagain Arm Trail. They were on their way back to Anchorage from a weekend trip in Homer, Alaska that was spent skiing, eating, and watching the winter Olympics. After the proposal the newly engaged couple went up to Makenna's parents’ house for a family dinner where they shared the news and the whole family got surprised by Alex, Makenna's sister, who came up to celebrate with us. Since the proposal, Makenna and Patrick have been busy planning summer adventures in Alaska and the wedding coming up in February of 2027. Thank you for reading our story, we are looking forward to celebrating with each and every one of you.