As is true in many ways, Kate's job provides opportunities to meet new people on a regular basis. During fair week, August 11, 2018, Kate asked for some help cleaning up manure in the show arena in between livestock sales. She asked someone for a pitch fork, and that someone happened to be Dan. Identifying him as the father of a cute little boy who got in a funny little pinch earlier in the week, Kate took the quick opportunity to tell him what his son had done. [[Garrett T. Wells, age 8, while helping with pig pen assignments the week before, had zip tied another little girl to a fence (on accident) and was frantically but politely asking for wire cutters to let the girl go... it was as funny as it sounds]] Kate, exhausted from a long week at fair, remembers the conversation very briefly but did mention it to her best friends the Stumps. Dan, the eternal elephant, remembers much more. He claims the conversation went on for almost 10 minutes. He shares that he had asked about how the week had gone and that Kate had some quick reply about putting out little fires and that if you're not careful though, little fires can burn your house down. [[Fast forward two months]] While participating in the 4-H Halloween Campout, Dan walked around with Garrett as he participated in trick-or-treating. He was busted oogling Kate who was scarfing a bowl of chili in a line of lawnchairs with her camp best buds passing out candy. He messaged her about "little fires" a few hour later and she was confused and he had to explain the whole conversation from months before. From there, with endless patience on Dan's part and piles of courage from both, the two learned to love again.

The Wells men are avid Angus cattle enthusiasts. Together, Ray (Dan's dad), Dan, and Garrett own a herd of about 70 Angus cows. They believe in fall calving and therefore Sept. and Oct. means stumbling, spunky bundles traipsing all over Dan's farm. Kate had a rare night off, went to the grocery, and got home in time for Dan to swing by on the side-by-side and ask Kate if she wanted to go watch baby cows for a little bit before his brother's family was coming to check out a heifer Dan had recently acquired. Kate had said, "Sure, let me change my clothes." Pulling on purple boots and an old orange Ohio Northern University sweatshirt, Kate headed for the barn. The three loaded up in the side-by-side for a normal night with G in the back and Dan and Kate up front and headed to move cows to fresh grass. The boys start calling the cows and they came running. Arriving at the new grass, Dan & G had gotten out. Dan handed G his phone and then grabbed something out of a Folger's coffee container. Kate had assumed, "duh, fence tester." Dan spread some grain out for the momma's and turned around to Kate and said "aren't you going to come see the babies?" Kate got off the side-by-side and walked to Dan {thinking, dude, I'm surrounded by them anyways...). Next thing she knows, Dan pops open a green velvet ring box and stares at Kate. Stares. For what felt like a minute but was probably more like 10 seconds. Finally, he says, "Will you marry me or do I need to get on one knee?" And Kate replied, "Yes!" And Dan replied "to which?" And Kate replied, "Both!" Laughter and hugs and the fabulous photographer G, who had been anticipating this surprise and keeping the secret for two weeks, joined in the celebrations with a sweeping spinning hug from Kate. Dan had asked G how they should do it and they had gone with G's plan. No make up, purple boots, orange college hoodie, blue skies, green grass, and black cows. It was a perfect extra-ordinary night.

[[Dan picks Garrett up from school and G immediately and excitedly says "Are we still doing it tonight?"-- he had kept it a secret for two weeks... later claiming that he had only told his two best friends, Sawyer and Isaac]] [[On the way to propose, Dan leans over and tells Kate a quick G story that is too classic to leave out: Dan had purchased a short horn crossbred heifer at a sale. G was smitten. He had learned to "call cows" at a young age from his dad (hello, idol) and had just earlier asked his dad "I know what we use to call Angus cows, but what do we use to call short horns?" Dan had asked, "What do you mean?" And G had explained, "Ya know, we yell sssssssskkkkkkowwwww, come on, sssskkkkkow! to call Angus cows, what do we say to call short horns?" Dan, struggling not to grin, had said "same thing bud, they are all cows."]] [[Moments after Dan proposed, Garrett ran over and joined us in celebrating. Kate asked him, "Are you sure you're ok with this? You're part of this deal too!" G replied, "we've talked about this like 20 times, Kate, yes, I'm good!"]] [[We facetimed close family members and friends to tell them the story. G was stuck like glue to my side, excited retelling the play-by-play to everyone. When looking back, everyone who facetimed in those hours after comments on how excited Garrett was and how happy he looked. Nine years old, bright, silly, mature, toothless, and sweet.]]