We were both working at the Hilton Minneapolis in 2016 and I spent a lot of time "wandering" the kitchen looking for fruit as a cover to try and find an excuse to talk to Mike. One day I messaged him on Facebook that I was eating the gumbo and asked if it was okra or jalepenos in the recipe. His smart mouth responded "Okra - thanks, but it's not my recipe it's another cooks". At this point I realized he was hopeless and I would need to be the one to make a move, so I told him I would be at Khao Hom Thai on December 22nd for lunch and I would see him there for a date. Figured if I didn't give him a yes/no option then he would have to say yes. He did! We have been together ever since, adopted our dog Reggie in September 2019, purchased our first home in August 2020 and got engaged on July 11, 2021.

He proposed on July 11th after suprising me with a pergula he built in our backyard, cooking me a surf and turf dinner and dancing under our new patio lights.