love is patient, love is kind.

The cast list for Hamilton High School’s “Little Women” gets posted with Ellie as Jo and Nate as Laurie in the musical. Avery Phillipi predicts that they will date… he is right.

After over a month of daily musical rehearsals, Nate asks Ellie to be his date to the Snowcoming dance. By the end of the night, he has officially asked her to be “his girl” and she has happily accepted.

The last “normal” day of school before Covid took over the world, 2 weeks before show week! The musical, sports, prom, graduation, everything cancelled. Date nights turned into delivering brownies as an excuse to see each other, and the Saugatuck Dunes/fast food became their go-to as nowhere was open. Parents arranged a summer prom at Diamond Springs as we all got sick of being isolated.

As a graduation gift, they got the chance to travel out west, visiting Glacier, North Cascades, and Mount Rainier. The trip revealed their mutual love of national parks and inspired their goal of visiting them all.

For Ellie’s 20th birthday, Nate booked a photoshoot at the Saugatuck Dunes, where he got down on one knee and asked her to marry him. She said yes!