Shared Roots Our love story began in the charming town of Union Grove, Wisconsin, where we both grew up. By coincidence, Matthew had grown up right next door to the house Isabelle called home as a child. We never met as kids though, because both our families moved out of those houses at a young age. We both attended Union Grove High School, but with Matthew being four years older than Isabelle, we never crossed paths. Finally Connecting Somehow, we both ended up with jobs at SC Johnson. We had seen each other in passing here and there but it wasn’t until a Company Christmas party that we finally met. The connection was immediate. We quickly bonded over pudding shots, our shared love of bad dance moves and have been inseparable ever since. Building a Life Together in Union Grove We began our life together at our first home in Union Grove, where we shared lots of wonderful memories, including adopting our dog, the 'world's best girl', Lena. We spent a lot of our time together outdoors; hiking, running, and camping, truly envisioning a life together. We've been to multiple state parks, embarking on road trips to support Matthew in his biking and running adventures across different states, discovering the charm of small towns along the way, and always making sure to stop at a coffee shop for Isabelle. Remodeling Isabelle's Childhood Home After years of happy memories in our first home, we decided to take on a new adventure – purchasing & remodeling Isabelle's childhood home. After 20 years of renters, it needed a LOT of work. We spent a year transforming the space into a home, infusing it with our personal style and creating a beautiful new chapter in our lives. The Proposal in St. John For years we had been wanting to travel to St. John but like many, we always found a reason to put it off another year. We decided what better way to celebrate our first Christmas in our new home? We finally embarked on a trip to the stunning island of St. John, where we could finally relax after a lengthy remodel and bond over our shared love for hiking and adventure. It was at the top of Ram Head Peak that Matthew proposed, "Isabelle, will you marry me?" After lots of tears of joy, Isabelle said yes, and we spent the rest of the week celebrating this next chapter of our love story.