It was 2011. Tom and Kristine were both home from college for a friend's get-together. Tom saw Kristine from across the room. They spent the evening getting to know each other and hit it off pretty quickly. Within a few months they were inseparable. They spent days at Lake Geneva and going to family events together by the summer of 2012. Wherever one was, the other wasn't far behind. They had officially become "Tom and Blondie." For the next three years they spent the majority of their free time traveling back and forth to each other's universities and supporting each other as much as possible. Tom went to Northern Illinois University and Kristine went to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Though it was difficult at times, they never gave up on each other. In 2014 Tom moved to Clarkston, MI to pursue a career with General Motors. Kristine followed closely behind in December after graduation to be with Tom in this new state. They went on countless snowboarding trips, camping trips, road trips, concerts, and threw keggers in the house they share. In 2017, the day after Christmas, Tom wanted to visit downtown Chicago for the night. They went to Lawry's for dinner and grabbed some drinks before going to Navy Pier for the ferris wheel, but the ferris wheel was closed. They ended up having to walk from Navy Pier to Millennium Park in below zero weather. Boy did Tom have Kristine fooled. They were near the Christmas tree in Millennium Park when he dropped down on one knee. They had been on so many journeys together and this was just another one to add to the books. It is now 7 years and two dogs later and they are still madly in love. They may be hours away from the place they call home, but Tom and Blondie have stood the test of time. Tom's eyes still sparkle when he looks at Kristine. And Kristine still get excited when Tom says he's on his way home from work.