Samora and McKenzee met in high school, back in 2011, when they were both sophomores. We were both taking Integrated Lab Sciences (ILS) and throughout the year, became acquaintances. In 2012, ILS studies began to focus on Geology and McKenzee & Samora were paired up as lab partners. We became friends as while working together throughout this class. Around the middle of the semester, there was an extra credit opportunity posted, requiring us to visit a rock museum and fill out a scavenger hunt questionnaire. As we made our way through the museum, we got to the petrified wood exhibit. The question was: what was petrified wood originally? McKenzee knew the answer and Samora thought he knew the answer (as it always has been and will be) and so we made a bet. Whoever lost, had to buy the winner a geode from the gift shop. McKenzee won, and the geode unfortunately had nothing in it this time, but that's how our relationship started, with a little bit of flirting, competition, and some rocks.

Samora told McKenzee that he had a surprise date planned that was part of her Christmas present. After continuously trying to get him to tell her what the present was, the day finally came and Samora and McKenzee ended up in front of the rock museum. They walked around the museum, remembering the time that they had been there a couple of years ago. But this time Samora had, in his pocket, a geode ring case with the wedding ring inside. McKenzee did not know this though. So when they got in front of the petrified wood display another bet was made. This time Samora knew the answer but he intentionally got it wrong, so that he would have to buy her another geode. They left the museum and went for a walk in a near buy nature preserve, because it was a beautiful 50 degree winter day in Chicago. At the nature preserve Samora PROPOSED, that they try and open the geode. So they looked around for a rock that would be big enough to crack it open and went out onto a dock in the center of a pond. Once there, Samora confessed that he had already pre-purchased the geode and got down on knee and actually proposed. McKenzee said Yes!

McKenzee started a new Industrial Engineering position that brought her from Minnesota to Illinois in February, 2020. Then in late March, Samora was released early from his clinicals as Covid-19 was declared a pandemic. He moved back to Illinois from New Hampshire and this officially closed the long-distance gap that they balanced for 7 years. But as the pandemic worsened, all future wedding plans, or any plans for that matter, were looking unclear. McKenzee and Samora didn’t want to wait any longer to finally start their lives together, so they decided to get married! As schools, businesses, and government buildings were closing quickly around the Chicagoland area, they found one County Clerk’s office that was still open to get a marriage license. The next week, they got married in the Fabyan Forest Preserve, in Kane County. McKenzee’s mom and dad were able to attend and held up their phones so her brother, Ben, and Grandma Zee could also be there virtually. Samora’s aunt Susan did the same for his dad, Prexy, while Samora’s mom led the ceremony! We never anticipated having to balance so much disappointment and grief during this decision-making process to postpone then move forward with our wedding. But, it’s accompanied by so much joy, as we are incredibly excited to celebrate with our friends and family, no matter if it’s physically or virtually. So… thank you for celebrating with us!