We met in elementary school, sometime between 2nd grade and 4th grade. In 4th grade we were in the same class. In 5th grade Gino would ride his bike over to my house. We didn't start dating until meeting again after college when a mutual friend's band was playing a show downtown St Paul. Gino messaged me after the show and told me to meet him at a bar. I couldn't go but we exchanged numbers and hung out soon after that.

When I was 16 weeks pregnant we took a trip to Lutsen over Labor Day weekend. On Saturday we went to Grand Marais and ate donuts, shopped and walked along the rocks. We climbed to a particularly scenic point and asked another couple to take our photo. When we sat down Gino pulled out a ring and asked me to marry him. He bought the ring at one of the stores in town while I was in the bathroom. It cost $4 and it's rhinestones in a heart shape. (My real engagement ring that we bought weeks before was being sized so i wasn't expecting a proposal yet).