Dan and I had our first date on a spring evening in March at Houligan's Steak and Seafood in downtown Eau Claire. Dan said he wanted to take me somewhere nice and I (as usual) wanted a steak. The date went well and so we went on another date to see the second Dune movie two nights later (Dan admitted later he hadn't seen the first). We found that we enjoyed spending time together, so when we weren't otherwise employed, that's what we did. So it goes. We adopted Archie in May 2025, right after we got back from our vacation to the Oregon coast. Raising a puppy together, living in a 624 square foot house while both working hybrid jobs, was the relationship stress test that convinced us we were ready to make this official and legally binding. Dan and I picked out our rings together, like we do most things. Then we brought them home to sit in the basement until Dan decided to "officially" ask me to marry him. He didn't wait long and proposed on a trip to Madison over Labor Day weekend in a beautiful, whimsical park surrounded by historic mansions. We are very excited to get married, call each other husband and wife, and officially be besties for life. While we're tying the knot privately in June, we still want to celebrate with our loved ones, so please join us Sunday, July 26th at The Brewing Projekt for an afternoon of conversation, fun, and charcuterie from our favorite date spot (3rd & Vine) at another favorite date spot (The Brewing Projekt). There will also be food trucks outside and great beverages within. And a yet to be determined dessert because we both have a HUGE sweet tooth.