Well, in God's kind providence, our wedding plans have changed. In mid-March, both Ty and Saraa's cars broke down, impacting the finances planned for a wedding planned for May 25 in MN. Due to this, we started exploring the option of getting married at Saraa's childhood home in Idaho, for simplicity's sake. A date change was part of that conversation. Now we will be married on Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Coeur d'Alene, ID. The Idaho ceremony is for family, but the reception is open to friends. Invitations to follow. The reception will be at the Selkirk Labs building in Hayden, ID... yes, there will be pickleball involved. :) For people in MN, we are still planning a reception in Minnesota on Monday, May 25! Details will be available soon, but please save that date and join us in celebrating our new marriage.

Our Story (So Far) Looking back, our relationship milestones have followed holidays. Season 1: The First Serve We first met at Chips on Halloween weekend in 2024 during open play pickleball. We ended up in the same pod that night. Saraa was feeling a little competitive after several losses in a row (she doesn’t like to lose), so when she saw this tall guy as her partner, she got straight to business. She asked if he knew how to stack and what his strategy for winning was. They made a quick game plan… and it worked. They won 11–1. Saraa thought he was cute, but he was also very quiet and reserved. After the game, conversation picked up with his friend who was showing off a brand-new Selkirk paddle. Saraa kept hoping the tall guy—Ty—would join the conversation, but he mostly observed from a distance. Later that night, curiosity got the best of her. Saraa looked him up on social media to see what she could learn. It wasn’t much. Fast forward several months. A mutual friend happened to be on a mission—finding a tournament partner for Saraa and, if possible, a wife for Ty. She set up what could best be described as a pickleball audition… or maybe a blind date. The meeting was scheduled for Mother’s Day 2025. Saraa showed up focused on playing good pickleball. Ty showed up curious about Saraa—her family, background, goals, and hobbies. After the games finished, they stayed and talked for a long time. By Father’s Day, we were officially dating. Memorial Day brought another milestone when Ty met Saraa’s Minnesota family. Around the Fourth of July, conversations about the future started becoming more serious. Marriage wasn’t just a distant thought anymore—it was something we began imagining together. At one point, we even mapped out a plan: engagement on Labor Day and a wedding the following Halloween. But life doesn’t always follow the plans we make. Instead of an engagement, Halloween brought a breakup. 💔 And that was the end of Season 1. Season 2: The Comeback Even after the breakup, something kept bringing us back to the court. Neither of us wanted to play pickleball with anyone else, so we signed up for a tournament together over Thanksgiving weekend. We absolutely bombed. But strangely, that tournament was exactly what we needed. It gave us space to work through conflict, learn how to communicate honestly, and really listen to each other. During that season of being “broken up,” we made real progress in how we handled challenges and supported one another. Around the same time, new challenges were emerging in both of our jobs. Instead of navigating them alone, we began collaborating and problem-solving together. Even without a relationship label, we were becoming a stronger team. Then Christmas came around… and more tournaments. This time, the results were different. We took 2nd place. While we were both in Arizona over the holidays, Ty spent time with Saraa’s family there. The connection that first brought us together started to feel real again. On New Year’s, we decided to start dating again. On Valentine’s Day, we got engaged.💍 Season 3: Coming Soon Now we’re planning a wedding on Memorial Day. From Halloween to Mother’s Day, from heartbreak to New Year’s, our story has unfolded one holiday at a time—full of unexpected turns, growth, and second chances. Memorial Day will mark the beginning of our next chapter. 🎃 Halloween 2024 — Met at Chips (won 11–1 as partners) 🌸 Mother’s Day 2025 — Pickleball “audition” / blind date 👔 Father’s Day 2025 — Started officially dating 🇺🇸 Memorial Day 2025 — Ty met Saraa’s Minnesota family 🎆 Fourth of July 2025 — First serious marriage conversations 🎃 Halloween 2025 — Breakup 🦃 Thanksgiving 2025 — Tournament together (bombed, but learned a lot) 🎄 Christmas 2025 — Tournament success (2nd place) + Ty with Saraa’s family in AZ 🎉 New Year’s 2026 — Got back together 💘 Valentine’s Day 2026 — Engaged (100 day countdown begins) 🇺🇸 Memorial Day 2026 — Wedding