Tyler and Kaitlin's story is best described as random chance turned to love everlasting. It was by chance that at the end of 2024, after years of ups and down for them both, they found themselves moving to Boise, ID. And it was also by chance that they decided to take the opportunity to help open a brand new sporting goods store in Meridian. If that wasn't enough, out of more than 500 employees at the time, Kaitlin was introduced to a team of 6, which just so happened to include (you guessed it...) Tyler! As the weeks went by and they assumed their respective roles, there was a mutual understanding that they couldn't take their eyes off each other. For her, it was his enthusiasm and energy as he heel-clicked his way through the store. For him, it was her smile and laughter which seemed to never fade, and was the highlight of his each and every day. They continued to talk and find each other, not knowing whether the other felt the same, but hoping nonetheless. Not long after, mutual friends of theirs invited Kaitlin and Tyler to go out with them to which they both showed up at the chance the other would be there. The rest, is history!

A few days later, they found each other once again, neither fully knowing whether it was just a great night, or if there was potential for more. Kaitlin, nervous and sleep deprived, took the opportunity to ask Tyler if he, "maybe, kinda, sorta wanted to hang out later" [Code for: "I like you, I hope you like me back, will you date me?"]. Without hesitation, Tyler replied, "Yes" [Code for: "I'm freaking out internally, say yes or you'll never find someone as incredible as her in your life"]. That night, the both of them still very sleep deprived, Tyler drove to pick her up and was met by her two sisters chasing Kaitlin down the road toward his car. They had a mission to scare him off with grueling questions such as, "Will she be home by tonight?" to which he responded, "There's a 50/50 chance I'm a murderer, so maybe!" (In hindsight, not a great first impression...) Eventually, they made their way to a Dutch Bros, followed by a nature walk at sunset at Hyatt Hidden Lakes Reserve, and had a luxurious dinner selection of... Wendy's. Kaitlin didn't fully know he was the one however, until it was time to choose a movie for the evening, and the decision led to a Mamma Mia singalong, which sealed the deal for the both of them.

[Disclaimer: Heading into their Pacific Northwest road-trip, Tyler had been working toward setting up the perfect proposal, but struggled to find the perfect time/place, or even a ring he thought she would love. So, he decided maybe it would have to happen after the trip, giving him more time to plan and prepare] Then came Sunday, August 31st, 2025. The day started better than planned as they ended up with 2 free coffees after the baristas got into a fight with each other. They then swiftly made our way to Seal Rock for some brief tide pooling, where Kaitlin's love of starfish was realized, and Tyler's eternal war against bees was proclaimed (he will never order a lavender-vanilla latte ever again). Even still, it was perfect. They made their way all around the Oregon Coast, stopping by the aquarium so Kaitlin could enjoy the touch tanks. Lunch was a small burger place which became the setting for the biggest pool comeback of all time [the winner will remain anonymous]. This was followed by Kaitlin trying her hand at crabbing, which it turns out she's a natural. And finally they ended their evening at Tyler's most nostalgic seafood restaurant from his childhood, Mo's in Lincoln City, OR. [or so they thought...] As they made their way back to South Beach State Park to set up camp, they decided they would try to catch a sunset at the beach. After a 1/2 mile hike from the campground to the beach, they were surprised to find themselves completely alone, free to enjoy the beautiful Oregon Coast sunset in peace. However, Tyler's mind was racing as he stared at the sand, fully knowing that THIS was the perfect moment he couldn't have planned for, and that THIS would have been the perfect moment to have the ring. Kaitlin asked, "What's on your mind?", seeing how distracted he was. He replied, "You know what's on my mind, but I need 3 things to make it a reality, and 2 of them are phone calls". Though Tyler was still on the fence about what he should do, it only took one look at the amazing woman sat next to him to finally act. Tyler looked over at Kaitlin and said, "I need to make some calls", leaving her completely alone on the beach (romantic right?). He stepped away to call her dad, as he hadn't yet asked for his blessing to marry her. His response? "Welcome to the family". In tears, Tyler then called his sister, who recently also got engaged at the Oregon Coast, and asked her if she would feel that he was undermining/overshadowing their recent engagement. She replied with joy for two of them. [Reminder: Kaitlin has been sitting alone for almost 15 minutes now] At this point, he had lied to Kaitlin, as he remembered there was a crucial phone call he hadn't made yet... his parents. He called his dad, and asked if him and his mom could step outside from the dinner they were at. Once outside, Tyler told them about the situation, the moment, and the two previous phone calls he just made, and that he would be proposing to Kaitlin the moment he hung up the phone. The reply? Screaming and audibly jumping for joy, "YAY! I don't know what made you wait this long in the first place! You've known my vote since day one!" -Tyler's Mom. His dad, equally excited, yet not so audibly jumping up and down, shared the same sentiments. Finally, on the beach, at sunset, completely alone, Tyler went back over to Kaitlin and asked her to stand as he got down on one knee. Crying, he explained the phone calls he made (and that he lied about only making 2...), but continued by saying the final thing he needed which he didn't have was a ring. Regardless, he told her how much he loved her, and spoke the words of a song he had been writing to her since the moment they had met. Eventually, as complete of a blubbery mess as he was, he asked her, "Kaitlin Higbee, will you marry me?"