Katie and Mike met online. Katie was skeptical of online dating so when Mike started messaging her she thought it was pretty safe since he was over an hour away (Katie lived in Eau Claire, Mike lived in Winona). Katie thought it was pretty unlikely that they would every meet in person. However, after many weeks of chatting online Mike asked Katie for her phone number so they could text and call. Katie thought this was still ok and so they started talking on the phone for a few weeks. Eventually Mike asked Katie to go out on a real date! This was a surprise to Katie because she was still thinking they wouldn't meet! But she decided to agree to go golfing in Eau Claire. Katie's mom and sister were quite worried about her meeting someone she had met online but it clearly worked out well.

Katie and Mike continued to take turns going back and forth between Eau Claire and Winona for a few months until Mike accepted a new job in Oklahoma. Katie helped him move there at the end of January which started their two year journey of long distance dating. Shortly after Mike moved Katie got ready to move to Boston for graduate school. Somehow they made it through this time and upon graduation Katie moved to Oklahoma. She was a little unsure of how it would go but they rented a house in rural Oklahoma and moved Katie's dog, Murphy, from Eau Claire to Wynnewood Oklahoma.

Even though Mike and Katie both had long commutes each day, they made the most of the weekends when Mike wasn't hunting. There were many hiking areas near by which is where Mike ended up proposing after he got Katie thoroughly mad at him. They took Murphy to the spot where Murphy seemed to really trust Mike for the first time and Katie was lecturing him on how he didn't care about anything when he got down on one knee and asked her to marry him. Katie started crying and first said you butt! before saying yes. It has continued to be an adventure since than.