Some stories start with a grand gesture, others with an app — ours started with a group of teenagers, too many late nights, and a whole lot of laughter.

We met when I was 16, a junior in high school, and Nick had just graduated. We ran with the same circle of friends, spending countless nights hanging out, talking about everything and nothing, and building the kind of easy friendship that quietly leaves its mark. Even then, he made me laugh more than anyone else. (According to Nick, he still does. According to me… he’s not wrong.)

Life, as it tends to do, eventually pulled us in different directions. We grew up, entered other relationships, moved to new places — but our friendship never disappeared. It simply waited.

Fast-forward to late 2018. Out of nowhere, a Facebook message turned into a full conversation… which turned into daily conversations… which turned into the kind of connection that felt strangely familiar and completely new at the same time. Everything about it was natural. Effortless. Like we were simply picking up a story we’d paused years earlier.

I was living in Minneapolis then; Nick was still in Sioux City. Five hours apart, but it didn’t matter — we made the trek, and by about the second trip, it was obvious where this was headed. The foundation we built as teenagers came back to life, this time deeper, sweeter, and a lot more romantic.

We spent nearly two and a half years in a long-distance relationship, making those five hours between us work through laughter, late-night phone calls, and a lot of highway miles. When I was offered a traveling role at work, we decided it was finally time to close the distance. I moved back to Sioux City, and we started building our life together.

That life, of course, includes Timmy — who was just a kid when I reentered Nick’s world and is now a senior in high school. Being part of his life has been one of the greatest joys of mine.

At the heart of our relationship is deep respect, independence, and unwavering support. I travel a lot for work, and Nick is my anchor — the one who keeps our home running and my spirits high, always with a joke ready at exactly the right moment. We are partners in every sense: two individuals who stand strong on our own, and even stronger together.

And of course, we laugh. Every. Single. Day.

In February 2025, we took our very first trip to Walt Disney World — adults experiencing Disney magic with full childlike enthusiasm. On that perfect, sparkling day, surrounded by castles, fireworks, and everything whimsical, Nick got down on one knee. It was magical in the truest sense, the kind of moment that felt like the happiest plot twist in a story that had been weaving itself together for years.

And now, here we are — ready to start the next chapter of a love story that technically began back in high school… but has aged remarkably well.

We can’t wait to celebrate with you. 💛