WHERE WE MET

We met and became great friends during our Freshman year at Lake Zurich High School in 2005. We stayed close friends throughout high school and college. Alex attended Illinois State University and Rick attended Augustana College. Both of us were aspiring educators and coaches, which led us both back to LZHS. Alex started coaching softball and Rick started coaching football and baseball for the Bears - and then it all started.

OUR FIRST DATE

Our first date was May 13th, 2017 at Alex's apartment in Chicago. We walked down the street to the store to pick out our favorite candy and a movie from the Redbox. The movie was Patriot's Day and is still one of our all time favorite movies.

OUR JOURNEY

Our journey together could be perfectly summed up by our love of adventure. Our appreciation and love for nature and traveling together showed us very quickly that we were a perfect match. Our first trip together was a two week road trip across the Midwest. We drove all over South Dakota - through the Black Hills, over to Mount Rushmore and plenty of hikes in Badlands National Park. We then drove south and spent a few days in Colorado with our friends for the 4th of July week.

Our next trip was driven by our love of history. We spent a week exploring Boston, Massachusetts. We made sure to catch a game at legendary Fenway Park and we enjoyed it so much that we instantly bought tickets to another game later in the week. We hit every stop on the Freedom Trail - the Old North Church, Paul Revere's House, Boston Commons, Bunker Hill/USS Constitution, Old City Hall (Site of the infamous Boston Massacre), the Boston Tea Party Ship, and many more! We also discovered that we were the only people in Boston and did NOT like the famous Canoli's. We also fell in love with the Ghost and Graveyards bus tour, visiting all the cemeteries around Boston and listening to the tales of the past.

The following summer, we decided to take on a new adventure - moving in together. This major transition in our lives could not have gone smoother. Suddenly, Rick's laundry was not being done by his mother and Alex has never watched so many sporting events in her life. Everybody wins!

Shortly after we moved in together, we both had independent vacations with some close friends. First, Alex went to Punta Cana with her friend and Bridesmaid Jess Rogers in celebration of earning their Master's Degrees. They spent a relaxing week on the beach, while also taking time to go Zip Lining and Snorkeling. Two weeks after Alex's trip, Rick joined two of his Groomsmen, Jim Sandberg and John Crook, for hiking trip in Switzerland. Team Swiss went all over Switzerland, experiencing some of the major cities and most of the Swiss Alps. On the way back home, they were also able to spend a day in London and two days exploring Iceland.

Finally reunited, and it was time to plan another trip! This time: MAINE. A Lord Family Wedding was on deck and we went up a week early to get a jump start on the celebration - and to appease Alex's appetite for Lobster! We spent some time in the cities of Portland and Bar Harbor, but we were fixated on Acadia National Park. We spent a couple days driving through the park, while getting out for hiking, biking, and swimming! It was the perfect way to start the week before heading to Rangeley for Michael and Sarah's wedding!

2019 Adventures:

Nashville for New Year's with one of Rick's Best Men

New Orleans for a close friend's wedding

Glacier, Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Park

4th of July in Littleton, Colorado

Delavan, Wisconsin for our Wedding

African Safari Honeymoon