Our story, like many these days, begins with an App. Alas, we met on Bumble! We both had very specific requirements on our "wish list" so the net we were casting was a bit small, including the distance we were willing to go to meet anyone.

It just happened that one day, the stars aligned and we were close enough that we each popped up on the App for the other.

Too good to be true, Amy asked, "What's not to like!"

The day we met, however, Amy threw out a random invite, "I'm going to Karaoke tonight. Wanna come?" Gerhardt answered, "Where and when?" This question then sat for hours while Amy was working and Gerhardt began stressing about what to wear, what time, etc. Amy, not so much.

Finally, several hours later, Amy responded with the details.

Secretly she was making sure that her amazing friend Joanne was going to come to Karaoke as well just in case Gerhardt turned out to be a dud or serial killer!

When she walked in, their eyes met. Gerhardt had been wondering if he had been cat-fished as well but to his surprise, Amy was the Amy of her profile.

After a couple drinks (whiskey, of course) and a couple songs, Gerhardt got up and sang a song. That was it! Sold! Joanne gave the thumbs up! Amy's heart melted at this go-get 'em, try anything, live life guy! Within a few more hours we knew. We just knew!

We spent the next 17 months singing our hearts out at various karaoke venues, testing our knowledge during trivia nights, and vacationing (including Gerhardt's first cruise!)

Mostly, however, we spent time with each other and our families, developing bonds and creating new family traditions.

On Thursday, December 15th, we were going to karaoke for a couple hours. A few days prior, Amy had invited Joanne to come out and "bring the girls too because Ashley is home from school and is going to come out!" Also, during a dinner with Charlie, Amy invited him to come out to Karaoke since he had never been. Completely unaware of what was about to happen (and having barely changed out of yoga pants and a sweatshirt for the night) Gerhardt got up to sing what he claimed was a "random" song. Nervous for him, Amy moved her chair closer to cheer him on. He was amazing. Amy was impressed. At the end, per usual, Gerhardt announced his love for Amy, to which Amy (ever mindful of the line of people waiting to sing) sent him the "wrap it up" signal. Just then, Gerhardt knelt down to one knee and out popped a glowing box with a ring inside. The ring slipped on even before Amy could voice the "YES!" Thanks to Rick, our amazing friend and VJ, the Yes is actually recorded! The whole night (which seemed like a Thursday like countless others) had been set-up. Our first date became the stage for this important night!

Having been in other relationships and understanding where they lost their footing, we dedicate each day to a good morning kiss, a first-thing-when-I-get-home kiss, and a nightly routine that we refer to as "Burts Bees Banter" where we share experiences from the day, good and bad.

As we look back on the struggles and memories we have had in our lives, we can see how the roads we traveled have always been leading us here. We know that God has many more roads for us to travel, but this time we will be traveling them hand-in-hand.