Technically, our story started back in April 2021 when Cai began serving at youth group. We joked around, covered for each other when things got hectic, and… that was about it. Miller thought Cai was a total smoke show; Cai thought Miller was, um, a little young. Classic meet-cute energy with no plot… yet.


Fast-forward to summer camp 2024. At the first leaders’ meeting we played Uno to kill time, and something shifted. A simple card game turned into real sparks. One night we snuck away for a ride in the side-by-side, and from then on we both kept thinking, Wait… is this something more?


After camp, life went quiet until a friend’s wedding (basically a double date with Jake and Becky). We sat together the whole night, grabbed cookies after, and shared our very first hug. Subtle, but major.


From there, Miller started replying to Cai’s Instagram stories like it was his part-time job. Turns out Cai’s friends (and sisters) were already shipping us. At youth group we’d find moments to talk, and most Thursdays ended with long conversations in the car that stretched for hours.


Then came Black Friday 2024. Hanging with Jake and Becky, we made plans for our annual Duluth run. Quick stop at Indaba on Monroe… where we learned Cai had never actually been to Duluth. Challenge accepted. The next Monday, Miller picked Cai up from school and we hit Cabela’s, Duluth, Red Robin, and Sephora. Looking back, that was our first date, even if one of us insisted it was “just hanging out.”


December became a string of dates and deep talks while we figured out our rhythm. On New Year’s Eve, we celebrated downtown with a friend, went to a movie, played card games, grabbed drinks, and, sitting in the car at the end of the night, shared our first kiss and made it official.


From the moment we started dating, we knew what was upon us. We’d found each other. Marriage wasn’t a maybe, it was just a matter of when. We talked about it constantly, picturing what our future would look like together. By August, we finally decided to start designing a ring.


We spent the next couple of months crafting it together, carefully piecing it into something that felt like us. Once it was finished, Miller picked it up and instantly became more eager than ever to propose.


One day, while hanging out at Miller’s house, we decided to “test” the fit. Cai closed her eyes while Miller slipped the ring on, perfect fit. He was this close to just leaving it there for good.


Then Cai, joking around, said they should settle it with a game of rock-paper-scissors. Miller took that way too seriously… and lost. By the sacred playground rules of elementary school, that meant the proposal had to happen immediately. So it did. Right there on a Sunday afternoon, laughter, nerves, and all. We were betrothed and over the moon.


The rest is history. And the best part? We’re only getting started.