Our First Date - We met each other in person for the first time on October 1st, 2022 at Jefe's Urban Café in Minneapolis. We clicked pretty quickly and soon the anticipated two hour and some change dinner date quickly turned to six. We kept walking in circles around the block talking about grandparents, career paths, and of course, Tony the spaghetti eating cat. We ended up walking a total of eight miles and my heel-wearing feet ended up being unusable for the next three days. Despite the silver dollar sized blisters, we both agreed we needed a second date.

A Picnic with a Basket Thief - On October 24th, 2022, Matt asked me (what my mom lovingly refers to as) to go "steady." Our first stop, our favorite store, was Target. We hit up the sandwich and snack section, getting everything we needed for lunch in the park. Matt took "everything" a little too seriously and ended up taking the Target basket with him - something I won't soon let him forget (see the Photos tab for evidence). After an hour of eating dressing-less salads and Goldfish crackers, Matt popped the question. No, not that one - that happens later. Obviously, I said yes, and we've been together since & the basket was returned to it's home safely.

Same Place, Different Shoes - We hit our one year milestone on October 24th, 2023, and celebrated by going back to Jefe's in our same outfits. Matt's hair was now a little longer, I changed my heels to sneakers, and the initial conversation was less awkward, but the happy feelings and excitement all stayed the same.

Multnomah Falls & The Bumblebee - On the warm and sunny day of July 26th, 2024, we took a long, very long, hike to the top of the Multnomah Waterfall in Oregon. Although less mileage than our first date, this walk was all uphill. Matt kept saying how it would all be worth it at the top, and I'm glad I believed him. After several water breaks and moments of rest, we finally reached the top of the Falls. We secured a private area across the creek which took extra effort to get to - Matt fell in a few times trying to help me across the spaced apart rocks. It's cute that we're both clumsy, right? After digging in his backpack for the special object, he inevitably pulls out a different kind of rock - a diamond one. He kept it short and sweet and clearly, I said yes. Moments after, while Matt was ringing out his wet socks, a little bumblebee landed on my thumb. Given we met on bumble, I see this as a little "you're welcome" sign. We hiked back down the mountain, ate some lunch, got stranded, and had to pay $145 for a cab - but that's a story for another time.

We couldn't be more excited for this next chapter!