Corinne here, to tell you all about Kellen and I, or at least how I remember it!!

In 2019, I transferred to Simpson (Roll Storm!), and decided to run track! Fortunately for me, I made quite a few friends along the way, and got roped into being mutual friends with Kellen. I was not opposed to the situation, since we were around each other basically every day at weights, practice, meets, and so forth. I obviously developed a little crush on him and let him know, like the responsible girl I am! Come to find out, he was not interested in me like that. I agreed to be friends, even though it was difficult, and asked him again a few months later. About a year down the road, we decided to give it a shot, and within a week we were dating. Kellen will tell you I was a little obnoxious, but I will say I was persistent!

We found we had so much in common and really thrived off of one another. Kellen and I are polar opposites in many things—such as style, he's an introvert, I'm an extrovert, he likes to budget, I like a sweet treat. We just really level one another out.

About a month after we started dating, COVID had different plans for us. We were sent home over spring break and that started our long distance relationship. We survived our senior COVID year and made it to graduation. We graduated together (me a tad bit early) in August of 2021, but walked the stage in May. Getting to graduate together was such a blessing knowing that the distance wouldn't be as great as before.

I ended up buying a house in Omaha that same fall, which is very on brand for me, given that I jump headfirst into everything. Kellen started working in Sioux City, so we ended up moving closer together. Kellen moved in with me a year later and now we work on house projects that really push us to our wits end. We also decided 2 pets wasn't enough, so we got another dog. Dexter, Clarabelle, and Pip, our cat, keep us on our toes!

Kellen proposed to me in Sedona, AZ on a trail head where we had stopped to look over the valley. I had originally asked for it to be just us, so it didn't pressure Kellen to arrange this big ordeal—I just wanted it to feel like us. He pulled out the ring that I get to wear forever and asked me to marry him. He still says to this day that I never said yes, I just cried a lot!!

We'll have been in our home for 4.5 years, 3.5 living together come our wedding day. And been dating one another for 6 years and some more months.

Kellen is the biggest and best support in all my endeavors. Running my own business means tricky hours and many highs and lows. He's stuck by my side through it all, and I wish I could tell 19 year old Corinne that we get to marry the cute boy on the track team!!

Kellen's turn!!

Corinne and I met at Simpson College. Our first date was a high school track meet where we were assigned to pick up garbage on the field, if you call that a date. From there we were friends for a year, running track, hanging out, enjoying life. Slowly, we became closer than friends. Eventually, come February 2020, we went on our first date at Thai Flavors. A few days later at the local Mexican restaurant, where we visited for Valentine's Day with a majority of our teammates, I paid for Corinne's meal and made things real awkward for her at the table. I asked her to officially be my girlfriend on February 16th.

About a month after we made it official, COVID happened. We made frequent trips back and forth, me to Pleasantville and Corinne to Sioux City, and our relationship continued to thrive. It then came time for us to go back to Simpson. During our senior year we spent as much time as we could together, studied, and prepared to graduate.

After graduation, we both moved back home and continued our long distance relationship, while working, continuing to visit one another as much as possible over the summer. I was working the graveyard shift and Corinne was doing photography things, and picking up shifts at the local bar and grill. Corinne bought the house we live in now that fall of 2021, to start her full time job in Omaha. I continued working in Sioux City and after a year, we decided to move in together, and made the house our home.

After almost 5 years together, I decided it was time to finally propose. We went on our first solo trip to Arizona to celebrate our friends' wedding (yay Al & Sam!). On our hike in Sedona, AZ, all alone on a mountain, looking over the valley, I pulled the ring out of my pocket that I had been hiding all trip, and asked her to marry me. From there, we enjoyed about a month and a half of our engaged lives, not rushing into wedding planning.

That brings us to now, when you are reading these stories. We made it, the girl of my dreams.