Just like the photo above...we hope our story brings lots of laughs. We sure have had many these last five years.

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It was September of 2019. The start of what would be some of the most stressful years of our lives: Physical Therapy school at the University of Mary in Bismarck, ND. Spencer had just finished undergrad at UMary, while Haley had graduated from Coe College in Cedar Rapids, IA.

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During the first day of class, Haley notices two guys sitting behind her and her roommate (shout-out to Tayler!). Spencer just so happened to be one of those guys.

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One day, Haley decided to strike up a conversation with Spencer during Anatomy lab. "Hey there, want to work on this section together?" Spencer wasn't having the best day after some rough tests (understandable, because those tests were horrible xD), and Spencer sort of "shrugged off" Haley's question, declined the invite, and decided to leave for the day. Upon getting into his pick-up with his roommates, they all tell Spencer to stop before leaving the parking lot. "Do you realize that cute girl was trying to talk to you? What were you thinking?" Spencer, now feeling bad about the situation, promised to make it up to Haley at their PT class Halloween party the following night. And the rest is history...well, sort-of.

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Spencer and Haley would go on to become very close friends, study partners, gym buddies, etc. While Haley did not know it at the time, Spencer was hooked since that Halloween party. However, Haley was stubborn (still is, no need to deny it at this point) and turned Spencer down on multiple occasions when he asked her to be his girlfriend. After many failed attempts, Spencer never gave up. Through patience and prayer, Haley and Spencer would soon realize that they were TOTALLY into each other, and decided to begin dating on April 23, 2021.

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Fast forward to the Summer of 2022; PT school had ended and they would soon begin their lives as licensed Physical Therapists. A fun trip to the Black Hills with Will and Saryn (pretty much Haley's other half) resulted in a "somewhat" surprise proposal.

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This is the time where life truly hits you with moments you didn't expect would happen. Due to personal struggles and differences, the engagement was called off, and Haley and Spencer would decide to part ways. You'd think the story would have ended there, but trust me, it gets better. Keep reading.

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Over the next year and a half, Spencer and Haley would go about their lives separately. While both continued to support and care for one another, there were no signs of a reunion any time soon. Life seemed to go on.

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During these moments, Haley noticed a growing change in her faith. Coming from a Methodist family, Haley was originally introduced to the Catholic Church through Spencer and his family during their relationship. Although Spencer and Haley decided to separate, Haley continued to go to Mass, and ultimately decided to join the Catholic Church during Easter 2024 and would soon begin RCIA (nine years after her dad, Jeff, converted to the faith).

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Just like Spencer prayed all those months, Haley now began to do the same. During those months of preparation, Haley's faith blossomed. Her love for God had grown immensely, and her eyes were set on her confirmation date: March 30, 2024. This became Haley's main focus, and then a familiar someone would reach out to her one day. A few weeks later, Spencer would attend Easter Vigil Mass that night; the night Haley would become Catholic. The next day, he would ask her to be his girlfriend...again.

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Fast forward to August 13, 2024; a regular night of fishing turned into a surprise proposal (glad that happened because I wasn't catching anything good xD). If you want the full story; ask Justin Downes.

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And the rest is history...for real this time.

This story demonstrates how crazy life can be. But furthermore; how amazing God works throughout our lives. The ups and downs. The lessons learned. The memories made. Everything plays out exactly as it was meant to happen. When you feel like giving up, remember that God has something great in store for you. And for us, that is each other.

We cannot wait to celebrate with you all in October 2025!

-The Future Schaefbauers <3