Their story began a few months after Kinsey packed her bags and left her Midwest roots behind for the promise of the mountains and a slower way of life. Erik, meanwhile, was in the midst of a summer spent on the road, traveling throughout Montana for work as an electrician.

Their first date set the tone for a year full of adventures and good company. Despite the setting sun and old man winter making his first passes on those fall nights, the two walked and talked all the way to the summit of Mt. Ellis, taking pause for a sunset view over Kinsey's new favorite town, Bozeman MT. Erik, fearing the adventurous distance runner might underestimate the rugged Montana environment, came prepared with an extra headlamp, gloves and jacket for his date. Neither expected to make it to the summit that night, but the riveting conversation fueled each passing moment as they discovered all the things they had in common.

Just prior to meeting Kinsey, Erik was dreaming of cold mornings chasing elk and time away from work. That fall, however, Erik found himself pleased making the drive to Bozeman more and more to spend time with Kinsey.

In the following weeks, acts of kindness between the two and similar habits kept bring the two closer together. Kinsey prepared a delicious meals, shared books that she loved and mountains she couldn't wait to explore. They laughed at the identical contents of each others' fridges and made a playlist together that was all too similar and loved by both. Little signs like these kept appearing, showing that this connection was something special.

A month later, after Kinsey returned from a trip to Denver and was planning to visit Rocky Mountain National Park, Erik suggested skipping his opening season hunting plans to meet her in Cody, Wyoming. Kinsey hesitated to cancel her original plans but ultimately decided to head back early to explore a new area with him. Together, they hiked to remote hot springs, traversed snow-capped mountains, and even came across fresh bear tracks.

The adventures didn’t stop there. Erik joined Kinsey for a trip to Wisconsin for Thanksgiving, where he met her family and saw where she grew up. Kinsey also spent time with Erik’s family in Billings, and the two began attending football games, meeting friends, and building memories together. Despite the challenge of living in separate cities—Kinsey in Bozeman and Erik in Billings—they made the most of their time together.

After a year of adventures and travels, Erik proposed to Kinsey during a backpacking trip in the Crazy Mountains. They hiked to a lake, explored waterfalls, and wandered among alpine lakes. That evening, as they set up for a picture by the water, Erik hit the record button instead, got down on one knee, and asked Kinsey to marry him. She enthusiastically said yes, and the next day, they hiked out of the mountains to celebrate and share the news with friends and family.

We couldn’t be more excited to come together and celebrate with all of our loved ones on July 5!