Tyler and I met on a fateful Saturday in September 2021 at a Ryder Cup party. In prep for the infamous Windy to Whiskey 500, Tyler had gone on a long run with his best man, Jack Alexander, and felt more destined for his couch than a party. After some debate, Jack and Tyler decided to swing by the shindig.

*Popcorn Tyler*

Let me take you back to a crisp Fall Saturday in September 2021. The Green Bay Packers started their season 1-1 and were prepping for a Sunday Night Football game against the 49ers. The Ryder Cup was in full swing at Whistling Straights golf course on the shores of Lake Michigan in eastern WI. My beard was trimmed and I was attending a Ryder Cup themed party. Very quickly at the party I gravitated to a cute, witty, and dressed-to-theme Ms. Donahoe. We discussed hot button topics like bud light's not-so-effective Fall flannel pack marketing campaign, wearing socks with chacos, and the beautiful metaphor that is the feather floating through the air at the beginning & end of the Tom Hanks classic, Forrest Gump. What started with 20+ bandwagon golf fanatics slowly dwindled and dwindled until 4 remained: the gracious host (Laura), my good pal (Jack), a twitterpated little bundle of nerves (me), and my future bride. We split into teams (guys vs. girls) and played a classic midwestern card game, Euchre -- the lads took it to the ladies that night and we ended the evening with some fish tacos for a night cap. I couldn't help but notice that others gradually left the party that day, but Liz stayed around until the end. I figured she had the hots for me.

Liz: After a mostly successful (from my perspective) first date, we circled the bar twice on the drive home (Tyler's many gifts don't include directions, which implemented a new rule on our date: no maps) and the chivalrous Tyler stunned me with his parking skills. The night ended with an awkward half hug and me questioning if the date had gone as well as I thought.

Fast forward to the next morning - I'm now sure: it didn't go well. Venmo: Tyler Piehl.

Tyler: From my perspective, the first date went about as good as I could have hoped. I did what any respectable gentleman would do, I picked her up in a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Did I get a round of applause from the patrons on the patio when I executed a 5 point turn to parallel park? Yes. Did I realize I'd forgotten my wallet when our waitress brought over the bill? Yes. Did I get a little lost driving her back home? Yes. Did I venmo her for the food and drinks because I felt badly for forgetting my wallet? Yes. But did I get a 2nd date?? Sure did.

Tyler: After the dust settled from the venmo debacle following our first date, we began to find our stride. We got to know each other over carving pumpkins, dive bar pool halls, Liz putting me through volleyball tryouts, and at all the local Chicago cafes. One date in particular was a day off of work in the middle of work week in which Liz and I ventured to the Starbucks roastery, got holiday mugs at the Chicago Christkindlmarket, shared a drink at the Marquee Lounge, ate a bowl of Ramen at High Five Ramen, and finished the evening at Lincoln Park Zoo Lights. We dubbed it our "Hooky Day" and agreed to make this an annual tradition.

Liz: We started a tradition of eating cupcakes with no hands. That's it really... picture just makes me smile.

Liz: As our dating adventures continued, our wedding travels picked up as well: Wisconsin, Colorado, California, Texas and Hawaii. Each trip holding special memories like me camping for the first time (and second) in Colorado, and Tyler standup paddle boarding for the first time (well, kind of, he mostly sat and narrated GoPro videos that inevitably ended with shots of me paddling him around the ocean). Each trip an invitation to step further into each others' lives - meeting family, friends and hearing stories of before our paths crossed.

Tyler: Young love and the Wrigley Field rooftops. Two things that go together like a Pirates baseball cap with Cubbies pinstripes. Cubs 21 Pirates 0.

Liz: A house divided is one way to put it... Tyler, a Packers fan, and I, a hardcore Steelers gear wearer who's knowledge peaks and caps circa 2009 (shoutout Steelers for winning the Super Bowl - we look forward to celebrating the 16th anniversary of that victory (2/1/2009 vs. the AZ Cardinals (they under used Larry Fitzgerald) )- with all of you on our wedding day!), hit up our first Steelers game in Pittsburgh. The vibes in Pittsburgh were elite, but one of us may have enjoyed the game more than the other.

Apologies to all the teachers out there who just had a TIME with my parenthetical citation. Also, apologies to my Mom since I never learned how to diagram a sentence, despite that being her favorite parent/teacher night question.

Liz: Tyler and I share a lot of loves. To name a few: playing sports together, dabbling in beer flight taste tests, reality tv, and....matching. Given the opportunity to match on a beautiful day at the beach to play some volleyball, we're in.

Liz: December 14, 2023 marked our 3rd annual hooky day - exploring Chicago and taking advantage of the touristy activities when they're not weekend level crowded. As it would happen, I planned most of the day: Leonidas for pastries, a stroll around Christkindlmarket, a pint at the new Guinness Factory, and end at High 5 Ramen.

Tyler: The part that Liz didn't plan was that she was going to miss her intramural volleyball game that night. I bravely convinced her that I had a gift card to Avli on the Park and that I wanted to use it before it expired at year end. Liz loves a good deal just like the rest of us so she obliged. On our way to the reservation, we took a slight detour to where a photographer was waiting for me to get down on one knee. Liz didn't see it coming and she said yes.

If anyone has any ideas for Hooky Day next year Liz and I are all ears, because it's going to be mighty difficult to top our last one.