Luke and Megan met in Frisco, TX, in January 2022 through a friend, Josh Howieson. They almost met at lunch with many friends shortly after arriving in Frisco, but Luke did not notice Megan sitting at the table. That evening, when meeting with mutual friends again, Luke noticed Megan, and they talked for a few hours that night. Afterwards, Luke asked Megan to sit next to him at the FCS Championship game cheering on the NDSU Bison the next day. They had great discussions throughout the game, and Megan admired how kind and humble Luke was when interacting with others at the game. Luke thought Megan was “chill, nice, and friendly.” At the end of the game, Megan thought she would likely not see Luke again unless she made an effort to, so she invited him to visit her in Minnesota. Luke decided to take her up on the offer and visited her shortly after. Before Luke came to visit, Megan asked her brother, Matthew, his opinion of Luke before considering dating him as Matthew had known him for a few years playing football together at NDSU. Matthew said, “Bake’s is a good guy,” and he would not hesitate to trust him, which was a very reassuring thought for Megan.

Luke visited Megan in Minnesota in January 2022, and Megan had food and fun planned during Luke's visit. They went on their first date snowshoeing and had a late afternoon lunch at Rusty Nail in Battle Lake afterwards. Luke had never been snowshoeing before, so it was a laughter-filled experience for them both. Megan also expressed to Luke how much her faith meant to her, and she shared with Luke that she would be attending church the next morning leaving it up to him if he would like to join or not. Luke happily joined, and they have been attending church together every weekend they have spent together since.

Luke and Megan have continued long-distance dating with 5 hours between them for the past 3+ years. They have enjoyed many weekends together with each other, family, and friends throughout the years; and they have spent numerous weekends together at each other's homes, Lukes family's ranch, and their parents' lake places. They have also traveled together on multiple adventures including vacations to Arizona, Oregon road trip (Cour d' Alene, North Cascades National Park, Newport, Crater Lake National Park, Mount Rainier National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Mount Rushmore), Aruba, Utah road trip (Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Arches National Park, Grand Teton National Park), Red Lodge/Bozeman, and Canada road trip (Banff National Park, Jasper National Park, Yoho National Park, Glacier National Park).

Luke asked Megan's parents for their permission around the campfire on the evening of June 20, 2024, and Luke decided to propose to Megan on June 21, 2024. They were hiking in Glacier National Park at St. Mary's waterfall when he decided it was a good spot to ask Megan to marry him (Luke noted that he was waiting for the right moment to propose with no plans of when or where to propose). He got down on one knee next to the waterfall and said, "I love you. Will you marry me?" Megan was laughing at the statement as she thought he was joking, and she proceeded to laugh in shock when he pulled out a ring. Of course, she did say "yes!"

P.S. If you look closely in the photo, you can see Luke down on one knee next to the waterfall.