Thomas and Samara, both age 2, first met when their moms brought them to the Hancock County MOMS Club meeting in 2000. Their moms quickly became good friends through the club, and Samara and Thomas spent a lot of time together going on camping trips, visiting the Indianapolis Children's Museum, and playing at each other's houses.

Thomas and Samara went to different grade schools, but still saw each other on occasion until their paths converged at Greenfield-Central High School. They shared almost every class together and became friends again through G/T English class. Thomas also got to know Mara's family a lot better as he played basketball with both of her brothers for St Michael's CYO team (which Mara's dad was the coach) and ran cross country with her older brother Syrus. They both had crushes on each other at different points in high school, but the timing never quite worked out.

They both attended Purdue University but didn't see much of each other until their senior year when they would bump into each other at Neon Cactus. They eventually started hanging out more intentionally after Thomas slid into Mara's DMs on Instagram. They started working out together at the Co-Rec and enjoyed hanging out so much that they eventually started going on more formal dates. Their first kiss was shared at the base of Slayter Hill right next to the stage where they will be getting married!

Thomas asked Samara to be his girlfriend the week before COVID shut everything down. Samara waited two weeks before officially replying with a letter asking if Thomas' offer was still on the table. Samara worked in a hospital, so they were forced to spend many of their early dates as a couple six feet apart at parks. A few months later, Samara moved to Colorado to begin her nursing career. About eight months after that, they were finally able to be together when Thomas joined Samara in Colorado. Thomas proposed in an Aspen grove (Samara's favorite kind of tree) near Breckenridge in September of 2022 while the fall yellows were in full display.

They still live in Colorado with their cats, Jax and Sokka, where they enjoy hiking, eating Thai food, and playing board games together. They are very excited to continue these adventures and new ones as a married couple!