As many of you know, Tom is very flexible (can almost touch his toes without bending his knees) and in 2021, decided he would like to show off that flexibility to the world by going to yoga classes at the gym in Milwaukee. Lo and behold, he picked up on the fact that there was a beautiful girl named Kara that would also attend the regular Wednesday night classes and all of a sudden, one Wednesday night class turned into a long stretch of strategic yoga mat positioning (not too close but not allllll the way in the back) over the span of many months. Eventually, after too many awkward waves and hellos to count at the gym, Tom finally got Kara’s number and somehow managed to keep a conversation going long enough to suggest meeting at one of their soon to be favorite spots, Camp Bar, to watch a Bucks playoff game. It was there that Tom learned Kara wasn’t 100% sure who Derrick Rose was but luckily she had more than enough redeeming qualities to spark a second date, dinner before a Bucks playoff game and then watching the game at a bar, which for those that aren’t aware, was the only thing people did in Milwaukee in the summer of 2021.

Thankfully, Tom and Kara were able to find interests outside of the Bucks and spent the rest of the summer in Milwaukee riding bikes, going to the beach, running, and checking out more restaurants in Milwaukee together. Ultimately, Tom was deemed worthy of a family introduction and accompanied Kara to her sister’s wedding where he met all of the respective Combs and Wilhelmsen clans in one spot. Just a day after the wedding, Tom’s sister was visiting Marquette (don’t think she got in since she never joined us in Milwaukee), sparking another meeting of the families at none other than Camp Bar as they watched Tom’s Creighton Bluejays put a beatdown on Marquette, which for better or worse, distracted Tom to the point where Kara was left on an island for a grilling by Tom’s two sisters. She passed the test with flying colors and soon Tom and Kara became staples in each other’s family’s lives, making frequent trips back to the Chicago suburbs and South Carolina.

In 2023, they moved to Montana, a new adventure filled with new jobs, new friends, and many new adventures. The year they spent there was filled with ski weekends, camping, breweries, and lots of travel around the state and elsewhere. After a year, they returned to the Midwest but soon realized the mountains were calling and they now look forward to many new adventures to be had in their next stop in Denver!

Throughout their journey, they have been lucky enough to make new friends together and grow close to one another’s friends and families. They are beyond ecstatic at the chance to have everyone together in a place they hold near and dear in Milwaukee and cannot wait to see everyone in September!