like many do these days, with a little yellow app and a 'swipe right'. Kaitlyn was drawn to Alex's bright smile, love of God, and passion for the outdoors. Alex was drawn to Kaitlyn's fiery personality (noting how her personal hell is being stuck next to someone who chews loudly), fun spirit, and bright blue eyes.

It began in May of 2022 with Kaitlyn having to message Alex first. She was excited to see the notification pop up that Alex had responded (and pretty quickly at that). It was a casual conversation where they discussed their days and what they were having for dinner. Kaitlyn typed out a response to Alex's message and thinking she pressed send, she closed the little yellow app and got ready for bed. Days led into weeks where she didn't receive a notification from the little yellow app. She figured he had lost interest and let it go, not opening the that app for another month and a half.

Getting ready to head to Nashville with her friend Danielle, Kaitlyn decided to check the little yellow app. Maybe she missed the notification from Alex? Or maybe he just deleted her? Neither. Kaitlyn never pressed send on the message. Her heart sank. He was really cute and she felt like she missed an opportunity. With nothing to lose, she messaged him back, apologizing for going MIA and kept her fingers crossed.

Days passed and not a peep from Alex. Kaitlyn on a few occasion felt the courage to just delete him, but every time she did, something in her heart said "just be patient" and she was. She let it go and happily traveled south with her friend and enjoyed a girls weekend, eating great BBQ and dancing the night away.

On the second to last day of the trip, a notification came from that little yellow app and a message from Alex. Kaitlyn was excited but could tell Alex thought she had just ghosted him. The conversation picked up from there with messages back and forth, to texts, and snapchats. The day after Kaitlyn returned from Nashville, she woke up sicker than a dog having come down with Covid. She spend the week laid up in bed, quarantined, but texting Alex the whole time. Alex started to call and FaceTime her every day, checking how she was feeling and wanting to get to know her. On the last day of her 5 day quarantine, Alex asked Kaitlyn to go on a date.

"I know you have been sick and all but I think it would be really great if we could meet up" said Alex. Kaitlyn wasn't so sure, she still wasn't feeling her best and didn't want to go out anywhere and definitely wasn't inviting a stranger over to her apartment. Alex offered to make them both pizza at his house (an hour and a half drive away mind you).

In a situation like this there is one thing for a girl like Kaitlyn to do? Obviously text her friend Danielle and ask what the heck she should do! She hoped Danielle would take her side and tell her "No! You cannot go meet a stranger at his house!" But instead Danielle, being the ever intuitive friend, said, "Kaitlyn, you HAVE to go." Kaitlyn was offput by the response but trusted her. She sent Danielle Alex's address, full name, his place of employment, and shared her location as well (just in case). Kaitlyn set off to meet Alex, driving the backroads from Leslie to Allegan and arriving in time for dinner. Alex remembered that Kaitlyn had an egg allergy at the time and made sure the homemade pizza and dough had no egg in sight. They talked, ate, fished on the paddle boat, and ended the evening watching Dumb and Dumber (a movie Kaitlyn had never seen). She drove home at about 1 am. She let Danielle she was on her way, and had just met the man she would marry. They went on 5 dates in the first week of meeting each other.

Fast forwarding through their three years together, Kaitlyn took a job at Perrigo and moved to Allegan, which allowed their relationship to blossom. They spent their days going on adventures together, getting to know each other, their families, and each others hearts. They bonded over their love of God, home cooked meals, and the outdoors.

Life brought twists and turns leading Alex and Kaitlyn to both take new jobs at the same time and at the same insurance agency in December of 2024. All the while, Alex had been planning to ask Kaitlyn to marry him. He first asked Bruce in winter of 2024 while helping him with the tractor to have Kaitlyn's hand. Bruce's response was, "Well, What are you waiting for!" In May of that year, Alex asked both of Kaitlyn's parents, to dinner in Saugatuck to ask them both. Bruce and Suzanne were thrilled to be welcoming another son into the family.

Alex worked tirelessly with his mother Maria, Kaitlyn's mother, and two sisters to find the perfect ring for her. In the end it was an antique Kaitlyn picked out with her mother (which she didn't realize would come to be her engagement ring), replaced with a brand new Montana Sapphire. Kaitlyn's love of gemology and background in geology did not allow for a generic diamond ring.

Kaitlyn and Alex talked and day dreamed many times of when they would get married and how they would like their future to look. Kaitlyn always joked with Alex to "Shit or get off the pot" to hurry and ask her to marry him. He swore up and down he would never propose on Christmas Day because it was "too cliche" .

TO BE CONTINUED