How We Met

Believe it or not, our story actually started way before either of us knew it. Back in the 90s, we lived right across the street from each other! We were just kids then, growing up on the same block, completely unaware of what the universe had in store for us.

Fast forward to October 2021. Ellen’s bridesmaid, friend, and Girl Scout co-leader, Dana, decided to try to set us up. She invited both of us to watch the Bears game at Crazy Pour with a few mutual friends, convinced we’d hit it off. We did meet that day, but after that every attempt at a double date or group hangout somehow just didn’t work out.

Until one day in January of 2022. Ellen realized she had some plumbing issues. Nothing disastrous, just one of those annoying home things. So she texted Dana asking for help. And help she did, she sent Rick!

Rick came over, fixed the problem like a pro, and that was that… or so we thought. A day or two later, Rick texted Ellen asking her out. Our first date was at Stulgin’s, and from that night on, something just clicked. One date turned into two days in a row, and then another, and we’ve basically been inseparable ever since.

From childhood neighbors to missed connections to a perfectly timed home issue, somehow everything lined up exactly the way it was meant to.

The Proposal

So we’re now in mid-2024. Rick is starting to get just a bit of pressure from every direction—family, friends, the universe—and maybe he heard “no more tools until somebody gets something shiny on her finger” from someone. Which, to be honest, was absolutely reasonable.

Then in April 2025, we find out we’re pregnant. Suddenly, the thought of a proposal becomes a bit more real.

Rick knew that he had access to two very special treasures: his grandma’s engagement ring and Ellen’s grandma’s bridal set. He got the idea in his head to turn these two pieces into one—something that symbolizes the joining of two families. (He can be smushy!)

Next step: Rick knew he had to ask Ellen’s dad. And he tried. He really did. But every time he and her dad were semi-alone, her dad would avoid the topic like the plague. Finally, on a day in May around 11 p.m., after trying all day, Ellen’s stepmom stepped in and said, “For the love of God, JUST TALK!” So they finally did, and they ended up staying up until 2 a.m. playing around with leaf blowers and smoking cigars. Rick got the blessing, the rings, and a few more gray hairs.

Now what? The jewelers. This is where Rick’s mom, Cheryl, came in. She went with him to help him create the perfect piece. Weeks later, on a random Saturday in July, Rick tells Ellen that he needs to run an “errand.” He never says “errand.” He always gives a full itinerary with GPS coordinates and everything. Something was up.

It’s mid-July. Ellen had been driving forever to pick up Hannah from summer camp and got home exhausted, craving nothing but quiet and a snack. But Colin’s acting weird. Suspiciously weird. Seven-year-old-who-has-a-secret weird. Ellen’s in the kitchen making herself a snack when Colin wanders in and asks, “Mama, are you gonna marry Rick?” for the 463239237th time this year. Like any reasonable, logical adult, she replies—again—“Well, he has to ask me first…” And right on cue, from behind her she hears Rick say, “Well… will you??”

Ellen turns around, and there’s Rick down on one knee in the middle of the kitchen, holding the ring, Hannah in the doorway grinning like she’s been waiting for this moment since she first knew about the two of them, and Colin looking on, excited he got to be a part of it all.

And that’s how it happened. Not at a fancy restaurant, not on a mountaintop, but right there in their kitchen—surrounded by their kids, their chaos, and the love of two families wrapped into one little ring.