In the Spring of 2013, Mick planned a European spring break adventure with friends to meet up with his buddy’s girlfriend who was studying abroad in Spain. The day after arrival, Mick unknowingly was about to meet the love of his life within the group of his friend's girlfriends study abroad classmates exploring Paris. They explored the Catacombs, Arch de Triumph, Eiffel Tower and nearby museums. The trip worked its way back down to Granada where Jenna was studying and many rounds of Tapas, Tinto de Verano and nights out on the town were enjoyed by all. By the end of the trip, Mick & Jenna were friends looking forward to reconnecting back at school their senior year. We owe our introduction and start of a long love story to those good friends, Scott and Lexi :)

During our last year and a half at University of Illinois, we hung out frequently with our group of friends, often playfully flirting and attending a few fraternity/sorority date events together. We made each other laugh and became even more comfortable together as we grew to learn more about each other. After graduation, we kept in touch and Mick asked Jenna if she wanted to catch up for lunch one afternoon on her way back from grad school at NIU. A friendly lunch ended with a surprise kiss from Mick, which left Jenna flustered and filled with butterflies. Over the next few months, after Mick moved to Chicago, Jenna visited often, spending weekends with him and his friends. Our relationship became official after celebrating a Chicago St. Patrick’s day together when we both realized the other was the only person with whom we wanted to spend every weekend. Jenna eventually moved downtown after finishing grad school, and we continued to have Chicago adventures and travel adventures together. We loved creating “homes” in the apartments we shared in Old Town and Ukrainian village, but after 2 years of COVID in the city, we felt it was time for a big move. In the Fall of 2021, we bought our first home together in Palatine and, shortly after settling in, welcomed home our sweet puppy, Mabel. We had our home and our puppy, but there was one thing missing…

Weeks of planning combined with a sneaky trick from Jenna’s sister, Katrina, ended with an amazing proposal at Milton Lee Olive Park in Chicago that swept Jenna off her feet. Planning started about a month and a half prior when Mick brought Mabel over to Jenna's parents' house for a puppy playdate with Leyden (Froehlich family dog). This was no ordinary visit though. He came with custom wine bottles and a written poem requesting their blessing for Jenna's hand in marriage. They happily provided it! Mick now needed to plan a proposal without suspicions being raised. This is where Katrina pulled off the ultimate bluff. She invited us downtown for a fancy dinner; Jenna accepted and the proposal date was set! Mick brought Jenna out to Navy Pier for "drinks" ahead dinner. With a quick audible, he brought her to the park where Mick's sister in law Kristen was standing by with a camera from afar. He found the perfect spot, knelt down and asked Jenna to spend the rest of her life with him! She responded with "It's about time!" The proposal was followed by an amazing dinner downtown with all families there ready to celebrate!