In March 2019 Steph started a second job at 192 Brewing Company. In the interview she was told on her first day there may be a disgruntled employee that may be there but he would be leaving the company soon. It was an 80 degree beautiful March Saturday and with no true expectations she walked in to see a line half way down the Burke Gilman Trail. She walked in introduced herself and was shouted at to “Wash Glassware!!” It was the fastest 7 hour shift she had ever worked. Hands cramped from washing pint glasses for hours on end, bussing tables, running food safe to say she was not sure what she got herself into. Near the end of the shift Keaton came into the dish room to wash his hands looked over at her, she said “Hi I’m Stephanie!” With a defeated look on his face and somewhat unwelcoming said “Please don’t quit” that was it. Our first conversation, short and not so sweet! 😂Steph thought for sure that was the disgruntled employee and clocked out and went home. To Keatons surprise Steph did show up for her next shift, and the next, and for the next almost 3 years. Come to find out the disgruntled employee was not there that day his name was Taylor. He had walked out a day prior someone Steph and Keaton became very good friends with over the years. Within weeks Keaton and Steph became fast friends, then best friends who helped each other through rough times in each of our lives from family heartache, to relationships, loss of animals and anything. It was easy to talk to each other, almost too easy as if we had known one another for many lives before. If we were together working or not we knew it would be a good day filled with laughter and smiles. 192 was an experience for both of us…. But so grateful it happened!

After being best friends for quite some time Keatons dear friend came into town for an unexpected visit. After work one night Keaton invited Steph to go hang with his friend Nick and him and shoot some pool at our local watering hole. After playing for a few minutes Nick asked us how long we had been dating. We both started laughing immediately since it was such a wild statement. As Steph was engaged and Keaton was seeing someone from work. We were so blindsided by the comment that both of us were speechless for a moment. We went on to explain no we are just best friends, like ride or die tell each other everything best friends and we were not together in that way. Then the game changer….Nick then said “we’ll shouldn’t you be with you best friend?” At that moment we looked at each other in a way we had not before and instantly broke eye contact. Safe to say it was a different feeling than we were used to. After a few months the few months before Covid began life changed. Stephanie broke off the engagement Keaton and the girl he was seeing at work fizzled out, but there we were still as close as ever. Both of us being alone and being in quarantine not able to hang out we FaceTimed for hours played video games online and talked our way through that hell. When finally we could see each other in person it was different than before and the feeling of friendship organically turned into feelings of love. Steph was the first to say I love you. Keaton replied with he doesn’t want to say it back until he is certain he means it. Steph respected that answer and in a short weeks time he said it back and we have been saying it ever since.

It was the beginning of May and we had requested off a week to spend in Chelan. We were so excited to have a week to relax and play in the sun! It was the first morning we got there and we drove to Blueberry Hills for a delicious breakfast. We both ordered the Eggs Benedict and it was so rich and delicious, but safe to say Keaton was concerned when Steph had only taken two bites and was done. Steph began feeling worse and worse as breakfast went on. We grabbed some waffles to take to Keatons dear friend Jon Jon (who we love and always try to see when we’re over in chelan). We arrived at his work and Steph decided to wait in the car. She was freezing and shivering. We made it back to the cabin where Keaton took Stephs temp 101.8!!!! She was freezing then sweating what a way to start our trip! The next day we decided to grab some Covid tests… both positive! Really!?! The next few days were complete torture. Thankfully one or the other felt well enough at different times to care for each other. Keaton had a plan for this trip and how he wanted to ask Steph to marry him which was completely turned upside down. We were quarantined in the cabin for nearly 10 days waiting to have x amount of days with no symptoms so we could get home and back to work. The second to last day we both started feeling better so we wanted to make some beef stroganoff just some good old comfort food. We had the oil on the pot and stepped away for a minute which was only going to be a minute. (Sorry again Poppa House) Keaton got on one knee and asked Stephanie to marry him. It was not the original plan but it was perfect in every way. So safe to say the minute turned into several, tears of joy and embracing each other just to be interrupted by the smoke alarm. The oil had started to burn!!!!! We quickly jumped into action and aired the place out. What can we say our love is fiery 🔥! (Again sorry mom and pops as our Covid brains did not do the best job cleaning up the aftermath) It was fitting given the timing as we know we flourish in health, but that week showed we can flourish in sickness as well. So in sickness and in health till death do us part! 💕💕💕💕