Summer 1998: Marcie Eberhard (sister to Barb Sowers) meets Linda Brustad while working at Nations Care Link in Minnesota. Marcie and Linda instantly become “work best friends” and friends in real life. Linda is pregnant with her first child. Friday, November 13, 1998: Doug and Linda Brustad welcome their first child, a son. They name him Nicholas Aaron Brustad. Nicholas will grow up in Shakopee, MN, and attend the University of Minnesota to major in Engineering. Friday, August 13, 1999: Al and Barb Sowers welcome their 3rd child, a girl! They name her Stephanie Pearl Sowers. To this day, Stephanie is Al and Barb’s favorite youngest daughter. Stephanie will be raised first in Blaine, MN, then in Michigan when the Sowers family moves to Clarkston in 2006. Stephanie goes on to attend Michigan State University to major in Music and Entrepreneurship. Over the years, Marcie and Linda remain in touch as they take on other job opportunities and Marcie moves to Florida. Their friendship thrives! March 2022: Stephanie moves back to Minnesota to be closer to family after living in Michigan for most of her adolescence. She loves spending her free time with her aunties! March-May 2023: Marcie travels to MN before and after spending time in France. While in MN, Marcie catches up with her good friend, Linda Brustad. Marcie and Linda realize that both Marcie’s niece Stephanie and Linda’s son Nic are the same age… and single! They decide to set the two up! May 17, 2023: Stephanie is helping with tree planting on the Sowers Family Farm near Staples, MN. She receives a text from “Nic Brustad.” He says his mom is friends with Marcie. He asks if Stephanie would want to get to get a drink or coffee that weekend. Impressed with his boldness, Stephanie agrees! She suggests meeting at the Mall of America on Saturday, May 20th after Stephanie gets off work at 7:00pm. Both have butterflies! May 20, 2023: Nic and Stephanie’s first date! Nic waits patiently outside the Apple Store for Stephanie. Unbeknownst to Nic, Stephanie has a coworker walk with her down from Nordstrom in case it was too good to be true. When Stephanie sees Nic, it is like a spotlight was just on him, and they were the only two in the whole mall. They decide to grab a drink at a nearby bar, Cadillac Ranch. They both feel at ease and like they can truly be themselves with each other. While they were both very nervous beforehand, they feel incredibly calm in each other’s presence. Nic and Stephanie soon begin to fall in love, discovering infinite similarities and shared sense of humor. Between bike rides, ski trips, and romantic Friday night dates at Sam’s Club, Nic and Stephanie quickly realize they never want to be without each other. Not only are they in love, they are best friends. August 31, 2024: Nic asks Stephanie to marry him while on a Labor Day weekend trip to Washington DC. She says YES! And just like that, Marcie and Linda’s original plan is fully realized!

Stephanie and Nic were wed on December 13, 2024 in an intimate civil ceremony. Their marriage was lovingly witnessed by their parents, Al & Barb Sowers and Doug & Linda Brustad. They look forward to exchanging vows and celebrating in the loving company of their family and friends on the North Shore of Lake Superior on October 11th, 2025.