Derek and Erin first met on March 3, 2014 at a Battle of the Bands in Chicago.

Erin's friend, Jenna, had just started dating a new guy, Patrick, and really wanted her to meet him and his friends. Erin hesitated, but when Jenna was in the driveway, she decided to go.

Derek was filling in as the singer in the band with his friends- one of them being Patrick.

Derek approached Erin and asked if he could take a shot with her, to which she replied, 'You can do whatever you want." (Who knew how their lives would turn out?!)

It was after that, that they decided to go with Jenna and Patrick to grab a drink at Art's Tavern in Hillside. It was there that the two of them got to really know eachother better and had great conversation. Derek asked Erin to go on an 'official' date the very next day. It went so well that it was in Hillside that they wound up having their first kiss!

Shortly after Derek and Erin met, and fell in love, Erin took a job in Houston, Texas as a Flight Attendant. They decided that they were going to make the move together!

They found an apartment, and Derek found a job, and for 3 years, they stayed. They lovingly celebrated Birthday's, Holiday's and lazy weekends together. Friends and Family came to visit, and they enjoyed their time together in the sun. They learned to grow as adults and fell more in love.

It wasn't until a devastating Tropical Storm swept through, that they decided that it might be time to head back to the Chicago winter's instead of living with the crazy floods. So they got a moving van, and packed up their lives and headed back north to stay with the Kosik family after they generously offered to let us stay to get on our feet. They made it back one week before an awful and devastating hurricane hit in July of 2017. 

Since moving back, they have found jobs, bought a car, and got engaged! 

They are excited to spend the rest of their lives together growing, loving and caring for eachother.