In the winter of 2020, fate and a German Shorthaired Pointer named Holly brought Stephen and Amanda together. Escaping New York City to a park in New Jersey, where she could let her dog Holly run free, Amanda was walking back to her car when Holly raced over to Stephen's pickup and hopped into the cab, muddy paws and all. After apologizing and trying to get Holly out of the truck, they sparked a conversation that led to the beginning of their love story.

A little over a month later, Stephen and Amanda spent every weekend together, fishing and hiking all over Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Stephen braved the streets of NYC, an event rarely seen, to take her on dates. By the summer, they were inseparable and Stephen joined in on a family vacation down to Cape May.

As autumn arrived, so did a new chapter for them both when Stephen was offered a job in Central New York. With Amanda able to work remotely, she and Holly packed their bags, and the trio relocated to the beautiful shores of Lake Oneida. That winter, they took long walks on the frozen lake and enjoyed the snowy seclusion of their beachfront apartment. Stephen and Amanda found themselves falling more deeply in love with each other and northern New York.

The following summer, they moved to their cozy home in Minoa, New York, a small town with a single stoplight (a recent addition) and a vintage car show every Friday night in the park by their house. They are surrounded by many fresh lakes (Stephen's dream), and Amanda loves having a big yard and tons of parks to explore with Holly. In June of 2023, their little family grew with the addition of another pointer named Minnow, who quickly captured their hearts just like Holly did.