Kenny and Alyssa met in 2012 working as paraeducators in separate classrooms at Fillmore High School for the moderate to severe Special Education program. Alyssa noticed and recognized him right away, with his cute glasses and professional demeanor. She was friends with his dad, Larry, who shared a love of NASCAR with her family. Kenny also played on numerous sports teams growing up with cousins of hers with her uncle and dad coaching. However, she had never formally met Kenny until her first day at work. When Kenny saw Alyssa, he was instantly intrigued at the opportunity to engage in conversation with a woman that wasn’t only beatiful, but shared his passion. The following weeks, they engaged in casual conversation and began developing a friendship that developed into so much more. It wasn’t until their first work party together that they had a chance to sit down and talk personally. Alyssa loved the way Kenny gushed about his greatest love, his son Carter, and his experiences being a single dad to a son with Autism Spectrum Disorder. After that day, Kenny requested Alyssa as a friend on Facebook and she privately messaged him. All winter break they talked this way on the phone. They first hung out when a mutual friend had a birthday party and after a phone call, Kenny arrived. The rest was history and not a day went by that they did not see each other. A few months in Alyssa met Carter, which basically sealed the deal.
Kenny had joined Alyssa on her annual Bennett family vacation in the beautiful Sierra Mountains at Bridgeport,CA. The whole family rented out pontoons and brought their boats to Lower Twin Lake, which had special meaning to both of them since losing Kenny’s dad Larry to cancer in 2017, where he enjoyed fishing from Alyssa’s grandma’s favorite rock. After meeting up and parking all the boats together, Alyssa’s cousin Ashley decided everyone needed to “shotgun” some beers. To Alyssa’s greatest surprise, when she finished and turned around, Kenny was on his knee with the ring! He asked, she said Yes! Everyone cried and cheered. Then Alyssa’s Grandma Carol’s fishing pole went straight in the water and Alyssa’s brother dove in after it! He saved the pole and came out with a huge rainbow trout. It was perfect!