Although we both grew up in the same hometown, I went to the private school and Cesar attended public school. We had mutual friends in high school so we met on occasion, although the sparks didn't officially fly until college. We both attended Mesa (Go Mavs) and happened to be in the same dorm so often saw each other in passing. Cesar finally worked up the courage to formally talk to me after my volleyball game, nothing says agreeing to a date with a bright red face and all sweaty. Must not have scared him away, because here we are over a decade later (most would say FINALLY!). We had the BEST of times at Mesa with a few too many Bud Lights, nights spent at Wrigley's, Super Bowl parties, and all the in between. Although we came from two very different upbringings, somehow our worlds collided perfectly and despite being scared to officially introduce my family to the tattooed kid with the biggest smile and loudest laugh, I think we both fit into each other's family perfectly. In 2015, the party ended as I graduated and had to move back home to start a job. Cesar and Kilo did a victory lap and survived 1 year without me in GJ before graduating in 2016 despite all the odds against him. We then adjusted to our new life in Denver for a short while before the distance started again as I was off to grad school in North Carolina. Cesar had just accepted the head wrestling coach position at his alma mater and as much as I wanted to drag him to NC with me, I knew he had lives to change here. So we set off for the 3.5 years of LONG distance (1,590 miles to be exact). While I worked hard in school with long days and countless hours of studying and clinicals, Cesar was working hard to build his name in the high school and wrestling community. He eventually settled on calling Denver West home and I graduated and made my way back to Denver. We officially started our lives together. The road was a little rocky to begin with after losing my dad to cancer, but Cesar was my rock and saw me through the darkest times. I couldn't have done it without him. When we aren't working, we enjoy camping, getting on each other's nerves doing house projects, playing volleyball and softball, and enjoying time with our neices and nephews. Cesar has truly embodied the "FUNcle" title. If Cesar had it his way, we would live in the mountains and fish everyday, although for now we will settle on working and him sneaking away to fishing trips as much as he can. We cannot wait to continue to share a life time of love together. We are truly the best teammates, each other's biggest supporter, and we will always be in each other's corner.