When Jenna was working at Edwards-Macy a few years ago, she helped someone who originally lived in KC find a prom dress. They had such a great time that they decided to connect on social media. One day, Jenna noticed an intriguing response to her new friend's post, and she felt compelled to see who this guy was. Noticing they had a lot of things in common, such as nature walking and photography, she decided to send him a friend request. Derek not only accepted, but they also started talking. After about 5 years of silence, they reconnected. A few months after, they realized they didn't want to be without each other.

When covid-19 hit and shut down the country, Jenna decided to look on Indeed to see what other jobs were available. Out of curiosity, she decided to check Kansas, too. The bridal shop that she wanted to work at when the time was right just happened to be hiring. The time must've been right, because she got the job AND the stimulus hit in time for the move! She actually had no intentions of moving to Kansas that soon. It really was meant to be!

Jenna was having a bad day. The kind where nothing seems to go right. After work, she went straight to the couch and fell asleep. A couple hours later, Derek woke her up inviting her to tacos and Big Bang Theory (their favorite indoor date night). Once they were situated, Derek told Jenna there were nachos in the bag. Completely oblivious, she grabbed the nachos without a second thought. Then Derek asked for the napkins... and under the napkin was a ring box! Jenna stared at the box for a moment, and even asked "is this what I think it is?" Derek then stated that whether she felt 100% or 25%, he would always be by her side and provide his 100% for her, and he proceeded to ask her to marry him. The taco sauce packets had their say in it, too. The one that Derek had on his taco wrapper said "play it cool", while a few others said "will you marry me" and "yes to forever".

The thought of becoming a stepmother was very scary! Not only is the situation on its own a life-changer, but these guys are teenagers! I don't know how to talk to teenagers!! It turned out to not be scary at all. Niko and Logan have welcomed me into their family. They are wonderful young men who inspire me to be the best version of myself that I can be, so that I can be a good role model for them. I am grateful they have accepted me into their lives. ❤

The details are still being worked out. While we talked a out the idea of getting married before, it's a totally different ballgame now that we are actually planning a wedding. We know we want to be in Colorado. We want it to be somewhat traditional and on the formal side (no denim jeans). We want to hire a videographer so that we can share our ceremony with those who cannot travel. We are still figuring out our guest list. Once we figure that out, everything else will fall into place. Keep checking back for updates! NOTE: If you cannot make it to our wedding, TELL US. While we would love for you to join, we also love being told clear answers. If you do not RSVP, we will not count you on our catering list.