I (Eric) moved to Arkansas to work for JB Hunt in January of 2016, then, Valerie moved later that year, also working for JB Hunt. She joined the team that I was a part of and sat right next to me for the first six months. That winter I headed back to central North Dakota to visit family and to pheasant hunt. I jokingly asked if anybody wanted to come with me and she took me up on the offer! It was -30 degrees the entire weekend we were there but she never complained. I wish I could say I had her hog tied into a relationship right away but alas that took a while longer to develop!

Having been working remotely, we have been given the chance to travel. A lot. Mainly visiting family and friends, extensively over the last two years. After a summer of mostly wedding related travel, I convinced Val that we should go spend a month in Florida, near my family. After being there for two weeks, I planned a trip down to the beach with my cousins to hang out for the morning. Unannounced to her, I had arranged for her parents and my parents to also be in Palm Coast at that same time to surprise her. After a walk on the beach watching sea turtles and dolphins (thank you, nature), I made a lame excuse that I needed to go back to the car for a beach chair. I walked back over and guided both of our parents to a viewing point and then continued walking down to where everyone else was staged taking pictures on the beach. I told her I didn't think she was smiling right and I got down on one knee and told her to try again as I opened the ring box. She said yes and the rest is history!