We're getting married!

Since their first meeting, Bobby and Betsy have been on quite a journey. It all started one day in a coffee shop. Like many, they first connected and started talking online, and it wasn't until meeting in person that tiny sparks began to fly. In early 2017, Betsy had just finished graduate school in Kansas and moved back to the Illinois-Iowa area, where she grew up, to start her first job at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Quad Cities. Bobby had completed an internship and started his first professional job working with an energy utility in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Bobby's job took him regularly to the Quad Cities. It was here that they decided to meet up at a coffee shop for the first time. Over the next few weeks, they quickly got to know one another and bonded over various large and small topics. They are both passionate about the environment, having chosen jobs in sustainability and conservation. Most importantly, they agreed on a common goal: moving away from the Midwest and spreading their wings elsewhere. The opportunity came earlier than expected when Betsy got a job in Sacramento, California. In 2018, they packed a truck and made the three-day trip to where neither had lived before. The couple lived in California for two years, enjoying various adventures across the state. Along the way, they made terrific friendships and enjoyed learning about the West Coast. In early 2020, the couple lived in California when the COVID-19 pandemic Enveloped us all. Luckily, they both were able to continue working from home. At this time, they decided to become dog parents together and brought home a puppy they would name Riker. It was a great time to raise a critter together, and Riker helped them by getting them out of the house. Soon after, Betsy got a job offer from Albuquerque, New Mexico, a few months later. Knowing that Betsy's brother, John, already lived there, the pandemic made moving closer to family more appealing. So, they left the Golden State and struck out across the desert for "greener" pastures. Betsy and Bobby have now lived in Albuquerque for nearly three years, and Bobby has since found a job with the local power utility working in energy efficiency. In 2021, they bought a house and are now sl-o-o-owly renovating it together. All this is to say that the couple has experienced many exciting changes over the past six years together. Throughout it all, they've learned they can rely on each other for comfort and support as they've built their lives around one another. Now, they look forward to formalizing our commitment to one another with so many people who have been part of our story.