I met Sarah casually through a "mutual connection" in the summer of 2016, like two ships in the night. Two years later, after remaining in loose contact on a professional basis (I had taken on some freelance work for Sarah's company), I decided to shoot my shot with the gorgeous woman who'd made such a strong first impression on me. To my complete and utter shock, she not only didn't shoot me down, but seemed to reciprocate (at least mild) interest. What was the harm in a little playful flirting, after all? We lived 230 miles apart, it's not like anything serious was ever going to come from it. After a month of deep conversations and getting to know each other, we decided to finally meet for a second time, on June 30, 2018. So many days in our lives come and go with little real significance; it’s rare when one day truly changes the trajectory of your life. This was certainly one of those days. We met roughly halfway between the 230-mile divide — me coming from the Seattle area and Sarah coming from Eastern Washington — in the charming Bavarian mountain town of Leavenworth, WA. Coming into our first date I already had a feeling I was in trouble… and when she walked through that door I KNEW I was in trouble. I’d never believed in love at first (well, I guess second) sight, but I literally couldn’t breathe, or even talk, so I just walked across the room and kissed her.That first date was storybook magic, but the one low-key memory that I’ll never forget is sitting in a winery that afternoon, when a random patron came up to us and said “you guys are the cutest couple.” I remember thinking “I wish,” and praying that this first date wouldn’t be my last. I drove away from that date head-over-heels in love. I called my parents on the way home to tell them “I met somebody very special.” Game on. Our honeymoon phase was the stuff of fairy tales. But reality was inevitable. Distance. Kids. Jobs. And it also didn’t take us long to come to the realization that despite having so much in common, and sparks to spare, the mountain between us was going to be the least of our hurdles.

Amidst all the amazing memories, we have also been tested far more than most couples. Two years of 7-hour round-trip drives nearly every weekend was exhausting and defeating; the life we wanted seemed hopeless. Merging the lives of our three young children, Willa (then 3), Andie (then 5) and Braylen (then 7) was a much bigger challenge than anticipated. We lost a pregnancy (our daughter, Penny) in fall of 2019, which marked our lowest of lows. So that was all on our plate before we even began to account for the typical relationship challenges that everybody encounters.  Giving up would have been easy, if it were an option. It just wasn’t. When you get a chance at that kind of love, you fight like hell to protect and preserve it, no matter the logistical challenges. And for some crazy reason, Sarah thought I was worth fighting for, too. So we persevered, learning how to better navigate our differences, while embracing our commonalities.

I proposed on December 14, 2019, and have never been more ecstatic (and relieved) than when she said "yes." I'd practiced my whole spiel on my daughter, Andie, the night before my flight out there, and she was waiting at the window like a puppy when I pulled back into the driveway. If you know anything about Andie and Sarah's relationship, you know how excited she was! Soon after, we found out we were expecting again. Of course, that came with a lot of extra anxiety and emotion, not only because of what we'd just been through, but what the future would look like with us beholden to parenting plans at such a distance. As the due date neared, God worked his magic, and things miraculously, and finally, fell into place. We had a forever plan. Bronson Rey Boser was born on Sunday, September 13, 2020. It was a dream come true, and he'd be the missing link and the glue that fortified our family. Less than a week later, we moved Sarah and the two boys to Everett. We're in our third home since then, so we've stayed remarkably busy, but this is the long-term family home. There's enough space, in the perfect location, and we're having a blast renovating everything to our own style. Between all kids activities, home projects, wedding planning and an excessively busy 2021/2022 travel calendar, there is never a dull moment in this life we've built. I think I speak for both Sarah and myself when I say, I can't wait for our Jamaican honeymoon! Sarah inspires me to be a better man every day, and I can’t imagine a single second without her. She’s the total package — brains, beauty, character, humor and talent. I pinch myself all the time; how did I land her? Additionally, the kids are thriving in the life we've created. I can’t wait to continue to grow together, as a couple and a family. Thank you for choosing me, my love. - Ryan