We’re so glad you’re here!

Oddly enough, Brendan and I had been mutual friends on Facebook for 10 years—neither of us realized it until the first day we spoke. Back in 2018, I had “liked” a picture of Brendan and Lucas. He added me on all of my social media and eventually messaged me. At the time, we both had boys who were just a little over a year old. A short week after that first message, he made the 3.5-hour drive to meet me for the first time. I was living in Rapid City, going to college to obtain my degree in Practical Nursing. We talked about everything, unloaded all our “baggage,” and agreed that neither of us was ready for anything serious—we were only 19 and 20, trying to figure out life, healing from previous relationships, and learning how to co-parent at such a young age. Despite our efforts to keep things casual, our connection only grew stronger, so we decided to give long distance a shot. Brendan was, and still is, everything I dreamed of—kind, patient, driven, and an incredible dad. He was also a wonderful role model for my son. For the first time in my life, I felt safe. I knew I loved him when I realized I didn’t have to fix myself just to be loved by him. Unfortunately, at that time, we wanted two different things in life, so we ended our relationship in the summer of 2018. I thought about Brendan every day, but I was focused on finishing nursing school and providing for my son. Six long months later, I got a call from him at 1:30 in the morning. We talked for hours, and the next morning he drove the 3.5 hours to see me. We both knew we couldn’t let each other go again. A few months later, I made the decision to move Greyson and me to Miles City, and it was by far the best decision I’ve ever made. We have spent the last seven years building our life from the ground up—from buying a home, to career changes, to having a baby together, to Brendan adopting Greyson. It’s been a hard but beautiful journey. We got engaged in the spring of 2020, and in February 2021 we decided a courthouse wedding was all we could afford at the time. Over the years, we talked many times about having a “formal wedding” for our family and friends, and eventually life gave us the opportunity to make that happen. I truly believe that, in some ways, the timing had to wait until we had the people in our lives who we knew would always be there to share our day with. Although we didn’t do things in the “right order,” it gives our story character—and makes it even more special to us. We are blessed with the most incredible people in our lives, and we are so excited to share this day with each and every one of you!