We met at our mutual workplace, Covenant Living. Ashley made her interest pretty clear early on… but it took Jared about a year to finally gather the courage to ask her out. Everything really started to fall into place during a camping trip to Utah with a mutual friend, where we visited Moab and spent much of the trip together. Between long conversations, beautiful scenery, and time away from everyday life, we got to know each other on a deeper level — our values, beliefs, goals, and the kind of life we both wanted to build. Not long after that trip, Jared finally asked Ashley out...

During our Utah camping trip, we spent a day exploring Canyonlands National Park together, including a hike to Whale Rock. Somewhere between the hiking, conversations, and beautiful desert views, what started as friendship quietly began turning into something much deeper. We spent hours talking that day. By the end of the hike, neither of us wanted the day to end. Over time, whales became a sweet and meaningful symbol in our relationship. Jared often says, “I met my wife on the back of a whale,” because standing together on Whale Rock was the moment he realized we were meant to be together. To this day, that memory remains one of the most special parts of our story. A reminder that sometimes lifelong relationships can begin quietly, naturally, and in the middle of an unforgettable adventure.

After officially closing on our house on June 23rd, 2025, we spent the next few days getting ready to move in together. On June 27th, we finally moved everything into the house — completely exhausted, surrounded by boxes, and trying to figure out where anything belonged. The next morning, we woke up early to watch the sunrise from the backyard. Nothing was unpacked yet. There were boxes everywhere, things piled all over the house, and a very long to-do list waiting for us. But sitting there together in the quiet, tired from moving and taking in this huge new beginning together, it already felt like home. While we were sitting outside, Jared told Ashley he had written something for the moment. As he started reading, Ashley still somehow had no idea what was happening. Then Jared asked Ashley to stand up. At that point, according to Ashley, she “completely blacked out.” Somewhere between shock and trying to process what was happening, Jared got down on one knee and asked her to marry him. Ashley eventually returned to earth just long enough to enthusiastically say, “yessss.” Looking back, it could not have been more perfect — a new home, a sunrise, and the beginning of forever together. From meeting on the back of a whale to building a home together, it felt like the perfect beginning to a whale of a life.