We actually grew up only 25 miles apart. Jesse claims that he knew who I was, who my parents were, but we had never talked to each other. Then I left for college at NDSU in Fargo, ND (for forever, as Jesse says) and he continued to raise horses, rodeo, and work around the Timber Lake area. Nine years later, the program I was working for had closed and I decided to move back home for awhile to help on my family's ranch. I started working part-time in the office at Mobridge Livestock, where Jesse was working part-time in the sale ring. It wasn't long before Jesse was finding excuses to come into the office and staying longer each time. Eventually we started talking outside of the sale barn, but it was still quite awhile before we would go out on a date. Our first "date" was to the Rapid City Stock Show 2018, where I got to watch Jesse rope. After that weekend I decided that if we could survive a 4-hour road trip (each way!) and he didn't let me get lost in the civic center, he was pretty alright! :) <3

It was just a normal Sunday morning... We had both slept in and were just enjoying a lazy day together, waiting for the Sunday football games to start. We were "arguing" over who had to go make the coffee that morning and of course Jesse lost :) When he came back upstairs, he knelt down and handed me my cup...but there was something tied to the handle..."Will you..." "YES" I blurted out, before he even asked the question. I was smiling and laughing and fumbling with the stupid cotton string he used to tie the ring on, trying to get out of my chair and hug him at the same time..."Don't worry, I came prepared" he says as he pulls a scissors out of his pocket. I finally get the ring free and onto my finger, hug and kiss this wonderful man who wants to be with me forever, but have to get up and put creamer into my coffee...Wait a minute, how could he forget the creamer?! What did I just get myself into?! ;)