BETTER TOGETHER

I remember the moment I knew that I was in love with Ryan. He was dropping me off at my car in the Macy's parking lot. This had become the routine when we would hang out after work. I lived 40 minutes away so we usually got dinner/ice cream or went to the harbor. Ryan was wearing a black and blue flannel and a backwards hat and I remember looking into his eyes and knowing in that moment that he was the one I would spend the rest of my life with. Back then, we both worked at Nordstrom. I would go in on my lunch break with my coworkers, but I was always too shy to talk to him. My friends would try to talk to him and get the conversation going, but he was clueless and had no idea what was going on. One night, Ryan added me on Facebook. I accepted his request, but that was it! He didn't send me a message and I was still too shy to say anything to him. The following week, after a night out (and some liquid courage) I had the courage to send him a message. "Hey you work in the Cafe, right?" is what I came up with. (Insert facepalm emoji here - it clearly said on his profile that he worked at Nordstrom.) He replied that he did and we started talking. Our relationship moved very fast. Within ten days of talking we went on our first date. Within ten more days we were "official." Within about a month he told me he loved me. We moved in together after just 10 months. (Then things slowed down for quite some time - LOL.) Ryan and I are very different but somehow we are also very much alike. We are both driven and I secretly think we are more motivated by each other's success. Not in a jealous type of way, but we truly make each other want to be better every day. Moving to Vegas was such an adventure for so many reasons. We both got multiple promotions/new positions, adopted Izzie and Avery, graduated from UNLV and learned so much about each other along the way. We are better together and know that there are so many more adventures in our future.

I met Ashley at Nordstrom where we both worked. I’ll never forget how nervous she made me when she was in the Cafe, even when it was only for a water cup. There was something about her that made me want to get to know her more. After she accepted me on Facebook I got a message from her asking if I worked in the Cafe. Really? She only checked me out every day! I will never let that down. Our first date was at Chomp Sushi. I was beyond nervous but it was so easy to talk to her from the minute she got in my car. First dates typically are getting to know basics about the other person but for us it was much more. We had deep conversations and learned a lot about each other. After that, we spent every day together and our love story began. We come from very different backgrounds. It made it hard at times to understand each other. I was nervous to talk with Ashley about moving out of state so I could accomplish some of my goals. I never thought she would follow me to Las Vegas but she did. Ashley is one of the smartest and most hard-working people that I know. Moving in together before being together a year was not easy, but we always put each other first. I learned a lot about Ashley during that time. She has always pushed me to be the best I can be. She is my motivation and I have wanted nothing more than to take care of her and our future family one day. For now, that is two high maintenance dogs. She is not only my partner in crime but also my best friend. We fall more in love with each other each day. She has made me feel more loved than I ever thought was possible. Choosing her every single day for the rest of my life is the best gift I could ask for. In the next few years, I look forward to traveling with her and creating more memories. I’m excited for finding our first house together and building a family. I’m so thankful that we met and can’t wait to grow old together! Our wedding day couldn’t come fast enough. I can’t wait to officially call her my wife.