I first met Samuel at a friends house for a game night the first weekend I moved to Bend in September of 2023. He showed up with a curled mustache wearing cowboy boots and a cowboy hat. I remember thinking what was a guy dressed like that doing in Bend. We didn't talk much that night, but he showed up in other groups I went to with mutual friends. That June I ended up with a hole in the wall of the house I was renting (long story haha) and I needed someone to help me fix it - so I contacted some of the handy guys I knew. Samuel was the only one to show up and he did a great job might I add. Then I left for the summer and we didn't stay in contact. Fast forward to September of 2024 I had started attending a small church called CLA. One night I had sent a message to a text thread of friends from the young adults group I was apart of to see if anyone wanted to join. Once again, Samuel was the only one to show up. Our friendship began to grow as we both got more involved with CLA. And shortly later (not short enough though, if you ask me) Samuel asked me to be his girlfriend on November 21! We had a year of fun and many adventures before Samuel surprised me with a ring on what I had thought was just a family hike on November 22, 2025.