The first night of spring break 2022 the plan was to meet up with my mom, aunt, and grandma for a late dinner. We had planned to go to the Night Owl, but it was closed early, so we decided instead on Gunsight in Columbia Falls. After some food and drinks, I had just canceled my plans to go out with friends, when a tall man in a cowboy hat came up and said, "I know it's a girl's night, but can I have this dance?" Everyone in my family was in awe of this tall cowboy and immediately offered me up for a dance, "Hell yeah she would!" For the last song of the band playing that night, we danced and I finally got to see who this tall cowboy was. He told me he was from Nebraska, his mom also was a teacher and had experience with special needs students, and he loved to dance. He was confident and kind, he danced well and held me close. After one song we decided we would meet up at the Blue Moon to dance more...so we did... with all of my family in tow. My tall Nebraskan cowboy was already a hit. Hesston went on to meet my dog Sully, who if you know, does not take to men quickly. I introduced them on a dirt road one afternoon before a family dinner on Sunday. Sully did try to eat him at first, but Hesston got on his level, gave him time, and by the end, Hesston was walking a more relaxed and happy Sully. This was the moment I knew there was something different about Hesston. In a short span of time he had come into my life and was bringing life to places close to my heart. Walking with him that day, I knew I needed more time with him. Spring break went back to regular routine, and our regular routine started involving more of one another. Fishing with our dogs, riding our horses through wheat fields, family dinners, trips to Missoula, trips across the country. Swimming in rivers in Nebraska and walking our dogs in the ocean in Florida, bar hopping from Ohio to Nashville, Nashville to New Orleans. From sharing highs of successes as well as growing pains as we both go from 23 to 24. We have grown up this last year and fell in love. Hesston is everything I have wanted and more. He has created new dreams with me and encouraged me to achieve the ones I already have. He is the voice that says, "You look great, baby" every morning before work, before a date, or when I get out of the car. People gravitate to him, he is truly my best friend and my forever dance partner.

I met Victoria at the Gunsight Saloon in Columbia Falls. On a late evening in early March, I stopped to have a beer with a couple of friends of mine, Diagn and his wife Kylynn for what I expected to be a short and uneventful night out. They had live music that night and that bar isn't necessarily known for dancing. The performing band announced their last song. A gut instinct told me to pull my head out of my ass and turn around. I turned around taking a glance around the bar and noticed a gorgeous young woman smiling and indulging in conversation sitting at a booth at the far end of the room. Seconds upon discovering this woman in my peripheral, I turned to my friends and believe I probably said something like, "I'll be right back"... I proceeded to the booth where this woman sat, at which point I couldn't tell you if my body and my soul were more separate or more tied together as one when facing the girl I know and love today as Victoria. I didn't know what she truly looked like or what kind of personality she might carry before walking up to her table. But by God's will or universal fate, my soul and my body together knew that I had to get my foot in the door with this lady, and the best plan I had available was dancing. " Uhhh Would you like to dance with me?" Is all I can remember saying, haha, knowing me that's probably the most I could fork out. A woman sitting at the booth, which today I still couldn't tell you which for certain, but pretty sure it was her aunt said, "hell yeah she would!" Haha.. I then led this gorgeous young lady wearing a cardigan to the center stage. We danced on the bar room floor and I explained to her how she looked like a teacher, and happen stance she was. We related on the position she was in and how it was similar to my mothers. We had a lot in common, 3 minutes of the last available song was all we needed to insist we needed more. We went to the next available bar that night and danced. Our first date, we met at the same bar to dance, and we continued to see each other, to date, and to dance on those dates. When I came to Victoria with the idea of dating and enduring an official courtship, she was stubborn and skeptical. I insisted that I had no false interests, she was leading this dance. I also insisted that I was going to chase and court her regardless. I did, I am. And I will continue to do so. Upon our wedding, we will work together as we have learned to so and lead each other through the dance of life. On one of Victoria and I's early dates, she stopped by the shop to see me. She was carrying a case of cold smoke beers and asked what the plan for the night was. I skeptically asked, "wanna blow shit up?" She responded, "Hell Yeah!" We introduced a sawed-off double-barreled 12 gauge to a county of signs that night with a case of cold smoke behind us. Every inch of me knew from the beginning to the end of that night, I was gonna marry this woman. Ask the girl to dance, you just might marry her.