How did your love story begin?

Our love story isn’t a fairytale. It began with David eavesdropping at a Mexican restaurant. He was clumsily flirting with a waitress when he overheard the woman in the next booth get stood up by a friend. His motive was selfish; he just didn’t want to eat his tacos alone. But then she came to his table & the axis of his world shifted. All the noise, the chatter, the entire restaurant just…. Vanished. Suddenly that single, opportunistic meal became our forever.

What is your favorite memory you've shared as a couple?

Our favorite memory is the 3,000 mile drive to his new duty station. We felt small under the giant Sequoias, and stood in awe at the Grand Canyon. That trip taught us that ‘home’ isn’t a destination on a map. It’s being together wherever the military takes us. It’s our favorite memory because it was the moment we knew all of our greatest adventures were still ahead.

What would you do with $20,000?

As a military family, our homes are often temporary. This $20,000 would be the foundation for a down payment on a house we can finally call our own. It’s our dream to give our kids a permanent home with a height chart on the wall, a stable home base that they can always return to, no matter where his service sends us. This prize wouldn’t just be money; it would be the key to securing our family’s lasting future.