I was a freshman and Eric was a senior in high school. I was smitten the moment I saw him. He took me on our first date on May 1, 1992 for Sonic slushies and we’ve been together ever since. We’ve made it through long distance before cell phones and email. I have a box of letters and cards that we wrote to keep in touch those early years of our relationship. It’s such a sweet, special thing we share that not many couples can say they have.

We just celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary and took a bucket list trip to Moorea and Bora Bora. It was the best trip we’ve ever taken! It was amazingly relaxing. We made it a point to disconnect with technology and be present. Every day we watched the sunrise and couldn’t believe the beauty we were blessed with seeing. We shared so many moments snorkeling, swimming with sharks and sting rays and taking in the local culture. It is a beautiful place and we feel so lucky to celebrate there!

I am currently in the process of starting my own business after working in higher education for over 25 years and losing my job last year, so I would use some of the money towards helping me with that goal. We love animals, especially dogs, so we would also make a donation to the local humane society!