We matched on Bumble in April 2022. By the time we connected in May, Melvin was planning a move from MN to AZ, so love wasn’t in the plans. But our connection was instant and undeniable. I pushed to meet, and he later said he knew he was in trouble (the good kind) the moment he saw me. After two postponed moves, he chose us. He moved in Sept 2022, proposed so my son knew he was all in, and we married on 01/12/2023. It’s the love story we had both been waiting for!

One of our favorite memories is getting matching cross tattoos—placed so that when we hold hands, they line up perfectly. It’s a symbol of our commitment to walk in faith together, side by side. That moment was meaningful and powerful, a quiet promise that whatever life brings, we’ll face it hand in hand with love and God at the center.

We never had the chance to take a honeymoon, as we were focused on preparing our home in MN for sale and making a big move to AZ. While we’ve enjoyed vacations as a new blended family, we haven’t had the opportunity to explore a new destination together—just the two of us. Winning this trip would give us the long-overdue chance to reconnect and celebrate our journey as a couple. Island hopping in Hawaii would be a dream come true and the perfect setting to finally have the honeymoon we want.