Connect How did your love story begin?

It started with marinara. I was newly single, ready for a girls’ night, and he was my friend’s couch-surfing buddy in a pizza-stained shirt. He crashed my night, then found me on Facebook. Bold. Weird. Kind of charming. Our first date was chaotic: tipsy nerves, failed kisses, and him tossing pizza when I declined a nightcap. But weeks later, we tried again. Sober, sweet, and suddenly everything clicked. We’re messy, funny, stubborn, and absolutely meant to be.

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

On a trip to Jupiter FL we snorkeled, fished, and laughed for days but the highlight was the pirate treasure hunt he created for our kids. With maps, swords, and a real chest they bonded like never before. In that moment we weren’t just blending families we became one. The kids still talk about it and he still has the treasure box. That memory reminds us how far we’ve come and how love and a little imagination can create something truly magical.

What would you do with $20,000?

We’d finally have the wedding we planned in 2022 before a hurricane took everything—our venue, our savings, and our moment. That same year I lost my dad and grandfather, and my mom was placed on life support Feb 2023. It was heartbreaking. With kids in college and life pulling us in all directions we’ve always put our family first. Now we’d love to do something just for us to finally say "I do" and celebrate the love that carried us through it all.