Connect How did your love story begin?

Tom was actually on my hospitality team as a volunteer. But we barely knew each other. One day I worked up the nerve to message him and ask him to dinner… then immediately threw my phone across the couch in a panic! That night we couldn’t read the menu (hello, 50s!) We laughed nonstop and didn’t want it to end. From that first date on, we knew this was something different, something real.

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

The night before our wedding, we skipped the traditional rehearsal dinner and shared an intimate meal with our adult children from our previous marriages. We wanted them to know that combining our lives meant fully embracing and loving all of them. We each wrote letters to express how much they mean to us. It was emotional for us and our favorite memory…a beautiful reminder that our marriage was bringing more than two people together.

What would you do with $20,000?

We’d split it between two things close to our hearts: First, supporting The Sharing Shed, where we volunteer helping families rebuild after crisis or abuse. Second, flying to Germany to visit my son and daughter-in-law, who are teaching abroad. Travel there is costly, and we don’t know how long they’ll stay, so this would be another chance to create more memories, while continuing to serve others right here at home.