Connect How did your love story begin?

In 2010 I began my education at HSU, I walked into my first class and first day at the HSU, our eyes met, there was one seat next to this handsome young man with piercing blue eyes in the back of the classroom. He asked me a few days into class if I wanted to grab a beer on campus after class. I told him then I had two young kids. Our first outing to meet my kids was the farmers market Arcata and he adored them. Our 1st ”date” was backpacking the lost coast in 2days. I knew he was the one.

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

Our first date: 25 mile weekend backpacking along the lost coast. All the beach days with my(our)kids whom he swiftly adopted. One day, my kids ask him if they can call him dad because he acts like a dad. He hugged them and said “of course”! 3 years later we wed on the shore of Lake Tahoe and one year later we added a baby girl to our family. No step dad or half siblings we are always one family. Parenting, traveling, camping, hiking is our favorite. Wildfires and more tragedies can’t take us.

What would you do with $20,000?

We would buy a new car since we live a humble life in the mountains and both our trucks are starting to fall apart and we can’t quite afford to fix them both let alone a new one. The Paradise Campfire set us back finacially. We lost EVERYTHING except each other and the clothes on our backs. We would use it wisely as still 7 years later we are still healing and rebuilding our lives in a new town. Thank you for this opportunity.