Our love story started in the 8th grade with a handwritten note and a middle school crush. Ryan was my first love, but when his family moved away, we lost touch. This was before social media could keep everyone connected. Nearly 20 years later, we found each other again. Looking back, it feels like God was writing our story all along—proving that some people are simply meant to find their way back home.

Our favorite memory as a couple is our trip to Costa Rica. We rented a car and spent days exploring the country together—chasing waterfalls, spotting wildlife, getting lost on back roads, and embracing every adventure that came our way. The highlight was when Ryan proposed at the bottom of the breathtaking La Fortuna Waterfall. It was a perfect moment, but what made it even more special was realizing I had found my forever adventure partner. That trip wasn’t just the beginning of our engagement—

After my Stage IIIB melanoma diagnosis, we’ve learned not to take a single day for granted. I spent over 10 years as a Trauma ICU nurse caring for others, but cancer forced me to step away from the career I loved. We would use the $20,000 to help with treatment expenses and continue building our family business, Texas Hill Country Essentials. Winning wouldn’t just bless us—it would help us continue blessing others.