Connect How did your love story begin?

I met Pat on bumble (gasp!). I was working seasonally as a wildland firefighter, and I met him TWO MONTHS before my season began. Pat had just moved to the area, and had about two weeks off to settle into his new home. We hung out everyday! Our first date? Getting a dog together! Like I said, we met on bumble, and the night we matched was the night before he was picking up a puppy. I thought that sounded like fun, and that is how we got three year old golden doodle, Milk!

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

Pat is in the navy, & actually on his first deployment now. Before he deployed, he would have to leave for 4-6 weeks at a time, several times a year. My favorite memories are the nights when I would go to the pier to pick him up. The day of, I would get myself all ready, just like we were just meeting again. You never knew when he was going to get off the ship, so there is always this anticipation building. Everytime I see him walking off the ship, I get butterflies and nervous!

What would you do with $20,000?

Patrick and I got engaged in may of 2025. With his schedule with work, we tried to plan for a wedding in the fall of 2025, but like I mentioned before, he goes away for weeks at a time, and we weren’t able to have a wedding. We ended up just going to the courthouse, and then deployment happened, and now our wedding is 09/06/2027! $20k would go SO FAR in our wedding planning! It would more than cover our remaining expenses, and maybe we could go on a honeymoon too!