We met in high school—I was a grade below him. One day he saw me sitting outside alone reading and thought, “She’s cute.” That night he messaged me on Facebook. After only a week of talking, he asked me to be his girlfriend in the cheesiest, sweetest way: “I’ve called you Hannah, I’ve called you cutie… when can I call you mine?” I didn’t even realize he was asking until his friend asked if I’d said yes. He came running to find me before leaving school—and the rest is history.

During COVID, we reached a point where we just couldn’t stay cooped up inside anymore. So we pitched a tent in our backyard and turned it into our own little escape for a week—just the two of us. We spent our days laughing, watching movies, sitting by the fire, singing, dancing, and forgetting the world for a little while. In a time that felt uncertain, we found joy in the simplest moments. It became our own little bubble—and one of our favorite memories together.

If we won, we’d use the money to create both stability and memories. As a hardworking blue-collar family raising 3 boys, we’d pay off debt and repair our cars so we could stop living paycheck to paycheck and breathe a little easier. We’d also take our boys to Disney—something we rarely get to do. Most importantly, I’d finally be able to take them to Florida so my grandmother, our last living grandparent, could meet all three of my children. That memory would mean everything to us.