Freshman year at spring valley high school is where it all started. I can’t pin point the exact time or place but Royce is always in my memories from high school. We were good friends and I always had a little crush. Freshman year we had Ms. Wilkerson for Spanish and for math and he always let me copy the math homework and gave my snacks and gum while doing it. We had AVID all four years together and always had good laughs in that class. Spanish 2 sophomore year English class junior year and government and math senior year. Royce would offer to give me rides to work and I would give him and Chase ice cream. Royce and Chase were a package deal and were always together. One day Chase wasn’t in the car and Royce stopped on my way to work and showed me this little lake. That’s when I decided I really did have a crush on him. He opened my door that day. But I thought he was too good for me and I thought I was too chunky for him. And I never said a word. I remember just genuinely being good friends with him and Chase. Holding my little crush in. His mom even spray tanned us a few times in high school. She doesn’t remember that thank goodness! After high school we didn’t do a good job of keeping in touch. We followed each other on Instagram. I occasionally saw him shopping or at TruFusion a few times. But he was a taken man then unfortunately.

September 28

Was another typical day at work for me. But this day is always a perfect reminder to me as to why I should always say yes. A really good customer of mine asked me what I was doing that night, I said I wasn’t sure what am I doing sarcastically. He said want my golden knight tickets tonight. I said absolutely!!! Let me go tell my boss I’ll be leaving early tonight no negotiations (as my customer claims these are good seats) my boss gave me the okay. I texted my cousin Brittney and her husband if they would be interested in going with me and they also brought Julianna with them. My Tia was so graciously willing to watch the baby.

It was all set we went to the game and he was right they were great seats! Right behind the goal! I posted a picture on Instagram! And lo and behold Royce finally DMs me back lol (he hearted me twice over the past year) the man was finally single (I think)

All he said is what section are you in. Nothing interesting 🤨 I told him. He said he saw me. He told me to enjoy the game and we met up after.

I was nervous to see him because I knew how handsome he had gotten so as we were waiting for him to come I had butterflies! He comes over with Chase! We hug and say hi! And we message for the rest of the night and the next couple of days until he finally asks me out and I figured out that he is finally flirting! My friend was convinced he was. I thought he was just being friendly because we were friends in high school.

Oct 3rd

Our first date is a great laugh. Royce asked if he could pick me up like the true gentleman he is. I usually never allowed guys to pick me up before but I figured it was fine because hey we were friends. He knocks on the door looking handsome as ever. Opens my door and off we go, to our now favorite spot North Italia. Two minutes into the drive and his car starts making a funny noise. He said we are going to change cars for a moment if that’s okay. I asked if he still lived where I remembered which is about 8 minutes away from my mom’s house. He gets out of the car to get the keys to Chase's truck, as I step out I quickly realize as I step down my new heels are missing one heel!! I panicked before he comes out I quickly try to break my other heal with no luck I try to re attach my heal. As he comes out he asks what’s wrong and I tell him my shoe broke lol 😂

We laugh and quickly get into Chase's truck (as I hop over) as these are new shoes saying I knew I should have just worn my converse. (I never wear heels) we get in the car and he leaves us ABSOLUTELY NO GAS ⛽️ so we have to drive to the gas station. Fill up the tank. Then back to my house to get shoes. As I walk in the house my mom goes seriously what happened. I said nothing my shoe broke I’ll be back! As we are very late for our dinner reservation. Dinner was great we talked and closed the place down. I came home that night thinking that is the last first date I may ever have to go on. A few weeks later I see my cousin for brunch and I tell her I think I may have met my future husband.

Fast forward a few months

Dec 3rd

For those of you that haven’t been over to my house. I have doors full of notes, and books of notes that Royce writes me. one particular note was a complete game changer. The note read. “I like you as much as you like coffee” in my coffee drawer for me to find.

I immediately text my girls and say. I know this man knows how much I LOVEEEEE coffee. Is he trying to tell me something *cough cough* because if he loves me I love him!!! I have been holding it in. IS IT TO SOON. AM I CRAZY! Should I tell him first?! I tell them. No I can’t tell him first that’s madness. He can do it he’s the man. Well, maybe he doesn’t, maybe he likes me, no, he knows I love coffee he just bought me all this coffee. I debate on the phone for 20 minutes. I let a day pass by. We have to leave each other. On the drive to get my mom. We sent a text that said how thankful we were for each other. I followed it up with a text that said “I think I am falling in love with you. “He replied sames!!! My heart 🤍 we pulled up at the red light at the same time and smiled at each other and blew a kiss. The next day we are in love. 🥰 we have been in love ever since.

We went to look at rings back in June and July. I figured it was not happening till Christmas because he just wasn’t asking yet lol.

September 23 he popped the question I have been waiting my whole life to answer. I said yes to forever with the man of my dreams. Can’t wait for our wedding, the next best day of my life.

I remember Jennifer clear back to middle school, she was always popular. But her and I became friends our freshman year of high school. We had many classes together but the most notable was our college prep class, AVID.


I was not the best student, but I always did my homework. Jennifer would always check with me to see if I did the homework, she needed someone to copy from. I was happy to share with her as my little way of flirting.


Our friendship in high school was not limited to copying homework. After turning 16 years old I got my first truck, an old 1993 pick up truck that was my Great Grandpa Rasmussen’s. Jennifer, Chase, and I would all pile in the front seat of my old pick up truck after school to drop Jennifer off at home. Occasionally I would also take her to work.


Jennifer used to work at Cold Stone. Back then that was one of the popular hang out spots. Many times Chase and I would drive by Cold Stone to see if Jennifer was working, if she was we would go in and if she wasn’t we kept on driving.


Another great memory I have with Jennifer was her 17th birthday party. All the cool kids were at this party so Chase and I thought we were pretty cool that we also got the invite. At this party this was the first time I met Jennifer’s mom, Jackie.


Back in high school my mom used to do spray tans in our house. During the school year my mom would get really busy spray tanning all the girls for the different school dances. Jennifer was one of the girls that would come over to get a tan.


We knew the rules, no going in Mom and Dad’s room while there were girls over getting a tan. We followed that rule always, but we made sure to be seen before the girls would leave the house. I do remember waiting downstairs for Jennifer and her friends to finish their tans so we could catch a glimpse!


And don’t forget all the senior crowns I paid Jennifer to make for me for every little senior occasion!


After high school Jennifer and I would lose contact with each other only keeping tabs on social media. Every once in awhile I would run into Jennifer at the yoga studio we both went to, TruFusion. She was always good to come say hello!


Fast forward to October 2022. I am at a VGK hockey game with my family. Between periods I was on my phone looking through Instagram and saw on a story post that Jennifer was at the same game. From their post I knew where her seats where so I thought I would be cool and let her know I too was at the hockey game. So I sent her a DM.


We agreed to meet up after the game to say hello. Needless to say I wanted the game to be over right then and there but I had to wait. Chase and I went to go find her, and when I saw her I was speechless. I remember thinking to myself, wow Jennifer is stunning! She had the whitest teeth, the warmest smile, and she just looked amazing! We spoke for a few minutes, caught up on each other’s lives briefly then exchanged phone numbers with the plan to hang out sometime.


We all know that line, “yeah we should hang out sometime” it’s the line you give someone at the end of a conversation to not awkwardly walk away with just a goodbye. I truly didn’t know if Jennifer and I would ever hang out but I had a chance so I decided I would give it a shot. Jennifer and I messaged back and forth constantly over the coming days, catching up on the nearly 10 years of being estranged.


After a week or so I mustered up enough courage to ask Jennifer on a date. Plans were made for me to pick her up from her house then we would go to dinner at North Italia. Let’s just say the first part of our date was quite eventful.


I sat down the street from Jennifer’s house for a good 30 minutes before I was scheduled to be there just to make sure I was not late. As soon as I picked Jennifer up, my car started to make some unpleasant noises. I tried to ignore the noises and played it off like it was just a normal thing. But it was apparent, my car was not going to get us to dinner. Luckily Jennifer and I lived quite close to each other so I suggested that we make a quick stop at my parent house to get a different car. I was so embarrassed. Chase was not using his truck that night so I grabbed the keys really quick.


As I went to tell Jennifer the good news that I had found a new car she started to gather her things to move to Chases truck. But to both of our surprise, right as Jennifer got out of the car her heel broke right off. I just remember both of us laughing.


After leaving my parents house we realized the new car was totally out of gas and an emergency gas station stop followed.


Now we hurried back to Jennifer’s house, got her a new pair of shoes and off we went to North Italia.


We reconnected so well, had lots of the same memories, knew most of the same people, our conversations just flowed.


And just like that Jennifer and I were connected at the hips. Lots of late nights and early mornings, but I would change it for the world. Jennifer is my girls and I cannot wait to make her my wife!