Amanda was a Regions Hospital E.D. Nurse and Josh was the Saint Paul Police Officer that had an eye for her. Josh actually found Amanda on Facebook and began persistently talking to her until she agreed to a date after a couple of weeks of conversations while Amanda was on vacation in Florida. The two have been simply inseparable since that very first date. In fact, Amanda took the initiative and instead of your typical first date hug or maybe even a handshake, she ran up to Josh and kissed him right on the lips. The story is fairly simple and lacks some of the Hallmark movie extravagance, but it's a true and honest love story nonetheless. We wouldn't change a single thing about any of it!

In April of 2023, Josh and I joined Josh's family on a vacation to Florida for Josh's brother-in-law's 40th Birthday. On the second day of the trip, Josh's sister and I were laying out on the beach near the water and truly enjoying everything about the day. I was CLUELESS as to what was about to take place. I didn't notice that for no real reason at all, everyone on the vacation very quickly began "enjoying the beach" with us. I was still just sitting in the sand with my toes in the water thinking this day couldn't be any better. I knew Josh was being goofy and metal detecting the sand looking for lost treasures which was exactly what he did in the Bahamas on our last vacation together. This was not abnormal behavior for him :) Well, Josh actually found something! He came up to me with his Niece by his side and showed me this little ring that he had claimed to have found. The ring that he found was a placed treasure that Josh's mother had been a part of as well as a distraction that I was completely unaware of and one that worked flawlessly. I laughed about the ring and pretended it could have been an engagement. I looked over at Josh to show him how pretty it was on my ring finger when I saw that he was now down on one knee in the sand right behind me holding a little box in his hand with a gorgeous diamond shining inside of it. Josh simply said, "will you marry me" with a smile on his face. It was automatic tears from me and a standing ovation from every other family on the beach that was watching this unfold. Of course, I said YES and kissed my now Fiancé in what was the most magical moment of my life. The funny part was that the little ring that Josh had used as a distraction actually belonged to Josh's Mother. Well, I subconsciously removed it from my finger and threw it somewhere in the sand when Josh presented me with the real engagement ring! We did find it shortly thereafter :) I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with my best friend <3