We know, it's about dang time.

In the summer of 2014, Katie checked her emails. She noticed an email was marked read from an online dating site three months prior. The accident and subsequent discovery of the man behind that email would change her life forever. The way Jason wrote piqued her interest. Would he remember her? Was he still single? She decided to try and responded with humor and waited patiently with a tinge of excitement. The notification popped up on Jason's phone, and we have not stopped talking. Read on for more of our story.

You read that right. “Jason flew to Amarillo from New York and during our date he sneezed all over my shoulder. You would think that would have deterred me, but I really liked him and decided to roll with it. Working in veterinary medicine I had been covered in far worse. We cleaned it up and enjoyed the rest of the night.” Katie explained. “There are few memories we really hold on to, most of them are so memorable because they are absolutely ridiculous, a common theme really,” Jason added.

Jason and I made a promise that we could not get engaged until after our families met. It was really important that our parents meet, but it was a struggle to get them together with schedules and the distance. One weekend, Katie’s parents flew out to New York. We stayed together at the Ramos home and spent time eating meals and shopping. In all the commotion, Katie forgot about their promise but Jason didn’t. The day before Katie’s parents were scheduled to leave, everyone went out to dinner at a favorite Portuguese restaurant. Enjoying a meal and enamored by the amount of rooster decorations, Katie was surprised by Jason’s proposal.

At the begging of 2017, Katie started getting the itch to come home. A friend reached out to inform her of an open management position at a local veterinary hospital. She told him she’d consider it, but would be remiss if she didn’t tell Swann Animal Clinic that she was considering coming home. The following afternoon a familiar number popped up on her phone, Justin was calling to offer her a job back at home. Very little arm twisting was needed and Katie started to plan to move. We’d done long distance before, this wasn’t anything new. So we did it again, knowing Jason would follow when the stars aligned.

Jason moved back to Amarillo the year after and began working at a car dealership. During this time he made friends and worked toward exploring ideas and finding passions. He also found an opportunity in trucking. Sine 2021 Jason has been an over-the-road trucker. The years of long distance laid the foundation for having a successful relationship while only seeing each other once every 6-8 weeks. Many nights are filled with phone calls about our days, text messages are full of pictures from the hundreds of beautiful sights Jason drives by, and every morning is spent preparing for the day and encouraging each other. In between all of this, we’re managing to plan a wedding and life together. We dream and plan our next great adventures, play games to pass the time, and get on each others nerves from time to time.

After the wedding, the music will fade, the flowers will die, and the next steps of our journey will begin. Jason and Katie have plans to build a house and start a ranch. We’ve got business ideas and dreams of a big family. We’re on our way, taking on the world and we’re excited to celebrate the first step of this journey with you as we become husband and wife.