We first met at the gym almost 10 years ago. Ryan was just starting his career at Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue, and I was beginning to compete in body building shows. We shared the gym floor many times over the years, but each of us was on our own journey, and months passed between our interactions. Then, winter time about 4 years ago I see this guy I can’t quite put my finger on. It had been years since I had spoken to him, yet there he was at the gym I worked at. If you know Ryan, he is the king of charisma. He can strike a conversation with anyone. So, our discussions were always fun and easy going. And if you know me, I played it cool as a cucumber. He had no idea what a goofball I really am. One day I asked Ryan if he needed any help with his nutrition or fitness at the gym. It was my best shot at getting to know him better. We exchanged lots of polite emails, until we finally exchanged numbers. Nutrition tips turned into “what are you doing this weekend?”, into lots of weekday adventures, and lots of cooking together in my tiny apartment. There haven't been many days we have been apart since then. Our lives paralleled in many of the same cities and places over the years, but we both believe it just wasn't the right time yet. So, here we are today, and we can't wait for all that is yet to come.

The great thing about being a personal trainer is all the cool people you meet. A client of mine is a very talented photographer and she asked if Ryan and I had any photos together. Besides our selfies? Nope. Nothing professional. I was thrilled at the idea to have some great photos of us in our home. I asked Ryan if he would like to take some and he said, "of course!". So, she and I discussed some shoot dates, and she sent me galleries of her work so I could pick where I thought would be best. Little did I know, after showing Ryan her work, that he would secretly reach out to her. They had been deciding on places as well. Every message I received had been masterminded between she and Ryan. I thought I was picking it all out myself. This is where being as gullible as I am makes Ryans life easy. He was ready to make some big moves! The day of the shoot was a disaster. It was pouring down rain. I was in a terrible mood. Halfway there I forgot our bag of clothes we chose to wear for the photos. I said, "let's just call it off". As I cried, Ryan tried to calm me down, so I didn't ruin my makeup. He said, "No way! We are going to go get those clothes, it's going to be great". Eventually we made it back to our location in Cascade Locks. We hiked up into tall grass, green trees, and deep gray blue water to the side of us. It was a true Pacific Northwest day. After what I thought were already some fantastic shots, Ryan and I decide on just a few more pictures before the rain started to roll back in. Back-to-back we took some beautiful photos. For the last set, our photographer asked us to take several sets apart to create some drama. She said, "on the count of three I want you to turn towards each other like you have been apart for months, I want to see excited faces". As I contemplated what this facial expression might be, Ryan was getting down on one knee behind me. One....two....THREE. There he was, a ring box in his hand, with the best smile I have ever seen on his face. -------------------------------------------- To know a couple from the outside is one thing, but the lives the couple lives is another. Ryan and I have weathered some heavy storms. We have taken turns being each other's rock. We know we can do anything together. To see him down on one knee, asking me to be his wife, was a frozen moment in time. I couldn’t tell you exactly what he said, all I know is I dropped down onto my knees and eventually found the words to say “YES”. Yes, to all the ups and downs and in-betweens. We couldn’t be more thrilled to say, "I DO".