Jessie: “I was dating an EMT in 2012 when I first met Jeremy. Jeremy was his paramedic partner in the ambulance; they worked together. I used to chase the ambulances and bring the guys lunch or snacks, stuff they didn’t normally have time to get themselves, like Chinese food or something. I’d hang out until another call dropped and they’d race off again. Sometimes we would all hang out together, with a bunch of other EMT’s and paramedics, and go bowling or out to birthday celebrations and similar. Things ended badly with the EMT in September of 2013. I tried to stay friends with him and we still tried to hang out with the group but it really didn’t work. What happened instead is I got closer to Jeremy little by little. He invited me to help him pass out hot chocolate and elf hats to the Manitou Springs community where he was a volunteer firefighter. I helped him build his resume portfolios when he decided to apply for his dream job and then celebrated with him when he got it. We went to Glenwood Springs in January for the weekend and I got to see a distant coworker I’d wanted to meet for months. We’d go out to see matinee movies with no expectations. We both bought nice cameras with our tax returns and would go take pictures together. He adopted my sister’s husky, Ginger. We were best friends when, during a sunset dinner on the front porch on June 10^th, 2014, he casually states that we’ve been going through the motions of dating already and asked me if I’m ready to take the next step and make it official and start dating.”

Jessie: “We really don’t have a “first date” because it started so slowly and built up. There really was no defining moment or event, our relationship just grew so comfortably and slowly it kind of took us both by surprise but it didn’t at the same time.”

Jessie: ” I think we kind of always knew that that was where we were headed. Before we even started dating officially we’d talked about what we wanted in relationships and the end result for us both was marriage and kids, if we found the right partner. We agreed that previous relationships hadn’t worked out on our timelines and we both made a conscious effort not to rush things and to allow things to grow naturally and in its own time. We knew it would come, just not when we’d be ready for it. We were Christmas shopping for our families in 2015 when he allowed me to drag him into the Kay jewelers in the mall. He said he saw the ring he wanted to get me then and went back for it.”

Jessie:  “We saved up for almost a full year and planned a Florida vacation that we took together with my parents. We drove to Florida and he got to meet the majority of my amazing family. We planned to see beaches on both the east coast and the west coast, for comparison, since he’d never been. We split off from my parents and went to the west coast a day earlier than they did. We spent the majority of the day at the beach on Honeymoon Island (the beach was totally picked on purpose, I found out later; the name wasn’t a coincidence). We packed up right before sunset and went back to sit on a picnic table while we watched the sky turn beautiful colors. I’m taking pictures left and right as the sky changes colors, like I do, and he’s trying to convince me to set my camera down and just enjoy the moment. I told him he’d known me long enough to know that taking pictures of everything is how I enjoyed my moments, LOL. During a lull in my picture taking enthusiasm, he casually says that we’ve been dating for a while and asks how about we take the next step and would I marry him? He pulls out this gorgeous blue diamond engagement ring, which he’s been holding for 6 months, and I am literally speechless and just start crying. For a good few minutes I can only garble nonsense like “it’s blue!” and “it’s so pretty” and hug him every few seconds. After a minute or two, and I’ve got the ring on my finger, just staring at it, he mentions I haven’t really given him an answer. I saucily glance over at him and smile and say “I really shouldn’t have to answer such a silly question, but of course I will!”

Jeremy: “I’m still waiting to taste cake and get to taste-test the food. When do we get to that part?”

Jessie: “My favorite part so far has probably been building the invitations. I found a design I liked but thought they were way too expensive for our moderate budget and decided I could design and make my own. I found a lovely site called Cards and Pockets that has been amazing and worked with me to get everything I needed. I’ve built them all by myself so far and am quite proud of them. The best part is a custom logo I created and had laser cut, to represent the two of us. The phoenix firebird is like my personal totem and has been since middle school and he loves wolves and his job of firefighting. Our logo is a phoenix bird and a fire wolf in a yin and yang type circle with a simple heart in between them.”

Jessie: “I think Ginger, the husky, would be a complete diva. She’s demanding at times and can be vocal about her demands. “Why isn’t my food ready? Why aren’t you petting me? I’m gorgeous aren’t I? Look at me! Why am I not the center of your world every second I’m in your sight?” She’s kind of sassy. She also tries to referee when Jeremy and Scylla play outside. “Careful, you’re not doing that right!” I think Scylla is a more anxious, hopeful sort of companion with a smaller, less assertive voice. “I see you’re getting ready to go somewhere. Can I go with you? I’d really like to go with you, wherever you’re going. I just want to be where you are.” She follows me from room to room. She’s a quiet, more patient, kind of spirit, almost regal in her bearing. She’ll sit patiently and wait at the door or stare at you, willing you to notice her.”

Jessie: “I love that he is generally super prepared for whatever we’re doing. It may take an extra twenty minutes to go anywhere but he can handle any number of emergencies we might encounter, even if we are just going for a drive in the mountains. He makes sure I have one of my cameras with me whenever we go somewhere that he knows I’d want one, he has spare jackets or blankets for when I get cold, Chapstick to support my minor addiction, etc… I know that whatever happens he’s ready and able to take care of me.”

Jeremy: “I love that I’m her personal heater. She always likes to share her cold hands and feet with me, even if I’m in a dead sleep. It usually means I get to hold her hand though. ^_- She always has to walk on my left side and she doesn’t always notice right away and randomly has to switch sides when we’re walking. She always remembers little things that I forget and has a knack for finding things I’m looking for, even if they are right in front of me. Every so often she writes a cute message on the dry erase board on our fridge that makes me smile every time I see it, or leaves me paper notes that says she’s thinking of me.”

Jeremy: “The end, LOL! Actually, I’m really looking forward to the reception to celebrate with our friends and family all together. The ceremony will be nice and of course I get Jessie in the end regardless, but getting all the friends and family together to celebrate with us means a lot.”

Jessie: “I’m really looking forward to marrying my best friend but in a way that I’m proud of and want to share with the world and most especially my friends and family. We could sneak away to a courthouse, I’ve been there and done that, but what kind of celebration is that? I want to announce to the world that I have found my partner, the one I want to spend the rest of my life with and share everything with and grow old with. I think our wedding day will be the perfect way to do that and share the moment with our friends and family we love the most and are just as excited for us as we are.”