This past year has been nothing short of wild, the kind of adventure that starts with flames and just keeps burning brighter.

One of our first dates wasn’t dinner or drinks; it was a disaster. My neighbor called, panicked. A fire was racing toward another neighbor’s home, and they needed help moving horses. When the call came in, Cody and I were sitting on the back porch after going on a ride together. Without hesitation, we both jumped in the pickup and tore down the road. We loaded horses, tack, valuables, anything we could save, and didn’t stop until the fire was under control and the neighbors were safe. That night, something sparked between us.

Since that night, we’ve chased sunsets across the country. We’ve slept under stars, taken wrong turns that led to the best places, and laughed our way through the mess and magic of it all. It’s been a year of discovery; new places, new memories, and a friendship that only God could’ve written.

Then, this last summer of 2025, in Meeker, Colorado, with fires burning all around us, smoke curling through the mountains, Cody asked me to take a walk. This walk led us to a beautiful bridge with one heck of a backdrop, completely picture-worthy. His friend, Bo, said, "Hey, let's take a quick picture of you two right here," so as I got myself ready to look half-decent (still in my workout clothes from earlier that day), I thought nothing of it until I turned around and saw Cody on one knee.

My heart stopped. The world didn’t. It burned. But in the middle of all that chaos, I felt total peace.

I didn’t have to think. The answer was easy.

YES.

Yes, to the man who ran into the fire with me.

Yes to the laughter, the freedom, the wild rides.

Yes to the kind of love that turns ashes into beauty.