HOMETOWN: Colorado Springs, Colorado

what i do: Deputy Sheriff for El Paso County (EPSO) and member of the EPSO Special Response Team (SRT)

In September of 2021, I was about to start a weeklong Academy for the Sheriff’s Office and try to make a specialized unit called the Special Response Team (SRT). I had been physically preparing for the academy and putting a large amount of my time and energy focusing on that task. But during that time, I had begun to feel the desire to find someone to share my time with and start dating. One night after a mountain bike ride with my brother, I asked my sister-in-law, Alethea, if she knew any nurses or friends that were single and might be willing to date. Immediately—without any delay—she looked at me and said, “Yes, I do.” I was shocked because she answered so quickly and seemed to have someone on her mind.

Little did I know she was thinking of Melissa. She reached out to her and asked if she would like to be put in touch with me. Lucky me, she said yes! After a short bit of time (funny story on that later) we started to message each other back and forth for a couple weeks before our first date. Hundreds and hundreds of messages in fact. We went on a hike and talked for quite a bit and then decided to get some coffee. We sat at the coffee shop for quite some time as well and just continued to talk. Little did I know, but we had been on our first date for almost six hours! It was the easiest conversation and interaction that I’ve ever had.

We continued to see each other on a regular basis and of course I shared all the physically demanding things that I had to endure for the SRT academy because it makes me sound more manly and tough. She still wanted to spend time with me! Can you believe it? She was—and always is—so kind and caring. I am amazed at how she is attentive to everything being said. The more we spent time together the more I was falling in love with her. I knew that I had found my match, but I was playing it cool on the day that I was going to propose. Melissa’s Mom was in town and I wanted to make sure that she was there to celebrate with Melissa and part of her family.

Well, we all went to church that morning and Melissa wanted to grill and have some brats for lunch and just soak up the sun. I was trying to get us out the door so we could go on a nice hike (do you think that the fact that it was 92 degrees out tipped her off?) on her favorite trail and propose to her in the mountains. But Melissa and her Mom had no idea that was my plan and were taking their sweet time with everything and it was making everything late on my end. Very late. My family and part of hers got a celebration dinner ready so we could all enjoy talking about the day and our plans after I proposed. We made it to the party but we were a little over two hours late! Good news: This gave her family and my family a great time to get to know each other. We pulled up to the party and everyone started to clap and yell! It was great!

I would never have guessed that the Lord would end up blessing me with such a wonderful and Godly woman to ask for her hand in marriage. And she said, "Yes!" We continue to have great conversations and tons of laughter all the time. God knows my heart and He knows Melissa’s. He knows what is good for us and His timing was perfect.

I didn’t know if I would ever meet someone at my age that would fit with me so well, but I found Melissa and our life together is just starting. I can’t wait to see where it goes.