Not everyone gets the first few chapters of their life right on the first try. Every person that has come into our life has been a lesson and/or a blessing. Each of our invited guest has made up some part of our story through the years. We would like to share parts of that story with you.

5 years ago….

John and I met during covid online through Idaho Facebook singles. At the time we were both so burned out on the "new age dating" that we stopped really investing time into the process. I was up late putting together my daughter's bookshelf while talking on the phone with John. He tried so hard while driving down the road to help me put it together. After a few hours, lots of laughs, and a few missing screws later, we decided to meet up for breakfast when he came back to town. His conditions for breakfast were simple, no makeup, no dressing up, and no games. Well, I do not wear makeup for the most part, I showed up in scrubs, and I was over the games of dating too.

Our breakfast took place at The Cracker Barrel, with 4 items on the menu. This was not a date, but more like a vetting process of compatibility between two people who were tired of the new normal dating process. We put one year of dating into those 8 hours in a vetting/job like process. The first thing I told him was, "I am hard to live with and even harder to love." I read him the warning label, and he brushed me off. Later he told me that I undersold that line. I should have said man sighing would be like breathing. lol. Once our conversation started it never stopped, and our transparent communication was spot on with very similar lifestyles, values, age of children, and goals for the future.

6 years of dating by our wedding date…

Through the years we have finished raising our teenagers, sent a few off to college or trade school. I encouraged John to buy a house they could always come home too and built a life of laughter together. I was able to get back in the saddle after 22 years and share my love of horses with John and my younger children.

You really want to know someone, travel with them often. Our first destination after I graduated from my BSN program and passed my boards, was getting John to travel out of country for the first time to Ireland. We fell in love with a part of our heritage we both shared. My great grandparents were both born in the western part of Ireland near Galloway. John found his Irish roots, the Dunn or Dunne name means “dark one” and my Murdock name means “good omen.” We have even discussed retiring in Ireland as a possibility, because of the food, people, and beauty of the country. This has become a vacation favorite, that inspired our Irish wedding idea.

The engagement… March 21st, 2025!

I gave John my expectation of 5 years to decide to marry me or end our relationship. He placed an extensive amount of time and effort into our 5th dating anniversary. This included not telling me the location till we almost arrived at West Yellow Stone Montana. We stayed at a cabin with a kitchenette surrounded by the snow I love and he calls a curse word. But being mid-March we found out too late the park was closed for the blizzard coming in the next day. John’s plans became canceled for my snow. So, we switching to plan B, we found a snowmobile place that rented full head to toe gear and the machine for a great price. Half the day out together with him speed racing and my sight-seeing slowness made for a perfect first day. We became kids again laughing and joking in the snowy mountains. Later I found a local hot spring that had live music and food.

John listened to me when I said I do not want a fancy ring; the person is more important than the ring. I told him I would be happy with a ring pop, especially since I cannot wear a ring to work or horses without messing it up. He spent a few hours looking through stores for my ring pop to propose to me in our cabin. Sweetest proposal, and I ate my ring. In light of this we are giving a ring pop to every guest for each of you to give to someone you want to dance with at our wedding.