Our story begins in 2019 at a waterpark in Coon Rapids, Minnesota. I (Amanda) was just finishing up my junior year of nursing school. This was to be my seventh and final year working as the lifeguard supervisor at Bunker Beach Waterpark. Andrew was the new guy. Prior to becoming said "new guy", Andrew had been searching for a change in his career. Often referred to as a 'jack of all trades,' he wasn't quite sure what he wanted to do, however, he knew he wanted a job outdoors that required full-time manual labor. The job offer for a summer waterpark technician and winter park keeper was just the right fit and in April of 2019, he officially became "the new guy."

Some time in late-April Andrew and I were introduced to one another. It went pretty much like this:

Manager: "Hey Andy, this is Amanda. She's our lifeguard supervisor. She oversees the lifeguard team so you will likely hear from her and see her a lot."

Andy: "Hi. Oh, hey [manager]... so.. uh.."

To this day he will tell you he could only muster up a quick and awkward "Hi" before switching to talking to our manager because he thought I was "too beautiful" and he "was super nervous and uncomfortable."

The summer continued with little more than quick "Hey" exchanges when crossing paths with one another. Behind the scenes, Andrew will tell you he was "secretly admiring" me and doing so any chance he got. You could usually find me doing the same from my own office, often exclaiming to everyone around me when I saw him, "I want to be that man's best friend."

By August, I knew I couldn't let the summer pass without at least trying to get to know Andrew better. I stopped by his office one day with a "maintenance request" I came up with. Really I just wanted a reason to talk to him so I could encourage him to join the leadership team group chat. After all, it was imperative that he "stay in the loop" with what was going on with the park and Leadership, right? Or at least that's how I phrased it. Really it was all a ploy to get his number, and a pretty sly one at that! Not long after he joined our chat, Andrew sent me a private message complimenting the car I had posted in my account photo. As a car guy, it was only natural that this is what he noticed and felt the need to compliment on, never mind the girl lying across the hood... but I digress.

From then on, Andrew and I began texting one another all day, every day (some things never change) and quickly developing a strong friendship. I began inviting Andrew to leadership team events as a way to spend more time with him outside of work. After multiple attempts and Andrew always having "other plans," he finally agreed to come to the end-of-summer employee swim night. It didn't take long at that swim night for Andrew and I to recognize there was an instant chemistry between us. By the end of the night, you could find us on our first date talking over dinner for four-plus hours. Our second date would be the following night, and the third not long after. Before we knew it we were spending nearly every day together and have been doing so ever since!

There is no doubt that Andrew and I have become best friends and we cannot wait to hold that role for the rest of our lives. We hope you will join us this fall as we say "I do" and kick off the next phase of our life together. We are so excited to share this day with you!