We both grew up in Cologne, MN. The joke we have between us is I grew up on the east side of town & Joseph on the west side. We both attended Waconia Schools. So naturally we rode the same bus together (102 to be exact) starting in 2008. Joseph was a grade below me.


After a few weeks of our bus ride talks, I decided to put my number in Joe’s phone. Things only progressed from there, our friendship grew stronger which then led to our first relationship together. This one only lasted about a month (this is the shortest of our dating experiences lol).


We dated again in 2011 till 2014. During these years we really understood the meaning of having a best friend and being high school sweethearts. We both have always had a love for the outdoors from hunting to fishing, to four-wheeler rides, to helping our families with work around the farms, to supporting one another with other curricular activities (Ashley-softball, Joseph- 4H & shooting sports). However, once college got into the picture, things changed, and we ended up breaking up. Little did we know at the time, God had other plans for us.


5 years later…. However during that timespan Joe and I always remained friends and talked often. We always said we had a connection. Together, everything felt right, and it just clicked. We were drawn to one another. So here again, we decided to give it another go... the rest is history!


We bought our first house together in 2020. We learned even more about each other the first few months of living together lol, but we made many memories together. Including with our dog, Rex (was MY dog first the first year and a half of his life to be exact), but Joe says Rex adopted him. Needless to say, Rex prefers Dad over Mom nowadays. He definitely makes life more interesting for us, but we wouldn't trade that for anything.


Finally, we get to February of 2024… Joe asked me to marry him at Breezy Point Resort. This has been a family designation with the Bartz’s for many years and is a big part of our story. I of course said YES! We are so excited to start our forever and to be sharing it with all of you! God Bless!