Alex and I matched on the dating app Hinge. I was about to start my last year of college and Alex was entering his last year in the Army, what perfect timing! Alex messaged me first and from there we hit it off. He asked me on a date to Taco Lucha in Manhattan, KS and I said yes! I was so nervous before the date that I actually almost ghosted him, but I took a shot of vodka and headed to the restaurant and I'm so thankful I did. Seeing him as I walked to the entrance gave me butterflies and made me all nervous. Sadly, he had just shaved his mustache :( I have never met someone that I connected with so easily before. He made me laugh and listened to my stories. After we were done at Lucha, he walked me to my car in the parking garage even though he parked on the opposite side of Aggieville. He gave me a hug and shut my door for me. Once he walked away I knew I wanted to go on more dates with him, so that's what we did! We dated for a year and a half before we got engaged, but I knew way before that that I was going to spend the rest of my life with this man.

Alex had a jeep while we were living in Kansas and I had never gone cruising in a jeep without the doors or roof on. So naturally, Alex took his roof and doors off to impress me. We went out on some back roads outside of Manhattan and were having a great time talking and laughing and cruising. Somehow drifting cars came up in conversation and we were on a gravel road so Alex says "watch this". Long story short, Alex ended up just taking a turn at a fast speed rather than drifting and I still won't let him live it down.

I knew that a proposal was going to happen over Christmas Break, I just didn't know when. We were opening a couple of presents on Christmas Eve and once we were done, Jodi said she wanted to take pictures of us in front of the tree for the Christmas Card next year. Alex and I stand in front of the tree and I hear Jodi's phone FaceTiming someone, so I say something. She says "oh shoot, I'm calling someone from work" and eventually the call ends because they didn't answer. We go back to getting ready to take a picture when she gets a call and she says her work friend is calling her, except her phone was pointing right at Alex and I so I look at him thinking what is your mom doing Alex? I don't know this person. Alex then reaches up into the Christmas tree and grabs the box with the ring in it. He gets down on one knee and the speech comes. "Josie will you do the honor of being my HUSBAND and becoming a Landa?" I said "your what?!" and everyone starts laughing. This is another thing I will never let Alex live down. I wouldn't want our proposal story to be any different though.