I don't know of how many good stories start in a bar with two guys named Jim aka "Fathead" and Larry, but here it goes.

One day while at my dad's bar in Odessa, oddly named Fatheads, Jim and Larry, bar owner and bar patron were sitting there when their wives, Janine and Ginger, came in and brought in their young toddlers, Tanner and Julie. During a typical bar conversation, Jim says to Larry, "My son is going to...date your daughter!" Well, as it turned out, Jim is looking to collect on that statement, and I guess that's the unofficial start to this whole deal.

Julie and I had met through our parents a couple times throughout our lives, but nothing to drastic. We went to different High Schools, Tanner at CGB and Julie in Ortonville. We did however go to the same college, at SMSU in Marshall, and both studied education, but then again, no interactions. We figured out we did have one night class together which was in a way two different classes at once.

The official start happens when we fast forward to the Fall of 2020 and both of us began teaching at CGB, Julie at the Big Stone Colony teaching Elementary and I was teaching PE in Clinton and Graceville. Randomly one day, Julie was told by Jen Andrews, who was her mentor teacher at CGB during student teaching, that she should talk with this guy Tanner and that he was a nice guy, which of course he is! So, Julie adds me on snap chat and a few days later I receive a snap chat showing me what one of her students made for her. My response was about how it was going with my students. That conversation has led to a snap streak of over 1,900+ days, which turned into over 5 plus years of dating until to so many people's relief, Tanner popped the question on September 27th, 2025.

On a busy fall day with so many things going on from shopping at boutiques to bar bingo to burying Tanner's Grandma Lois on her birthday, Julie had no idea what that day was going to bring. After the burial, Tanner's family planned to have lunch at Headquarters in Graceville. Tanner and Julie went to the garden center at the Big Stone Colony to get some items, aka by some time for people to get in position at the softball field in Graceville. Tanner and Julie left the colony to head to HQ, Julie was a little suspicious when we drove by without stopping and Tanner said we were driving around. It was just that until Julie saw the home plate area of the field and asks what I was doing, we walked to home plate and the question was asked and most of you reading this may have been able to hear the "Yes!" that came out of Julie if you were paying attention.

All that has led us to now getting ready for October 17th, 2026! And we cannot wait to celebrate with everyone of you!