Lance and Chelsea met on Match.com in October 2023. Chelsea sent the first like, and Lance reciprocated with a message. Chelsea was attending Nursing school at Dickinson State University in Dickinson, ND. Lance was in the midst of harvest season. Between balancing daily life, kids, and not wanting to rush anything, they Snapchatted daily for 8 weeks. Lance and Chelsea met in person at the mall entrance, near Scheels. Chelsea drove through the aftermath of a blizzard to get there and was late. Lance went gun shopping to kill time. Through all of that, they finally met and went to a late lunch at Blarney Stone Pub, where we took up space at a table for hours just talking, laughing, and enjoying each other's company. By the time they left, it was dark out. Lance asked Chelsea if she wanted to drive around and look at Christmas lights and talk for a while ( at this point, Chelsea did not know Lance was a total Scrooge). By the time it was all done, it was midnight. Sealing the date with a kiss, they both left, not knowing what would come from the date.

Immediately after the first date, Chelsea and her kids flew to Florida for 10 days. They talked every day, and Lance invited her to stay with him for Christmas, knowing she was coming home without family to ND. Christmas 2023 was more magical than Chelsea imagined it could be because her mother's side of the family welcomed her at their family Christmas with open arms, without awkwardness or hesitation the embraced this new person in Lance's life warmly and wholly. Chelsea also met Lexi at Christmas that year and warmed right up to her, after building Legos and watching movies that weekend. For New Year's 2024, Lance met Lacey, Hunter, and Trace and went back to Chelsea's house for the weekend. The kids were unsure about Lance at first. They did warm up through Lance's patience, teaching them new things, and showing up to every event.

In Spring 2024, Lance took Chelsea to Houston to meet his Mom and her husband, John. We went to the museum, zoo, enjoyed swimming, had beautiful warm weather, and tons of yummy food. It was a wonderful weekend where we were able to start building memories and bonding.

The rest of 2024, we spent time balancing life and figuring out how to manage long distance, working, going to school, and blending a family. During this time, Lance expressed his desire to meet Chelsea's family. It was easier said than done due to the limited schedule that education and farming provide. They went to Florida to meet Chelsea's family during Christmas because neither Chelsea nor Lance had their kids on the holiday. She enjoyed the Holiday staying busy between her Mom and Dad's house. Tried some adventurous foods and spent time with her sister, mom, and dad. Lance's takeaways from that adventure were that he will never get in the vehicle with Chelsea's sister ever again and not trust Chelsea's pain tolerance. As soon as they returned from Florida, Chelsea ended up in the hospital with sepsis.

The next major adventure for Lance and Chelsea was in March 2025 we went to Disneyland in California with all of the Kids. This trip was supposed to be over the Christmas break due to Chelsea being sick. This was one of the best trips yet. Introducing Lexi to everything that Chelsea and her kids have enjoyed together for years. Lance wasn't prepared for how this family trip would turn out, but the memories, bonding, and blessings brought joy to the kids' developing relationship that they still talk about and can't wait to experience together in the future.

Back when Chelsea and Lance first got together, Chelsea shared with Lance her love of travel and experiences instead of gifts. During this conversation, Lance told Chelsea that he only really had 2 places he wanted to visit, one was South America for Snowmobiling and the other was to experience Alaska. As soon as they discussed those desires, Chelsea started researching Alaska trips. The trip was booked for July 2025. Chelsea and her mom planned days of activities some together some seperate. Chelsea and Lance are both foodies and enjoy trying new and exotic foods together. The first night of the cruise, Chelsea booked Wonderland, which was a food experience and a half that Lance and Chelsea both decided to pass on the next time around. Day 3 of the cruise, we were in Juneau, Alaska. Chelsea planned a day where the group went and hiked to a Glacier and waterfall around a scenic lake. This was an awesome experience because the hike and views were beyond anything we had ever expected. This was an equally magical spot because this was where Lance got onto one knee and asked Chelsea to marry him. Not only did he propose here, but he also managed to surprise everyone there, including Chelsea and her mom, who was only upset she hadn't been given a heads up to take photos. The cruise was an amazing experience, and they plan to make another longer trip to Alaska.

Following the cruise wedding plans started slowly. Lance and Chelsea felt that the location for their wedding should be one that represents their relationship and their new beginning. A location that serves this purpose for both of them is the Black Hills. It is a location that Chelsea and Lance have attended many weddings together, visited with Lance's family and with the kids, and gone snowmobiling. Additionally, this was a place that Lance took Chelsea to introduce her to his love of motorcycling and experiencing the outdoors in a different and more intimate way. They spent hours riding all over the Black Hills, stopping, talking at little hole-in-the-wall restaurants that blew their minds. It's a scenic and Beautiful area that has so much history, and will be the perfect scene for our future to begin, surrounded by those who love and support them the most.