Hi, I am Kassie! I grew up in Colorado and have lived here for most of my young life through highschool. I moved to Texas with my family as a young adult into my adult life, but am happy to have returned to Colorado. I love hanging out with my dogs and going on adventures with them anytime I can, which Colorado provides some pretty breathtaking locations for!
I also love reading books and spend much of my free-time delving into supplemental writings of the worlds and stories I love most. I have a goal to acquire my own personal library (which only takes 1000 books!). I am also an avid rock and mineral collector and am proud of the amazing collection we have acquired! I love having little pieces of the Earth so close to me to keep me grounded and connected.
I am currently enrolled in Colorado State University for my bachelors in Horticulture, which is a great fit considering we have around 60 house plants. My goal is to open my own exotic plant shop and amass a massive collection to share with others.
A quote that would embody me is, "Life is a mix of good and tough times. Embrace the ups and downs, accept things as they come, and remember you have the power to shape your story and find meaning in every experience."
Hey there! I'm Joe! I grew up in Colorado with a passion for embracing the beauty of the outdoors. Growing up surrounded by the breathtaking landscapes of Colorado, I developed a deep love for nature and adventure. Nothing makes me happier than spending time outdoors, whether it's hiking with my dogs, going on exciting escapades, or exploring new destinations.
Beyond my love for the outdoors, I'm a tech enthusiast who enjoys tinkering with the latest gadgets and staying on the cutting edge of technology. In the kitchen, I find joy in experimenting with new recipes and cooking up delicious meals. I also constantly seek activities that stimulate the mind whether it be watching videos on physics, reading about the universe, or solving Rubik's cubes.
I'm a proud alumnus of the Colorado School of Mines with a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering and the University of Colorado Denver with a Masters in Finance and Risk Management, I've blended my technical and financial expertise in my current role with Good Times and Bad Daddy's Restaurants.
When I'm not working or pursuing my varied interests, you can find me collecting rocks and plants, a hobby that connects me to the earth in a unique way. One quote that truly embodies my philosophy is, "Journey before Destination." For me, life is about embracing the experiences, challenges, and growth along the way, making each moment a meaningful part of the adventure.
Our story begins when we met in calculus class on our first day of school at Colorado School of Mines. Little did my 17 year-old self know, but I was staring at the back of my future wife's head every single day that semester. We naturally became friends and hung out constantly throughout our first year at college. Somehow I convinced her and a couple of our great friends to go on a cross-country road trip to Vegas and California during our first spring break. Having an experience like that for the first time, we all bonded so much during that trip and it really solidified mine and Kassie's friendship.
Over our Sophomore year, we continued to get closer and hung out most days of each week watching movies and shows, going on adventures, and finding activities to do as poor college kids. She was quickly becoming one of my closest friends. I appreciated her as a person and the fun we would have together.
Eventually, during our Junior year, she got her first dog (and little did I know my future adopted daughter) Heidi. We would hang out all the time at her apartment and I would get my workout in playing with her hyper puppy. We had a lot of one-on-one time during our Junior year which was a big change from the dynamics of hanging out in a friend group. We started going on river walks, going on drives up mountains, having movie nights together. During this time, being a dumb guy, I failed to see the signs that she was falling hard for me and wanted more with me in the form of a serious relationship.
Unfortunately, the universe decided that time was not the right time for us and Kassie was forced to move back to Texas with her family. Luckily we kept up the communication well and talked with each other every single day (we actually still keep this up and are proud to have a Snapstreak of over 3150 which is over 8 years of never missing a day. We are in the top 10 in the world on Snapchat).
Over the years, we had talked about her moving back to Colorado and in my mind it was going to finally be the chance to start something serious with her. She would come and occasionally visit me in Colorado, but as the years went on, the hope was starting to fade that she would actually manage to move back.
After the fourth year, she finally shot her shot and told me that her sister said there is no way we aren't getting married with our history. So finally being old enough (and barely wise enough) to understand a very clear and obvious hint, I told her that the distance doesn't matter and that we should just start a relationship. I told her we could travel to meet, with the goal being to move her in with me in Colorado. Starting a relationship at distance is a hard thing, but with our strong foundation and the commitment to each other of working towards marriage, we made it work.
We had the first date of our newly formed relationship in Las Vegas! We both flew out and I think both of our families thought we were crazy. But it was like we had picked back up without skipping a beat with each other. Dating your best friend makes it so easy. Eventually, after a few more trips back and forth and meeting family, she agreed to move in with me! So I flew down to Texas to pick up a girl and her dog and drove them back to Colorado to start our new life.
I knew I had to choose somewhere special to propose to Kassie. Both being outdoor lovers, I was certain I had to incorporate some beautiful landscape with either mountains, a forest, a river, or natural rock formations.
I had scoped out various locations secretly after work for weeks trying to find the perfect place. Somewhere beautiful but also somewhere meaningful. Somewhere where I could surprise her without giving away the secret. Somewhere that the weather would not brutalize us as it was the middle of winter! I had scoped out the top of mountains that were too windy, forest trails that were too snow-packed, rivers that were frozen over, and beautiful formations like Garden of the Gods that was striking, but didn't hold significant meaning to us.
Eventually, I found the perfect location that was Red Rocks Park. A place we've driven up on day trips and night trips, a place we've attended dozens of concerts, a place where we've hiked every trail at least a half dozen times, a place that was special. I had scoped out the entire park for a week looking for the most photogenic spots until I finally found the perfect one, wedged between two massive formations. Knowing I had the spot picked out, the challenge was now to surprise her.
The one condition she had given me was to make sure her nails are done when I propose. Now for those that don't know me, that's not something I would ever ask Kassie out of the blue, to go get her nails done. She would have been immediately suspicious. So I had to come up with a plan to make her get ready and dressed up without giving away what we were doing.
Luckily, my wonderful little sister happened to have a wedding that was coming up in the next several months and we were both in the wedding party. So with that coincidence in place, I had planned with my sister to setup a fake photoshoot at Red Rocks for photos for her wedding party. Myself and Kassie got all dressed up under the guise that we were about to go take some photos for a wedding program and website.
When we arrived, I had told her we were there early and we could just go scope out some good places for some photos. Then we got to the spot. For those of you that know Kassie, she is incredible hard to fool. She can see right through mostly anything and it is nearly impossible to pull one over on her. For those of you that know me, I joke around a lot. So when I started my little speech she genuinely did not believe me! She thought I was just joking with her about how beautiful of a spot this was for a beautiful moment.
But I could see the light in her eyes change as my serious tone did not waiver and she started to realize that this was real. When I finished my speech and got down on my knee she immediately said yes when I asked her to marry me. Never in my life have I seen her so shocked and speechless. It's hard to pull one over on this girl, and I think that was the only one I'll get on her.
Arya, 7 Year Old German Shepherd Dog, Joe's First Dog
Heidi, 11 Year Old Capybara, Kassie's First Dog
Lux, 11 Month Old Rhodesian Ridgeback, Our First Dog Together
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