Meyer Ranch Park: Happy Engagement Kate and Justin!

I met Kate and Justin at a favorite place of theirs, Meyer Ranch Park, where there are big beautiful groves of aspen trees. The yellow was brilliant and one of the last places we could see the gorgeous fall leaves.

Kate shares, “Justin and I have known about each other since the sixth grade and became a part of the same friend group in early high school. We dated other people, we hung out within our group, we skirted around each other until something changed. Towards the end of senior year we were making excuses to hang out more and more until I finally asked him on a date. So we went to Applebee’s because Justin had a gift card, and saw the Kingsman movie. Super romantic, right?! (Haha) That cold and clear March night we had our first kiss next to my beat-up, old, blue Ford Bronco under the stars and sparks flew. I still think about that kiss sometimes.

We thought it would be a summer fling then we would both be off to different colleges. But we stuck together. We made the two-hour haul back and forth between Fort Collins and Denver nearly every weekend for five years to be with each other and had mini adventures every time. Whether it was seeing movies, searching for Hot Wheels treasure hunts, watching Av’s games or even doing nothing at all, we laughed and grew together. It became clear pretty quickly that we fit together seamlessly and our relationship felt so natural and good. That’s really the best word to describe our relationship: Good. That simple, comfortable word and every time I look at Justin I’m wrapped in that warm emotion and reminded that life together is good.

After college, living together, and being together for over six years, I was certainly tapping my foot waiting for the question to be popped. I had a feeling it would happen soon, but I didn’t know when.

July 4, 2021, started like a normal summer holiday. We spent the morning soaking up the sun by our apartment’s pool, went out to a burger place for lunch, and made our way to a local park to play some catch and hang out. I should’ve known something was up when Justin wore a button-up shirt to simply play catch at a park and especially when he asked about our favorite memories together over burgers and fries. I answered something like “The time we went to Mexico” and “Going to game 5 of the Avalanche playoffs against the Flames where we won in OT” and “Oh! Our first kiss. That was a good one.”

Eventually, we made our way down to this pier and with an epic sky half covered in dark rain clouds and half bright in sunshine, Justin pulled out a ring and got down on one knee. He says afterwards that he had all these cool things he planned to say but all that went blank and he just said, “You are my best friend and I love you so much. Will you marry me?” It was perfect.

Our story is not a “love at first sight” story. Meeting in the awkward phase in middle school made sure of that. It was a gradually growing friendship that took a chance and immediately felt right. Almost seven years later, I am more in love than ever with my best friend and looking forward to a beautiful, laughter filled, good life together.”