We met each other 'on the job' as we were working for the same construction company. Jason was the nicest, most well mannered guy I had met in a long time. Always had a smile, a wave and something witty to say.

In that same year, 2006, at our company's christmas party we ran into each other (there were probably over 400 people) and it was different for us. A totally different atmosphere and feeling towards each other than our daily work routine. My girlfriend Amy had mentioned I had an admirer who was talking to the other guys but kept watching me. We laughed and I said, oh that's Jason, and the next thing I know I had a tap on my shoulder and he whispered in my ear how beautiful I was that night and he wanted to wish me a merry christmas. We spent the rest of the evening together dancing and talking and talking and talking til 2 in the morning.

We started dating after that. He met my dad and I met his parents who live in Prescott. Four months later, Jason and I combined households, he moved out to the ranch and we've been living together since April, 2007.

On Christmas Day 2007 my last present under the tree was a huge box that was light as a feather. After removing all the tissue paper and boxes within boxes, taped at the very bottom of the last box was a ring box. I tearfully opened it up, told him how beautiful it was and he took it, had me stand up and got on his knee and proposed. It was the most romantic moment of my life.

Afterwards I found out he had already gotten my dad's blessing and brother Jay's permission to marry me. Dad passed away January 26, 2008 and I am so happy he got to meet and know Jason, who he always called Critter.

Christmas 2008 we announced to the family our wedding date. My brother Jay accepted giving me away, and Jason called our friends Dennis and Rhonda and asked Rhonda to marry us as she's an ordained minister in CA. We are so happy she said yes!

The best thing about our relationship is that we started out as friends, became good friends, and somewhere along the way we had fallen in love with each other. We are each other's very best friend and we share everything. That is the way it should be and on June 27th we express our vows to each other and make permanent, in the eyes of God, the commitment and love we've felt and continue to feel for each other.

Sharing that day with family and friends is going to be one of our happiest moments and we want to thank everyone who reads this for being a part of our lives.

All of the wedding party is arriving either Thursday or Friday of that week. THE WEDDING PARTY: Matron of Honor, Joy Rees of Berlin, WI; Bridesmaid Wendy Ingersoll of Waxahachie, TX; Bridesmaid, Rebecca Jerrain of Littlerock, CA; Best Man, Chris Annen of Ashland, OR; Groomsman, George Annen of Tustin, CA; Groomsman, Cody Landreth of Phoenix, AZ and Usher, Nick Annen of Tustin, CA. Friday, the wedding rehearsal is 4:30 at the golf club. Rehearsal dinner is Friday night, 6:30, at the famous Palace Saloon and Restaurant downtown Prescott on Whiskey Row. THE BIG DAY....Saturday, June 27, 2009 at StoneRidge Golf Club in Prescott Valley, Arizona. The girls meet for a 9:30 breakfast at the golf club and assist Samara with reception decorations. As the bride readies herself at the Hampton Inn with the girls later in the afternoon, and the groom nervously paces at his folks Prescott home with the guys, the atmosphere will be filled with nervous anticipation and happiness. Wedding will be at 5 o'clock on a portion of the golf course's beautiful green grass area by the golf club. With the special help and planning of our coordinator, Samara Rice, our day promises to be wonderful as planned. As wedding guests arrive in their hawaiian attire, they will be greeted by flower girls, Lily, Lyndsey and Joelle Annen, who will be handing out leis and programs. Attached to the programs will be a single hibiscus flower for our guests to create a circle of flowers for us to stand in as we take our wedding vows. Groomsmen/Ushers George, Cody and Nick will seat our arriving guests who will have the pleasure of listening to soft hawaiian music playing in the background. Ring Bearers Kyle and Victoria Annen will most likely be helping their dad, George, seat guests as well as their flower girl cousins. Our ceremony, performed by ordained minister Rhonda Harrigan, will include a lei exchange with the parents, George and Bonnie Annen (Jason), Marian Nelson (Bea) and brother of the bride, Jay. The lei exchange is symbolic of hawaiian weddings wherein the bride and groom receive family blessings as they start their new life together and two families then become linked as one.

After the ceremony, the wedding party will have their photos taken by Dennis Harrigan. Dennis has planned a special slide show of the days events, and guests, to share inside the reception hall. In addition to having a local nursery supply tropical plants and flower arrangements, Samara has arranged for the ceremony to be videographed. Guests may wander up the walkway to the shade of the spacious covered porch ramada before entering the reception hall. They will hear soft hawaiian music playing in the background and enjoy fresh shrimp, fruit and cheese appetizers as they find their way to the no-host bar. A fountain of tropical fresh fruit punch, iced tea, coffee and water will be made available to those who wish to have non-alcoholic beverages. The hawaiian buffet meal starts at 6:30 and includes hawaiian chicken breast, teriyaki beef, hawaiian sweet rice, caesar salad, fresh fruit, steamed and seasoned yellow squash/zucchino/baby carrots/broccoli. Chicken tenders will be made available for the youngsters. Cakes by Crista will prepare a triple tier cake of peach cake mix with crushed macadamia nut, pineapple and whipped cream cheese fill, covered with a whipped cream cheese frosting, adorned with fresh tropical flowers. We are blessed that our favorite song, and first dance, will be sung by Samara's daughter who has an extremely lovely voice. We truly hope everyone enjoys the celebration and enjoys the dancing afterwards.

Sunday morning we invite everyone to meet us for one last get together and breakfast at Zeke's cowboy restaurant for breakfast at 7 - 7:30. Zeke's is across from the Hampton Inn, Prescott Valley, where most of us are staying. We promise you won't go away hungry as their breakfast platters are extremely satisfying.

To find the Hampton Inn, go to Hampton Inn.com and select Prescott Valley. Samara has also arranged for a special room rate at the Quality Inn and Suites in Prescott Valley. We are not sure how she's blocked the rooms, so please send us an email if you need that link.

We are blessed to have a circle of friends and family, such as yourself, that will come and celebrate our special day with us. We were at a graduation party recently and the host gave a toast and said these words...."life isn't about what you have, the material things in life. Things are just things. Life is about family and friends and having people in your life, keeping friendships going, that matters most". We agree wholeheartedly and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for what you have brought into our lives.

We neglected to include our registries in the invitations. We are registered at Kohls.com, Target.com and Honeymoonwishes.com. But what we want MOST is for you to join us as we celebrate our first day as man and wife.