I’m going to talk about Dan this week. He doesn’t like being put in the spotlight, but sometimes he’s just going to have to deal with it, because I like talking about him. 😉

I had a memory pop up on my phone this week that four years ago Dan and I had our first date! I remember that day like it was only yesterday, and it’s wild to think of all that has happened since then.

For those who don’t know, Dan and I were set up on a “blind date” so to speak. A mutual friend of ours had reached out to me one day and asked if I was interested in getting back into the dating world because he had a buddy that was single and was hoping to set us up. This was only a few months after I had moved back to South Dakota and I was still trying to get back on my feet after leaving Virginia. I was nervous, but I also felt like I had nothing to lose, so I told him I was interested. He wasn’t really sure how to go about setting us up from there, so he suggested I add him as a friend on Facebook and he’d make sure Dan accepted it.

So, that’s what I did. I sent Dan a Facebook friend request and he did accept it. I sent him a message basically telling him that our mutual friend suggested I reach out to him and introduce myself. From there, we were messaging every day getting to know a little bit more about each other. We chatted on Messenger for a couple of weeks and then Dan finally asked if we could meet in person. He did promise it would be somewhere public in case I was worried he’d kidnap me haha.

Our first date was at Harry’s here in town. I remember seeing him as soon as I walked into the restaurant and thinking, “dang, he’s even cuter in person!” He was a total gentleman the entire evening. He made me laugh so many times, and talking to him just felt natural. We stayed until the restaurant closed and they kicked us out. I knew from that first date that Dan was special and I couldn’t wait to see him again.

The rest is history! The last four years have been the best time of my life and he’s a big reason for it. Dan has shown me time and time again what it means to be loved. He supports all my endeavors – even the crazy ones! When I’m feeling sad, he’s ready to listen if I want to talk about it, and if I don’t, he’s there to wrap his arms around me and hold me close. He’s not afraid to tell me when I’m being unreasonable and he helps me keep my head on straight. He’s always looking out for me, even with little things like changing the oil in my car or making sure I have enough snacks. He’s always showing me in little ways that he’s thinking about me.

We’ve been through a lot together over the years, and while most of it has been great, there have been some hard times too. It was especially hard watching Dan lose both of his parents in the time we’ve known each other, AND take over the farm on his own. He’s handled that and all of life’s curve balls much better than I know I ever could have and I don’t tell him enough, but I admire his strength through it all. He’s hands down one of the strongest people I know.

I honestly don’t know what I would do without him. It’s safe to say I think I’d be lost if he had never come into my life.

I could keep going, but I know if he’s reading this, he’s probably just shaking his head at me. 😉 Sorry, can’t help but brag about him! I’ve got myself a keeper, and I can’t wait to marry him later this year. Here’s to the rest of our lives together! 🙂

Until next time! 🙂

Megan Reiffenberger