About Us

Ryan, and Ann. We are picking pumpkins for Ann's birthday, exactly 1 year after we started "talking." The moment not shown, right after this picture was taken, is Ryan making the pumpkins look like giant boobs in front of Ann. Silly Ryan.

Ryan works remotely as a software engineer for an IoT consulting firm called Very. He very much enjoys his work, and the fact that it allows him to work from home at the ranch.  He is the third generation in his family to own and run the Diamond H Ranch. His grandparents bought it in the '60s, and both he and his mom grew up on the ranch. It is very integral to their lives. 

Ann works as a field instructor for NOLS along with some other part time work, and currently is in school half time. She is taking a farming certificate program from the local community college in order to learn something about farming, now that she has married a rancher!  

We have no idea how we met. Who made the first move? Neither of us! Intentionally that is.

We both worked at NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) and at some point, through mutual friends and crossing circles, we met. We did not "meet" as more than casual friends until several years later however, and completely unexpectedly. Neither had ever had any inkling of attraction to the other beyond appreciating each other as good people.

Ann thought Ryan was flirting with her (which he wasn't), and Ryan thought Ann was flirting with him (which she wasn't). This mutual misunderstanding led to a surprising conversation on Ann's birthday, which started with Ryan asking, "What's going on?" to which Ann responded, "You tell me!" and lasted until 3 am. We were both shocked to discover that the other was a whole lot more of "my kind of awesome" than either had ever imagined. We decided to explore the idea.

5 days later, Ann left for 2.5 months teaching in the backcountry for NOLS. We got to know each other though letters and the occasional 6-hour phone call on transitions between Ann's field sections after her students had gone to bed.

After this, Ann was home for 5 more days, when it was obvious that the spark had flamed into fire during the absence. The pattern continued: gone for 3 weeks, home for 6 weeks, gone for 2 months, home for 1 week, gone for another month. During this time our relationship only deepened, and after 8 months of repeated separation, we were ready to quit saying goodbye.

About 10 months later, after many more conversations, letters, and several more adventures, Ryan proposed and Ann wholeheartedly accepted. We have never been happier.

Between Ann's field contracts for NOLS this spring, Ryan found it difficult to nail her down in order to actually propose! Finally he asked her to schedule a full day for "just us." Naturally Ann was suspicious. However, Ryan didn't let on anything. He put hours of prep into an entire day planned for Ann's enjoyment. The day started with Ryan serving Ann breakfast in bed with homemade monkey bread, and continued with an all-day treasure hunt that took us both to many special places and memories, including Ann's beloved goat, Toad, and the spot we had our first kiss. The treasure hunt also included a back massage and a nap. :) Definitely a win. The hidden treasure was the ring and Ryan on his knee with the question. Ryan had placed the ring with very specific - and successful - choreographical intention. March 15 was a beautiful day with a beautiful ending that we will always treasure!

We were married on Memorial Day, May 30, 2022 at a small private ceremony near Lander. We had originally picked a picturesque spot on Sunlight Creek in the Shoshone National Forest near Cody, WY, but because of a heavy rain, sleet, and thunder forecast, we changed plans last minute to the historic Warming Hut in Sinks Canyon, just outside of Lander. It was perfect and beautiful and so much fun and we agreed we wouldn't have had it any other way.

It was a beautiful foggy drizzly day in the canyon. The Popo Agie (puh-POE zha) river was rushing nearby, full with spring snowmelt, and the yellow arrow-leaf balsam root was in full bloom all around. The soft light, low fog, and light rain made the day magical. We were married in front of a roaring fire with a few friends and family who helped to make it happen. It truly takes a village to have a wedding, even a small one! Every one of the eight people present had a job and we couldn't have done it without them. Special thanks to each one of you for helping to make our wedding special and joyful and intimate and beautiful.

As of this writing we do not yet have pictures back from our wedding, so this is a photo of the Warming Hut a few days before our wedding. Stay posted for wedding photos!