Colby and Ross were introduced through mutual friends in Virginia Beach in the summer of 2021.

When they first met, it took Ross a few extra months to ask Colby on a date. Their first date was at Pizza Chapel in Virginia Beach over wings, pizza, and a few beers. On a snowed-in weekend in January 2022, both realized they had met their person- without letting the other know. Colby made a Minnesota favorite Tater-Tot Hotdish to win Ross over and Ross cleared the snow off her car. The other thing that sealed the deal for Ross was Colby's mini-golden doodle Lexi, who quickly came to love Ross. He knew that he wanted Lexi around just as much as he wanted Colby around- maybe even more.

Over the years, Ross took Colby back home to Minnesota to visit his family and even got her on the annual family lake trip. They spent time with Colby's family in Virginia and Ross quickly assumed the role as Uncle Ross, becoming a family favorite. Ross eventually let Colby play golf with him and Colby got him on the tennis courts. On fall Sunday afternoons, Colby learned the meaning of SKOL and the unfortunate life of being a Vikings football fan.

Within a few years, Ross moved in with Colby to the home once owned by her grandparents. It was a culture shock for Ross as he moved to the Kempsville section of Virginia Beach, no longer living at the Oceanfront. Even today, he has not been able to find a favorite dive bar happy hour to compare to Big Sam's, Rudees, or Murphys.

In the Fall of 2024, Ross' mom Linda was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma. The prognosis was positive and in the coming months, Colby and Ross spent Thanksgiving with her in Marshall, MN. Colby got to experience her first (and maybe only) Minnesota winter.

Linda's cancer battle took a different turn than anyone expected in 2025. To give Mom some positive news, Ross told her that he was going to ask Colby to marry him this year and plan for a wedding in 2026. Linda said it was one thing she really wanted to see. Within a few days, with the family in Minnesota, they found out that cancer had a different timeline. Ross called Colby's parents and asked for her hand in marriage. The decision was made to have a wedding that same week.

Colby went into full planning mode while in Minnesota. They were able to get their wedding license, order catering for the weekend, and plan the travel arrangements for the week ahead. After a 48 hour layover at home in Virginia, they returned to Minnesota with Colby's parents, Joe and Connie, in tow.

All of Ross' siblings, their spouses, and kids, were able to join them in Rochester, Minnesota, where Linda was under the care of the Mayo Clinic. Colby and Ross were married in a small family ceremony with her family joining in from afar thanks to technology. Ross' brother Dan was their officiant who joined them together over the Rules of Golf.

It was a celebration with Chick-fil-a, Godfather's Taco Pizza, and a great Costco wedding cake!

In the following weeks, Ross split time between Virginia and in Minnesota with Linda and family, sharing memories and stories with everyone who came to visit. He gained quite a fan club with his Caring Bridge posts and his signature F**k Cancer tagline. Linda passed on April 26, 2025.

Ross and Colby took a much needed mini-moon to Mexico in June 2025, where they unplugged (for the most part) and enjoyed time together.