I first met Britney while working as a travel nurse at Parkland ER in Dallas. I had been there a few weeks and was working triage, the day was off to a slow start. A few of us were standing around talking, when some masked girl rolled up on a scooter with a broken leg. She asked if I wanted to go see if the metal rods in her leg would set off the metal detectors at the front of the ER. Turns out titanium rods in your leg don’t set off metal detectors. That brief interaction led to more frequent conversations. A few days later, I asked Britney if she wanted to grab dinner or a drink sometime. She agreed to having me over to meet some friends and cook dinner at her house. I arrived to meet Britney and the girls, along with half the neighborhood and a few co-workers. That evening, I prepared chicken marsala for what felt like 100 people, no pressure. I spent the next few weeks getting to know Britney and the girls. At this point I had decided to take on a small project for the girls in Britney’s backyard. While Britney was away at work one day, I was working away on my project, I looked up to see two men approaching. Britney’s father and brother had decided to pay me a surprise visit, again, no pressure. We began to spend more time together, Britney and the girls making frequent trips to visit in Tulsa. As Britney’s leg healed, we were able to start doing things together that we enjoyed, running, rock climbing, I even picked up a tandem bike, and over the last three years we’ve traveled to almost a dozen National Parks with our kids. It hasn’t all been fun and games though. Blending two families is hard work but Britney and the girls are amazing, and after the initial backyard ambush, Britney’s family have treated my children and myself as part of the family. I’m thankful to have Britney and the girls in my life and can’t wait to see where life takes us. 

-Chris