How I Met the Bride Chrissa and I met in seventh grade, though “met” might not quite capture the chaos of middle school friendship politics. At the time, I had just been excluded from a slumber party thrown by someone I thought was my friend—to welcome Chrissa, the new girl. A different weekend not long after that, I was at that same friend’s house (let’s just call her J) when she told me only one of us could stay over again, and it wasn’t going to be me. Not wanting to go home (because, let’s be honest, weekend sleepovers were everything back then), I was encouraged to ask Chrissa—who I barely knew—if I could crash at her place. Chrissa hesitantly said yes—and that night ended up being the beginning of one of the most important friendships of my life. We bonded over snacks, awkward seventh-grade energy, and some unexpected honesty. Chrissa told me something that day that I’ve never forgotten when I had called during the slumber party weekend, the girl I thought was my friend rolled her eyes while on the phone with me. Chrissa didn’t have to tell me that. But she did—because she’s real, loyal, and one of the kindest souls I’ve ever met. By the next morning, we had our own inside jokes, and by the time we got on the school bus, we were inseparable. The look on J’s face (yes, that girl) when she saw how fast we clicked! Unforgettable. In eighth grade, there was one particularly memorable moment when Chrissa and I found ourselves hiding from that same girl inside a bathtub—yes, an actual bathtub—whisper-laughing and trying not to get caught. It’s a story best told in person… but let’s just say, if you want the full (and slightly embarrassing) version, you’ll have to ask Chrissa. And that’s how it all started—one unexpected sleepover, one honest conversation, and a friendship that’s only grown stronger with time. From hiding in bathtubs to standing by her side on her wedding day, I couldn’t be prouder to call her my best friend.

Tyler is one of Houston's good friends and Chrissa cousins, (Skyler Nosie's brother). I remember back in the days when Houston used to go to T-11 ranch, I'd always get those messages from you saying hey I wanna come ride. Man I didn't even know you or knew how you'd be. I'd ask around and no one really knew you but they knew your grandpa. I always blew you off just because I didn't really trust guys from off the rez at the time to come cowboy here! LOL Years later and a hundred messages later we finally met that day we went to calva and the rest was history. Never regret bringing you along man after that and you're a good friend and a guy I consider a brother!

Hedi is one of best ladies in life! She like a big sister and I first met Hedi in San Diego at a gaming conference where we became like two peas in a pod since 2013. We found each other attending the same conference over the next few years and even traveled to a few together. No matter what pickle I found myself in I know I can always count on Hedi to give me tough love and then help make a game plan to dig myself out of the whole I got myself into. When I felt alone and like the world was caving in on me, Hedi saved me and always told me I would figure it out and build a beautiful life with someone I truly loved.

I met Tye (Houston) after my mother gave birth to him. I have known him for 40 years and counting. I met Tye/Chrissa for the first time together at a family gathering several years ago. My best times with Tye were spending time with him on a ranch my grandfather was the stockman of during our summer breaks. The T-11 ranch in Cutter, Arizona. Ironically, he is the stockman of Anchor 7 ranch, doing what he loves. Proud of him and the be has become.

AKA Bae is Houston's younger sister. Hi, I’m Riiley — Tye’s little sister and (let’s be honest) his favorite sibling. I mean, sure, he’s never actually said it out loud, but it’s basically an unspoken truth at this point. I’ve earned that title through years of being the responsible one, the supportive one… and clearly, the one who gets roped into his wild adventures without any kind of warning. I was the one who dropped Tye off at the ranch that night — the same night Chrissa ended up picking him up later. And honestly? I was pissed. First off, Tye never mentioned a thing about the road conditions out there. I was in my little Hyundai Elantra — not exactly built for off-roading — and suddenly I’m bouncing down some sketchy, uneven dirt path in the middle of nowhere. It felt like my car was gonna fall apart. Every bump made me clench the wheel tighter and curse his name under my breath. Then, on the way there, he casually tells me to pull over. I’m thinking he’s gotta pee or something. Nope — he pulls out a bottle of Fireball and hides it off the side of the road like we’re in some kind of bootlegging movie. Likewhat?! By the time I finally dropped him off at the ranch, I didn’t even say much. Just let him out and drove off. I was fuming. The second I got back into cell service range, I called my dad and just unloaded. Ranted about how Tye didn’t warn me about the awful road, how my poor car barely made it through, how ridiculous the whole thing was. It’s funny now — but in the moment, I was done. Tye definitely owes me a car wash, a tank of gas, and a new suspension.

Hi, everyone, I'm Marie, and I have the absolute pleasure of being one of Chrissa's bridesmaids. You know, I first met Chrissa in the coziest way possible—through my blanket-making hobby. Nothing says "let's be friends" quite like bonding over something warm and fuzzy, right? And from that first meeting, I knew Chrissa was someone special. She is so sweet and kind, and I swear, the moment you meet her, it's like getting a big, welcoming hug. In fact, Chrissa has this incredible ability to light up a room with her laughter. And it's not just her laughs—it’s her whole being! Everywhere she goes, Chrissa brings a burst of positivity. Now, there's something magical about Chrissa. It's probably her kindness and how she sees the best in everyone, or maybe it's her closet that I swear has more style than a New York runway. She's thoughtful, creative, and absolutely beautiful inside and out. Over our two years of friendship, I've come to appreciate our shared ability to find silver linings in every cloud. We’re both believers that, no matter how tangled life gets, God will always help us unravel it, one knot at a time. And then there's Houston. I had the pleasure of meeting him at the baby shower for their adorable little cowboy, or should I say, their sweet baby boy. It was the perfect setting to unravel yet another layer of this amazing couple, and Houston's the type of guy who sneaks candy to your kids when you’re not looking haha. Some might call that mischievous, but I call it a foolproof way to be the favorite uncle in the room! Houston, you're more than just Chrissa's partner. Chrissa and Houston are hands down the cutest cowboy couple I've ever seen—they could make any Western film jealous. They both shine brighter when they're around each other. My wish for Chrissa and Houston is full of warmth and heartfelt prayers. I hope their journey is always blessed with happiness and that they always keep God at the center of their lives. In those inevitable tough moments, may they always turn to each other and to God, finding strength in their faith. To Chrissa and Houston: always remember the power of forgiveness, even when it seems impossible. Appreciate each other every single day and remind each other that you are needed, wanted, and loved. Never forget to pray for one another, because prayer is the strongest support system you can have. May your life together be filled with endless laughter, warmth, and the unwavering light of love. To Chrissa & Houston

Aron cowboyed at Ash Creek Cattle Association with the Groom, Houston and also a cousin to the Bride to be. Aron first met Chrissa when she was hanging out with his Uncle Skyler Nosie with Emmitt and Isabella. Since the passing of Skyler, Aron has stepped in whenever needed by his cousin Chrissa to go hunting, scouting or just ride horses around the ranch at Ash Creek. The Joke about their first $1200 buck they shot at Anchor Seven back in 2022 is still talked about. Aron helped to somewhat fill Skyler's shoes in Chrissa's eyes always going on adventures with her and the kids and willing to help fix anything around the house or Apache traditionally guide both the Groom and Bride as they prepare for their first sunrise dance. "I will always be grateful to my little cousin for helping to comfort my grief and talking to me every morning after Sky left this earth. I could always count on Arons Good morning Aunty texts. I don't think I would have kept my sanity or met Houston without Aron's encouragement and teasing me about his future uncle hahaha"

Hi, I am Wendy, I’m friend/ cousin to the beautiful bride Chrissa, I am from Peridot Az and am currently employed by the San Carlos Apache tribe. I actually met Chrissa a few times on the job and have had the opportunity to work with her on a few tribal events. One day while having lunch her mom in Globe we found out we are actually close cousins!! Which completely makes a lot of sense because we are similar in many ways we are both bubbly, fun and spontaneous, have hearts of gold and would do anything for those that we love. Not to mention we have a lot the same tastes in clothes, in food and having fun! Since having met each other, we have had quite a few big and some small life events happen in which we are able to provide love and support for each other and our little families! In my spare time I do enjoy reading, being lazy, hanging out with my kiddos and my huge FAMILY, I recently picked up riding horses again as I come from a family full of rodeo legacies and I would love to help continue that legacy by helping our next generation of kiddos learn the sport as well. I am so excited and honored to be a part of their wedding and to witness them build a lifetime full of love.

Artimeo or Timeo is one of Chrissa's best friends. He is standing in for brother Carl Stevens as Carl has health issues at this time. Artimeo, Is one of our family friends and cousin to Carl, he has always helped to give me harsh love and truth, when I am being unreasonable. My favorite memories with him is always golfing but the funniest now is when we went deer hunting and got stuck in 9 mile and my truck front end was 3 feet deep in mudd and ice. Artimeo went with me to try and get my truck out and his truck got stuck too so we walked a 2nd time in 9 mile to the R-100 ranch by foot, which took about 9 hours hahaha! I can always count on my presence being annoyingly comforting to him and he will always say yes to catering mac n cheese or sitting in silence with me in my pain or struggles in life! If it weren't for him and his family I probably would be lost, separated from Houston, all the times I decided I wanted to give up. He called me angry the last time and said, "Go home, Houston is a good man and your being an ass! You're going to regret it and be alone and I don't want you on my couch forever hahaha" I am forever thankful for your friendship, tough love and putting up with me and Ronnie when we wanna be wonderwomans together! We can't thank you enough for agreeing to stand in for Carl and support our marriage!

I first met Tishmall in southern California when I was an intern for California Nation's Indian Gaming Association (CNIGA) we had a conference at Rincon casino, Tishmall's tribal home. She was working for California State San Marcos at the time in their Native American Studies program. I remember noticing her beautiful jewelry and her notice mine (I was wearing a Hoopa shell necklace) and she asked if it was a Tiffany Adams, to my suprise she caught me off guard as Adam's is a Northern California jewler who helped teach me how to make pine nuts and cut shells to some degree. After that day Tishmall and I grew closer as I just moved to southern California after college. She took me and my kids in as family and invited us to events, community tribal social events and event made time to have dinners or schedule our golf time during tribal tournaments. After some time we realized we had the same conference tribal community sisters and Hedi, Jessica, Claudia and Tishmalls brothers and cousins became like family. I can't recall a National Indian Rodeo Finals without her or a NIGA or California Indian College event without Tish. She is like a big sister I never had and always encouraging me to live a legacy that would make my parent's and people proud. In Southern California I can always count on Tishmall and Hedi to be home to me and always protect me. I am eternally grateful for their sisterhood and support in life. I can always talk fashion, native entrepreneurship, rodeo or home decorating, tribal policy or history with Tish.

Hello everyone! 😊 My name is Chasity Newman. (Mother of four Alexis 23, Phinis 22, Rae 11 and my one only son RayJ 9 my pride and joy💙 no I don't have a favorite) I started conversing with Chrissa on Facebook here and there. While on one of my family vacations in Cali I saw that she was not her bubbly self on fb so I checked in on her from then on we were "we" haha. When she moved back to San Carlos we were always together I opened my home to her and her children. I don't think she wants me to tell some stories we share. I do know we've seen many sunsets and sunrises together. We have learned from each other. We are cousins we are sisters we have each other's back. Chrissa is a beautiful soul inside and out. Most people only see the outside and that's too bad. As for the ones who are lucky to know the real funny "ugly laughing" crazy will do anything once kinda gal we are like I said lucky. She has a heart of gold and many take advantage of that way too many times. She will take the shirt off her back(literally) if needed. She loves hard and way too fast. She is also so very forgiving to the ones that are her people. Chrissa is a very hard worker at her family, her job, her side hustle or anything and everything she puts her heart to. I love our crazy fun spontaneous adventures with or without our children(idk bout Paul jk) because you never know what could happen as we are down for whatever. That's all I will say about that. I know she loves Houston she's been crazy for him since the beginning. I wish them nothing but happiness as we all deserve to be happy... A phone call, text message, fb message smoke signals or however we will be there for each other. I will be there for you girl especially when you need to hear the cold hard truth with the purest love. Love your girl!

Cheyenne is Houston's younger sister, she grew up in Fort Thomas with Houston.

My name is Dana Nosie (In the middle of changing my last name to Casey). I am the cousin to Chrissa. We met as children competing in Jr. Rodeos and Rodeo Queen Pageants. We lost touch through the years as she lived in California. One day as I was picking up my boys at my brother Skyler's house, there she was on the couch. My mom holding little miss Hells Bells while Emmitt ran around with my boys. Skyler opened his door to Chrissa. He was open to help and watch her kids. Yet, he turned into her therapist and they grew closer. My mother, Sharon also opened her door to Chrissa and her kids. Chrissa and the kids were included in family celebrations, events, and camping/ranching trips. As we all watched Skyler's life decline during his last week on earth, Chrissa was there. She took the kids to visit him in the hospital. She sat with him to talk, pray, and cried. Her presence was much needed. When he passed, she jumped right in to help. She stood with us around the fire, running errands and helped decorate. She even joined in our huge auntie laughs.....until she got in trouble and was put in time out. It just so happens that one of Skyler's best friends, Houston (Chrissa's future husband) read Skyler's obituary during the funeral. After the funeral, I tried to help pep talk her. Feeling the loss of her best cousin Sky and a break up, I tried to get her back on her game. And I quote, "Throw bean burro back away and get yourself a nice white cowboy. So, you can be the ranch wife that you want to be." To feel normality, my mom was open to help watch Emmitt and Miss Hells Bells. Mom welcomed them to the ranch, hunting, and camping trips. It was at the ranch while she was about to go hunting, she met Houston. My dad said, Tye must have noticed her glitter and sparkles. He told him not her, she's trouble. But, Houston refused to not let miss sparkles out of his view. Not long after that, the guys at the ranch said one Friday evening, here came Chrissa and her big truck. She honked the horn, acting like no one knew who she was. Houston went happily running out of the ranch house and left with her. I wonder what happened that night? Hehe Their world wind romance began. Now look at them, they have their super cute son Skyler Hinton. She's living the ranch wife life that my mom was secretly teaching her to be. May their beautiful family flourish with many blessings. Praise the Lord they are getting hitched! Congrats Mr. and Mrs. HINTON.

Wacey, is Houston's youngest brother, who just started middle school this past year. Houston always had fun being silly with Wacey, dancing and making funny videos to post online. Wacey is the best uncle to Presley and all our babies. He is always willing to play video games with the kids and hang out. We are very excited to have Wacey as one of our groomsmen and support his big brother like he has done so much in his life time.