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Jenny Wilson is the happiest she has ever been, and for good reason.

Her two pugs are constantly battling for her affection, her business is thriving, and she recently got engaged.

Wilson's smile is contagious and constant, but that doesn't mean her life has been simple and without obstacles.

"There is no luck involved here," Wilson said. "It's just sheer hard work."

The 52-year-old was born in Ohio and moved to Steamboat in 1993 with her now ex-husband and two children in search of a better life.

Wilson got a job at Front Page in the infamous Good News Building in downtown Steamboat Springs. She quit that job after deciding to open her own business.

"The day I gave notice, the building blew up, and I was in the store," Wilson said.

She escaped the explosion uninjured and later developed the concept behind Moose Mountain Trading Co.

She opened the clothing store, which specializes in high-end Norwegian sweaters, in March 1994.

"It's exciting and gratifying that I've made it this far," Wilson said.

Search for Norwegian sweaters on the Internet, and Moose Mountain is one of the first businesses people will find.

Wilson doubled her Web sales last year, and her goal is to do it again in 2008.

She also has plans to add on to the back of her 2,300-square-foot business.

"It's going to help me solidify my future in business," Wilson said.

Her closest relationship also has grown rapidly. She is engaged to Gary Wall, Routt County's sheriff.

"I love everything about her," said Wall, 66. "It's an exciting time. It's like a brand new life. Things are getting better, and that's a wonderful place to find yourself."

Wilson said being in a relationship with a public official has presented its own unique challenges.

"It's very new to me that people we don't know have opinions about me and us," Wilson said.