The couple with the golden ticket

It was a normal, average day for the Salas family.

Eddie mowed the grass, and the family enjoyed dinner on their porch. Eddie and his wife Danielle discussed things they'd like to fix around the house. The family later got a phone call and heard someone from Green River won the Wyoming lottery.

"It was almost seven before we checked the numbers, because you never think you're going to win," Danielle said.

It was a nice, average day; nicer than even they could imagine. Little did they know, their day was about to get even better.

When they eventually checked their numbers, they matched perfectly, like Cinderella's slipper.

The look of shock and bewilderment came over Eddie's face. Tears of joy ran down Danielle's face as she started to cry.

"There were lots of tears and shaking," Danielle said.

Eddie sat in shock.

"There is a million things that run through you at once," Eddie said.

About an hour later, the family made their way down to the Get-N-Go to check their ticket. Some friends of their were in the gas station and found out they won.

"From there it just kind of snowballed," Eddie said. "We were going to try to keep it a secret, but within an hour our phones were blowing up."

Since that fateful day, the Salas family's world has turned upside down with media attention and congratulations from friends, family and strangers.

"We're sleep deprived," Danielle said.

Everybody in the community has been very supportive, they said, just happy for them. Many people in Green River are simply happy a local family won; it's a community experience.

"The community's excited, everybody's excited," Eddie said.

Danielle said people have told her they are just excited they know a lottery winner.

"Everybody in the community's been so supportive, people we know, people we don't," Eddie said.

The thought of keeping it a secret went out the window. Word spread through the small town of Green River like wild fire.

The Wyo-Lotto also wanted to promote them as a winner because the winner is actually from the state of Wyoming, unlike some previous winners who have won from out of state.

"So it seems like it's just been kind of exciting for our community here too," Eddie said.

Excitement of Wyoming born and bred locals winning the lottery has been contagious; everyone has felt the excitement, they said.

As for the money, the couple said their plans as of now are to become debt free; pay off their house, make a substantial college fund for their little girl, and invest the money for their future as a husband and wife. The grounded couple plan to stay living in their home in Green River. Eddie will keep his job as a underground mechanic at Ciner, and Danielle will continue her volunteer work. They hope and plan to be smart with their newfound financial stability.

Their financial gain hasn't changed any of their life plans, they said, it's just made them quicker. They will own their home before they are 40; that is a big deal to them.

"We look forward to the little things, like giving back to our friends and family in certain ways that we've not been able to," Danielle said. "We're still going to be frugal like we were before, we're definitely still the same people, now we can just get better Christmas presents."

"Our biggest thing is, we were certain people before this, we want to be the same people after this," Eddie said.