We’re getting married!

Allison was working in Cedar Rapids and didn't know much of anybody in the area. She was staying in a hotel and travelling excessively for work. She wanted to find non-work people in town that she could unwind and have fun with so she created an online profile. That's where she found Ben. Ben knew PLENTY of people and was very familiar with Cedar Rapids (his hometown). After a little correspondence, they decided to meet up at a bar and get acquainted. Immediately there was chemistry, conversation was easy and fun, and to top it all off, Allison took Ben by surprise nearly beating him in a game of darts. In return, Ben offered to bring Allison to a concert happening across town where Ben had more friends who were out having fun, the lead singer of the band being one of them. The band's name was Slap 'n Tickle, and the two partied the night away to some quality 80's rock covers. The couple have been nearly inseparable since.

Marriage was a topic of conversation that came up quite frequently for Ben and Allison. Their relationship was strong and they knew in their hearts that they were meant to be together. The problem was that Ben was getting deployed to the Middle East and Allison was ADAMENT that she will not be newly engaged/planning a wedding while her fiancé is overseas fighting in a war. So Ben had to wait...and wait...and wait some more. There's an old saying that when you find the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible. That couldn't be more true for Ben. Finally, the deployment was over. Ben did his research and found the perfect ring. He traveled to Pennsylvania to visit Allison on her work trip and see her family. Allison picked Ben up from the airport and she had no idea that the ring was in his pocket! After they pulled into the garage, Ben just couldn't wait any longer. He told her that he was sad she didn't have more to remember him by while he was deployed. He wanted to give her something to always have as a daily reminder of his love for her and their relationship together. Then he pulled out the ring and asked the question right there in the car! Allison obviously said yes!