HOLLY’S SIDE: “I moved into a rental home in Falls city, Nebraska in January of 2018 after commuting to work from Hiawatha for over a year. 5 months into the year, I start working with this lady who knew Josh since he was little as she was a close family friend. I remember immediately feeling connected to her because everything about her reminded me of my aunt who passed away just a year prior. I felt like i was spending every day with my aunt and I loved it. I felt like I could trust her. Throughout the next couple of weeks, she would casually mention that “her friend Josh” and I are very similiar in our values and beliefs. And she was right. One monday morning I asked her how her weekend was and she replies, “It was good. Josh stopped by. He talked alot about his walk with God.” Thats when the light bulb went off and I said, “ok, I need to meet this guy!” So the next day, I walk in her room and shes got this huge grin on her face and says, “i sent a text...” Josh shows up after i finish the work day and we meet in her room. After we talked for a while, we exchanges numbers, and by the next day Josh had reached out and invited me to the lake with his friend to visit and get to know each other. After 4 weeks of dating, we began courtship and later became engaged on July 7th, 2019” JOSH’S SIDE: "I recall it to be a hot June day. I had been visiting a friend of mine who was recovering and had a short stint in a nursing home. It just so happened to be where Holly worked. On this specific day, my friend asked me for a favor and that she wanted me to come visit her for a bit. I had just left the gym and was not necessarily ready for who I was about to meet. I walked into the room and there she sat. Ms. Holly Atlakson. I had no idea what God had in store for our future. All I knew was I was in the presence of the most beautiful woman I had ever laid my eyes on.”

Josh came over to Holly’s house for supper one Sunday evening and later asked if she wanted to go for a stroll around the lake. As they were walking and talking through the arboretum, Josh points to a large wood board laying in the grass a few feet away and questions why someone tossed it there. Holly casually dismisses it but then Josh tells Holly he’s going to pick it up and throw it away in one of the near by trash barrels. At this point Holly is thinking nothing out of the ordinary as Josh is known for picking up trash and throwing it away anywhere he goes. Holly keeps walking a couple more feet and then stops to wait for josh. But as josh picks up the board, he doesnt throw it away. Instead he turns around grinning ear to ear and the board says, “Will you marry me?” Holly is completely taken by surprise, as Josh takes out a ring box, gets on one knee and proposes to Holly with a ring that belonged to his great great grandmother. She said “Yes!”