Jaclyn was out with her friend Katt for dollar tacos. Noah was out with his friend Kyle to play bassoon at an open mic on his birthday. Noah walked up to the bar and ordered "the strongest beer on tap." It was raspberry. He turned to Jaclyn, asked her how hers was, and she said, "It's okay." They talked about music, Easter Island, places they'd been, and places they wanted to see. Later that week, he visited her at the museum where she worked. They had a lunch date, exchanged numbers, and a few days later she called him to set up their next date.
Over Thanksgiving, Noah's mom Sandi had given him an heirloom ring that once belonged to his Great Grandma Mono. The ring was well loved and over 100 years old. On Christmas day, Jaclyn was preparing an apple pie (her family's favorite!) for their first Christmas in their new home. She had seen the tiny box under the tree the night before and hoped it was a ring. She took a break from the pie to exchange gifts. As she opened the box in front of the tree, Noah got on one knee and asked her to marry him. She teared up and said yes.