Spring 2016: Luke led Theology on Tap in Davenport, and Jess' mom had been trying to get her to go to a meeting for a long time. Jess finally went with a friend and ended up meeting her future husband. ;) Luke doesn't remember meeting Jess (which she will never let him live down), but after being at a few gatherings together, he must have noticed her at some point. Summer: Luke and Jess went floating with a group on the Maquoketa River; this is where they first really got to know each other. Jess curiously quizzed Luke about himself and liked what she heard. Since it was a small group, the two somehow ended up leading everyone in conversation during the day. A month or two later, they found themselves in a similar situation at 6 Flags, where Luke remembers watching Jess dance around and be a goof as they waited in countless rollercoaster lines, and Jess remembers being amused by Luke's excitement that he was finally tall enough to ride all the coasters. ;) Fall: Luke hosted a bible study group that Jess was in, which eventually led to he and Jess texting and finally asking her out. Their first date was at an apple orchard....where they decided not to pick apples, as 20 pounds was the minimum requirement. It was the shortest date ever, but it did the trick. After several more dates (including painting pottery, watching Dancing With The Stars, and dinners), they made it official--just in time for the Cubs to win the World Series! The next year and a half passed in a blur of family, fun, and adventures together. After Luke bought a house and he and Jess were working on planning a trip to Europe, they talked and decided to wait on getting engaged....a conversation which Luke promptly ignored...

April 20, 2018: Luke- Want to go out to eat tonight? And maybe get ice cream and walk along the river? Jess- Uhh….sure? [He never asks if I want to eat out....weird.] Luke chooses a place and picks Jess up wearing a nice shirt. Jess- ...Should I get cuter? Luke- No, you look beautiful. Jess- Uh huh...ok, let's go. [Arrive at restaurant and have a nice meal using a BOGO coupon, as to not tip Jess off. The sun has gone down and they stop for ice cream.] Luke- Let's go for a walk. Jess- Mmm....it's kinda cold... Luke- Well, let's just walk near the river for a little while. [They pass by the parking lot, and Jess decides it's colder than she thought.] Jess- Umm...I'm cold. I'm gonna go to the car. Luke- C'mon, let's just go. Jess- [Why is he pushing this? I wanna go home.] Fine. I'll go as far as that sculpture, and then I'm turning around. Luke- [Welp, guess that's where I'm proposing...] They arrive at the sculpture, and Luke looks at the ducks while Jess tries to go back to the car. Then he starts talking and gets down on one knee. Jess is suddenly not cold anymore! ;) She says yes right away, and then it all makes more sense.