We met on Match. There was something about his profile that stuck with me, and when we began emailing back and forth, we really hit it off. After several weeks of emails, he called me and we officially "met" for the first time. After several hour long phone calls (we had a lot to talk about!), Jonathan asked me when I might be free to go out for coffee. It was during my busy time of year (that May was crazy), and I asked if we could go out after the 4th of July (I know I know, cue eye roll here). Part of that was me being nervous about meeting, and part of it was busyness. He, of course, pushed for a date that was just a bit sooner. We went out for coffee the day before Mother's Day, and the rest is history. After our three hour coffee date, my schedule magically opened up to see him a lot more (funny how that happens). We began spending a lot more time together. He even spent all of one Sunday afternoon hanging VBS posters with me before Vacation Bible School started! That alone showed me that there was something very special about him. He came to church with me for the first time on Father's Day. We had our first kiss on July 3rd- and there were fireworks! Literally, there were fireworks going off in the neighborhood :). I don't know how he does it, but Jonathan helps me relax. I feel calmer when I'm around him. I know that he's got my back, and that everything's going to be okay. I, in turn, encourage him and help him keep going. He's gotten me to try lots of new things (sushi! sriracha! even sometimes mixing my food together), and we love going on adventures with one another. We can't wait to start our next adventure: marriage!

We had been talking about marriage for awhile, and I was getting a bit antsy. But Jonathan assured me that he was, in fact, going to propose at some point. On the Saturday before Christmas, we drove to meet his grandmother and got a marquise cut diamond (that is now in my ring) from her. This diamond had been given to her in her engagement ring by Jonathan's grandfather. His grandfather passed away several years ago, and she wanted Jonathan to have it. Unbeknownst to me, Jonathan had already picked out and purchased the setting for the diamond. I assumed that he wouldn't propose until Valentine's Day or my birthday, but instead he surprised me on New Year's Day! He put the box that the ring box was in in the very center of the (still) decorated Christmas tree a few days before New Year's. And he waited for me to say "let's un-decorate the tree." Finally, on New Year's Day, I said those words. But first, we took all of the other Christmas decorations down. When we finally made it to the tree, he got down on one knee to take off some of the lower ornaments (or so I thought). As I was taking off ornaments, he turned around with a box in his hand. As I saw the box, my first thought was "I don't remember putting that ornament on the tree." Then he said that he had been thinking about what I said the night before. (I'd mentioned that if he needed some ideas for settings for the ring, I was happy to look at some.) He told me that he didn't need my help because he'd already gotten the ring (I was STILL clueless at this point). Then it slowly dawned on me that was what he was holding in his hand! He started taking the bow off of the box and I was so excited that I said "yes!" I think I may have said yes before he actually asked me :) That's our story: it was just us and the tree (and Lucy the cat!). I was wearing my "When in Doubt Go to the Library" t-shirt, and it was absolutely perfect. What a wonderful start to a brand new year!