October 6th, 2019 began as a somewhat uneventful day. Joel woke up to an overcast and chilly morning. He began the day as he typically did - departing his small studio apartment to go on his morning jog. Leaves crackling under his every step, he started organizing the list of groceries to get later that day. October 6th, 2019 followed an exciting day of watching one of her best friends get married. Jill, after an evening of being the Maid of Honor, was still breathtaking in her expertly done hair and make up. She, too, had a few items to pick up before making the return trip from the Twin Cities back down to her home in Rochester. Only one checkout lane was open, and as fate would have it... Just kidding. We met on Tinder.

Camping. Neither of us have much experience in this area. We wrote a long list of items to get, and even then we spent half the trip going to the nearby stores to get those forgotten items. Barnes & Noble was on the list of places to visit in order to get some games and puzzles during the downtime of the camping trip. As we browsed the aisles, we stumbled into a section that had Wedding Planners. Jill found one she really liked and Joel, in his attempt to be supportive, told her to buy it. That was a mistake. That simple comment sparked a never-ending cascade of "Will he ask now?" being asked anytime anything slightly out of the ordinary happened. More camping trips, fancy date nights, and evening walks around the nearby lake were had; yet that special question was never asked. On December 5th, 2020 we were invited over for a board game night by a couple of friends. An enjoyable evening of dinner and games was had, and again Jill had thought "Maybe it will be tonight..." And it would be, but not quite when she expected it. The hosts were in on the plan, as were Jill and Joel's neighbors who had spent this time moving furniture, lighting candles, shaping rose petals, and placing a very special ring. With the help of their friends, neighbors, Blue, and Peri - Joel asked Jill to marry him and she said yes!