6.14.25 We originally had concert tickets for that weekend, but decided not to go. Instead, I suggested a date night. Andrew told me he’d take care of everything… and of course, being a typical woman, I wasn’t so sure about that. About a week before, I asked if he wanted me to book a hotel since we had planned for an overnight with grandma for the girls. He told me not to worry — he had it all covered. I pestered him another 3 times about a hotel room and finally, we decided we’d just go home that night instead. Two days before the date, I asked what I should wear since I had no clue what was going on. His response? “Exercise clothes.” (Umm… what?) Then, the morning of, he said he was wearing jeans but we were “going on a hike where we wouldn’t get sweaty.” (Umm… again, what?) Thoroughly confused, I compromised with jeans, a tank top, and a jacket. We ended up at Pickerel Lake, one of our favorite trails. After a quick stop at the trailhead bathroom — where I assumed he was just pooping — we started walking. In hindsight, he was probably just nervous 🥰 Out of nowhere, Andrew asked, “Have you thought about what you’d do without me?” My mind spun with follow-up questions, but what came out of my mouth was: “I’d buy a condo so I didn’t have to mow the lawn.” (Real sentimental, I know 😂) Apparently, I kept walking while he stopped behind me. When I turned around, he was stumbling, one shoe off, standing in the dirt in just his sock. I started laughing and asking what he was doing when suddenly he dropped to one knee. He looked up at me and said: “Because I couldn’t imagine my life without you.” 💍 Of course, I said yes. How could I possibly turn down that cute, nervous man? We started heading back to the car, when he told me we needed to leave for a dinner reservation. (Naturally, I was not dressed for this!) On the way, he got a call from Rod about a supposed “gas leak.” He seemed a little panicked, so we swung by. I knew something was fishy — especially since they have natural gas — but I went along with it. He even spun a whole story about calling the restaurant to see if they would reserve our spot for later. Smooth. To my complete surprise, I walked into an ambush of love: a surprise engagement party with all of our closest friends waiting to celebrate. 🥂 It was chaotic, hilarious, and so us. A moment I will never forget. ❤️