We met on the high school swim team and became great friends through competition and learning how to do tornadoes in the water. After Ken graduated, he came back to visit the team. We reconnected, he asked Melanie out to a movie date, and the rest is history!

It all started with a box. For Melanie's twenty-first birthday Ken gave Melanie a box that said, "Do Not Open Until Christmas." Keep in mind, her birthday is in March. Months later, Melanie opened the box to find a huge blanket, and yet another box that said, "Do Not Open Until Graduation." A few more months later, Melanie opened that box to find ANOTHER box that said, "Do Not Open." Two months later we took a family vacation to St. Thomas. After a stroll on the beautiful and tucked away Abby Beach, Ken built a few benches on the beach to watch the sunset. After some prodding to pick up a stray coconut near the water, Melanie reluctantly got up and much to her surprise the last box was inside. She unwrapped it and it was empty! Melanie turned around, and there Ken was on one knee with a single red rose and a ring.