Jon and I met on February 20, 2025, over dinner at Spice Herb & Thai Cuisine. What started with countless good-morning and goodnight texts turned into a three-hour conversation that night, and we’ve hardly been apart since. After two more dates and many late-night calls, Jon asked me to be his girlfriend. Time flew after that: road trips, visits to many churches, and countless dates. Before we knew it, our one-year anniversary had arrived. Around that time, Jon started house hunting. After looking at many homes and spending a lot of time in prayer, he bought his first house. While we were painting and furnishing it (and getting frustrated after repainting the same room three times), Jon told me we were going for a walk in the park on Saturday, March 30. It seemed completely ordinary—we often went on walks together—so I happily agreed. That morning, we stopped at Menards for supplies. Jon took a call from his sister, Alma, and quickly walked away, which I thought was a little odd. We planned to go to dinner at Ruth’s Chris afterward (thank you to our realtor for the gift card), so we got dressed up and headed to the park. As we walked along the trail toward the tulip garden, the day felt perfect. Then I noticed a line of roses leading to a gazebo, and I immediately started crying. Jon guided me into the gazebo, surrounded by rose petals. Then he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. As I hugged him and cried, Alma and our good friend, Ata, emerged from the bushes, taking pictures. It was everything we had hoped for and the perfect beginning to our next chapter. May God be given all the glory. Amen.