We're Getting Married!

We were in Stowe, Vermont on a Shields family getaway when Sam got the Stowe Mountain Operations team involved with his plan to ask Emma to marry him. Enthusiasts for adventure, we decided to go zip-lining; a three-part tour that begins at the peak of Stowe Mountain. Only Sam's brother Joey and dad Steve had been brought in on the plan to ask Emma, as well as the Mountain Ops team, who was tremendous in ensuring that we had different color helmets on than the rest of the zip liners so that they knew who the ‘soon-to-be-engaged' couple was. With the ring hiding safely in Joey’s pocket, the group - Sam, Emma, Joey, and Sam's sister Emily and brother-in-law Jordan - zipped down the first two lines while Steve gathered the rest of the family at the bottom of the mountain to catch the show. Joey snuck the ring into Sam’s pocket before heading down the final line ahead of us. Sam made a bet with Emma that “the winner of this last zip gets something special at the bottom." Sam (by pure chance) lost the race down to the bottom of the mountain. Sam said “Well, you win (again) and a bet is a bet” as he was let down off the line, proceeded to get onto one knee and asked “Emma Frizzell, will you marry me?” As she spun in the air crying – hilariously surprised mind you - Emma squeaked out a “yes” and the celebration was on with Sam’s family and other spectators cheering. The Stowe Mountain crew brought all of us back up to the top of the mountain in gondolas for some scenic champagne toasts to the future Sam & Emma Shields!