FAQs

Question

How did you two meet?

Answer

In nursing school. The first time we saw each other was in the hallway the first night of class. Steve had just recently gotten back home from the Army, and due to family and work circumstances Mary got stuck taking a night class. Mary was on one end of the hall, shy and quiet, head in a textbook. Steve was on the other end surrounded by classmates, telling stories and cracking jokes, already being the life of the party. We never imagined our personalities would connect! But before long we started connecting over small things like study group and class info, which turned into small talk and getting to know each other a little more, which turned into spending time with friends and family outside class, which turned into being best friends and spending almost every day together.

Question

What are your favorite hobbies?

Answer

Being lazy and watching TV! Our favorite shows are: - Friends - New Girl - Psych - Survivor - M*A*S*H We also love taking walks on the Boise Greenbelt, reading aloud, having game nights, going out to eat, and spending time with friends.

Question

Who said "I love you" first?

Answer

Steve did!

Question

What do you love most about each other?

Answer

That we are best friends. We were so blessed to be best friends for years before dating. So our relationship is built on a solid foundation of enjoying the simple day-to-day moments, knowing each other and our mannerisms, inside jokes, etc. in a way no one else can, and laughing A LOT! It has been this friendship and ability to laugh and be vulnerable that has given us some of our best moments, as well as gotten us through some of our worst moments.

Question

How did Steve propose?

Answer

He had a plan for several weeks, but had to wait for snow! I had a frustrating day at work and came through the door in a bit of a rage, so Steve suggested going for a walk in our favorite spot ... the rose gardens on the Boise Greenbelt. It had just snowed again so when we arrived there was multiple feet of snow completely untouched and we had the entire park to ourselves. He was acting very strangely ... appearing to be searching, randomly stopping and pondering, being more affectionate, etc. I had been hoping for a proposal for so long that I had such a strong feeling this was it! But I had thought that several times before and had been wrong, so when we started walking back to the truck I thought I yet again had anticipated incorrectly. Just before getting to the truck he started a snowball fight, and when I hit him with a snowball he said he lost one of his contacts. I immediately got down on my knees and started combing through the snow because he didn't have anymore contacts at home! I felt so awful and thought he would be angry, but then had to double check that he wasn't just playing a joke on me to get me close to the ground in order to shove my face in the snow! He said "now that would be a great prank, but this is not", and when I turned he was on his knee with the ring!

Question

Where did Steve find the ring?

Answer

He designed it! There was an elderly woman and friend of the family that Mary and her mom cared for and who passed away a few years ago. When she passed she left behind an antique ring as a gift and Steve took the diamonds from this ring, as well as a black diamond he purchased, and with his first paycheck out of nursing school began having the ring made. Backstory behind the design: The night Steve and Mary started dating he turned her down multiple times, saying that she could find someone better than him. She shut this down, insisting that she didn't want anyone else. He had been the one she loved for years through their friendship, and he, including any flaws, was exactly who she needed and wanted. So to reflect this conversation, Steve bough a black diamond to represent himself. He designed the ring into a cross because Mary's faith is what she lives for. He said he had the black diamond placed in the center of the cross because the cross is her life, and although he is the darkest part of her life, she always keeps him at the center.