We got engaged in January 2025 — and while it wasn’t exactly the proposal either of us had planned, it couldn’t have been more “us.” For years, I told him my dream proposal would be at Lake Erie — a place that holds my heart because my dad raised me there. But after years of me playfully (and maybe not-so-subtly) antagonizing him about getting engaged, and several failed attempts at perfectly planned moments, he decided to throw the plans out the window and just go for it. It was absolutely freezing, snow on the ground, and people were literally driving on the frozen lake behind us at Buckeye Lake (yes, not Lake Erie, but close enough, right?). We had just come from McDonald’s — because when a pregnant girl wants a cheeseburger, she gets a cheeseburger — and I had just finished crying over said cheeseburger in the parking lot while listening to “I’m Gonna Love You” by Cody Johnson. Very on brand. My best friend had the ring and met us at Liebs Island parking lot. He told me we were meeting her to go on a walk (despite her being nine months pregnant, which I thought was a ridiculous idea). Before I knew it, I turned around and there he was, down on one knee saying, “So are you going to be my wife or what?” At first, I didn’t believe he was serious — even with the ring right in front of me. The first words out of my mouth were, "do my parents know this is happening"? Once it clicked, I cried, he put the ring on, and we hugged. It was messy, spontaneous, cold, and perfect. Later that night, I realized I never actually said “yes,” so I found him and said, “By the way… yes!” It wasn’t the grand Lake Erie proposal we'd always talked about, but it was exactly what it was meant to be — chaotically perfect, just like us.