The night he asked was Monday, June 25th. We went to a bible study with dancing afterward at a local club close to us both. On our way home, he said, “Lets take a back road to my house.” After a while he asked if I wanted to stop and take a walk. I said sure. I got out of the car and waited for him, then waited some more. He was in the car for like 5 minutes. Then he popped out with a panicked look and told me he had left his wallet at the dance place.

We drove all the way back and he pulled up in front and just paused and asked me to wait in the car, he would just be a minute. He came back with wallet in hand and a relieved expression. He said they all pointed to him when he came back in and sent him to the man who found it so he could collect it.

We were off again. And again he took the back road, he said it went right behind his house. I thought that was funny because it was a lot longer than the main road when we took it the first time, but it also had a lot less lights. I figured he just wanted to avoid traffic signals.

We were listening to some of our favorite songs and having a lot of fun. When my favorite song came on, he said we should pull over and listen to it so we could look at each other. After the song ended he asked if we should try taking that walk again. It sounded like a good romantic idea so of course I said yes.

We started down the lane and came to a footbridge. I looked at the bridge and said “Jonathan, this looks just like our favorite bridge!” He said it was our special bridge. My immediate thought (with slight confusion) when he said that was, “This is nowhere NEAR his house!” (This is when my inability to tell directions really comes in handy.) As soon as I knew where we were he dropped to one knee. He pulled out the ring box, opened it up and said “Noel… will you marry me?” I said YES! Actually I think I just nodded a lot because I had a hard time talking.

We then continued walking a few feet down the path to where a meadow opens up lined with trees and FULL of fireflies! It’s like a million twinkling lights all around you. He then said I had to pretend we didn’t go dancing tonight. Instead we went to a very nice expensive dinner, (which he couldn’t get reservations for) followed by a private candle light desert at an empty Olive Garden (our favorite restaurant, but the manager wouldn’t cooperate, he said he almost called the corporate office!) and then took the walk on the foot bridge.

I guess he had this plan all worked out on the west coast and was planning to use it over Christmas, apparently Olive Garden and everyone cooperated there, just not here. The only thing the west coast didn’t have was our bridge.

The funniest part about the whole evening was that it wasn’t his wallet that fell out of his coat pocket at the dance, it was the ring! When he went back to get it he described what he lost to the guy in charge to prove he owned it. That was the guy who had found it… in his SHOE! When they gave it to him they said, wait dude, are you asking her TONIGHT? He said YES, I need that!!! That’s why everyone new he was back for something he had lost there.