We first met years ago through mutual friends, but we never really got to know each other. I (JC) was already married with a couple kids. Holly eventually got married as well and we lived entirely separate lives.

Many years later, by sheer coincidence, we were reunited at a BBQ hosted by a mutual friend. We recognized each other immediately when our eyes met, but we couldn't quite place where we knew each other from. We spent the first hour talking in the kitchen, and then suddenly, it clicked—we remembered why we knew each other.

For the next few hours, we were inseparable, enjoying each other's company and the unfolding conversation. We were amazed at how much we had in common and how intertwined our lives had been. We kept remarking on how crazy it was that we hadn't crossed paths sooner. We exchanged numbers that night and continued talking.

We had our first date only a few days later. Neither of us wanted the night to end. The evening went by so quickly as we got lost in our conversations. I called our mutual friend the next day and told her that I was going to marry Holly. Of course, she told me to not get ahead of myself.

The days turned into weeks and the weeks into months. Every day we grew closer and closer. We both knew very early on that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together.

I started the process of having a ring made for her. This took FOREVER. Little known fact, jewelers don't stock rings for women with tiny fingers. Since Holly has the smallest fingers I have ever seen on an adult woman, the ring had to be custom made.

Fast forward to the proposal.... Of course I had spoken with my children about proposing to Holly. They all love her and were already calling her "mom". A few of my children told me that they wanted to be there when I propose. So, I set out to plan (hopefully) the perfect proposal. I schemed and got her 2 best friends involved and got them to make plans with her on a Sunday afternoon, knowing full well that they were going to break those plans last minute. This was no easy task because Holly is a planner and a "do-er". She likes to get things done and check things off of lists. So, I knew, if I wanted to surprise her, I was gonna have to get creative. Her friends pulled through perfectly. The cancelled last minute and I made the "suggestion" for us to go for a hike. We left church and came back to the house. It was a challenge to keep her from starting some project or working on checking something off of our to-do list, but eventually I was able to get us out the door. In the mean time, her friends had already picked up my kids from the house and they were already on their way to the hiking spot. The idea was, my kids would be waiting at the top of the mountain, at the lookout point, waiting for us to get there. Her friends would be down at the parking area waiting for us to get back. Lets just say, it didn't go exactly as planned. Because we took so long getting out the door, my kids ended up waiting at the top of the mountain for a long time. Holly's friends saw what was happening and they went and got water, snacks and champagne (for us) and hiked to the top of the mountain to where my kids were.

So, Holly and I FINALLY got there. I was able to text my kids and her friends when we got there, without Holly noticing. Unfortunately, and unbeknownst to me at the time, my text did not make it to them because, at the top of the mountain, there was no cell service.

So, we set out on our hike up the mountain, and I tried to carry myself and the conversation like I would on any of the 100 other times we went hiking together. We finally made it to the top. I was talking very loudly and even walked a little bit ahead of Holly so I could alert my kids and her friends that we were getting close. As I got to the lookout point, I saw 2 plastic champagne glasses and and bottle of champagne on a large rock. Obviously I knew what it was, but I didn't want Holly to know. So, I walked right past it. There were other people there, so she didn't give it much thought. I could see my kids and her friends hiding behind some boulders practically falling off of the cliff behind them. As Holly approached, I got down on one knee and pulled the ring out of my pocket. As I held the ring up, I could see tears welling up in her eyes. I had an entire speech planned out, I had been reviewing it in my head the entire way up the mountain. Before I could utter barely a word, my son came running out from behind a boulder and asked Holly if she would be his mom. Immediately after, my other kids came out and surrounded her asking her the same question. As she was saying yes (to my kids, not me, as I technically had not asked yet) her best friends came out to celebrate with all of us. I laughed and said loudly, "I haven't even asked yet". We all laughed and I looked up at her and asked her if she would spend the rest of her life with me.