Why tell the story when you all know it? It's not like one of us would just keep this a secret for months at a time...

It's a simple story of boy meets girl (can we still call our protagonists boy and girl at 40 and 36?), girl isn't bored by boy, boy seems interested enough to wait 6 weeks for a 4th date, and eventually the cynic becomes sentimental and melts the ice queen's heart.

There are lots of prayers and details in the mix, but the proposal probably encapsulates the relationship well:

On Saturday, May 6th, Hannah and Jake arrive home from a week of sunshine, waves, and the Kays. On Monday, plans for an evening walk were endangered by rain.

"Why don't we just walk around the neighborhood?" she asks practically so as to avoid a potential rain-soaked walk 10 minutes away. She eventually convinces him that she is right, they start the stroll, and then he protests, demanding they stick to the original plan of a stroll at the lovely Henry Ford Estate nearby. She relents, they drive and park, finding the estate closed. She ignores the obvious remark ("we could have walked at home") and lets him run on coffee (lack of sleep?) as they stroll through the nearby park. Finally wending their way back near the babbling river and the estate, he tries to set the scene. "Let's sit on this log," he suggests, and she starts to wonder if something is going on. She tries to steer him to finish their walk so they can eat but he is undeterred so she acquiesces and they sit.

"Wouldn't this be a great place for a proposal?" he asks, priming the scene.

"On another day," she replies, worried about her old manicure and what is fueling the craziness of her boyfriend.

He planned for many answers but, not surprisingly, that was not among them. Undetered, he continues.

"But I have a question to ask you..." he says, standing by the river now.

"Not today," she says, thinking this was not the storybook moment she expected and she could still control the story. A short standoff of stubborn wills a 3-year-old could only marvel at ensued. Ignoring all signs of a less-than-enthused girlfriend, he decides he cannot take any more delay or anxiety, cannot endure another sleepless night or another day fueled by so much coffee and craziness.

Dropping to one knee, he asks, "will you marry me?" and pulls out a ring he had purchased only hours ago.

"Of course I'll marry you," she says, holding out her hand. It may not have been the way she had imagined but that did not mean it was not meant to be. And with a 'yes,' his craziness started to melt away and a new craziness of letting the world know they would start their lives together soon ensued.

This may feel fast, you may be shocked, but we see this relationship as a blessing long prayed for by many people in our lives, including many of you.