It was the Sunday after Easter of 2024 when Jake kind of popped the question...?

The day began as most Sundays but did not end like most Sundays!

After church service ended Jake offered to go out to eat and of course Jacee couldn't pass up that opportunity. He took her to get some of her favorite food... which aroused some suspicion because he stayed in his church clothes before going out to each (in which he usually changes outfits), so she wasn't 100% sure if anything going to happen.

After dinner at the restaurant, Jake offered to go walking! Which typically if they go out to eat on a Sunday it often involved walking around Scheels to waddle off everything they ate... but this time he offered to go on a walk to one of Jacee's favorite bridges on the biking/walking trail.

However, when they pulled up the the park where the walking trail began, Jake grabbed his jacket, because he was "chilled," however, Jacee thought it was weird that he did that, but there were also a lot of gnats out and bugs -- so maybe, just maybe he didn't want to get eaten alive.

Fast forward halfway to the bridge, Jacee, in Jacee-like-fashion had the sudden urge/need to use the restroom. Her bladder was screaming... she did suggest that she could try to go hide in the trees... but Jake was not having any of it. By the time they reached the bridge his face showed some concern because there were two cyclists on the trail, so he suggested we head back to the park.

With not much resistance, Jacee began speed walking back to the park, half laughing, half trying not to pee her pants. Jake happily strolled along. By the time they reached the park, there was a port-a-potty available. Bladder was finally emptied and she was ready for the next thing on the agenda.

Well Jake just had happened to bring up Bronson (Jacee's alopecia dachshund) in which she brought up many photos of him when he was a puppy. While driving along and scrolling through Bronson's photo's Jake pulls up to Jacee's other favorite park with her favorite tree/kind of tree, a willow tree!

Jacee made the remark, "Hey this is my favorite park, with my favorite tree!" In which Jake replied, "Yeah, I know, it's a willow tree!"

While slightly distracted by cute photos of Bronson as a baby, he told her to put the phone down in which he quickly took the phone out of her hand and slide it into a nook on his dashboard... in which Jacee was not thrilled about so she picked up the phone and exclaimed, "I wasn't done showing pictures of Bronson!"

Then Jake lost it, he quite sternly and partially scared said, "Put your phone away!" In which Jacee got nervous and fumbled to put the phone down to turn to Jake... mind you, this is all taking place inside his car.

Jacee turned to Jake, in which his facial expression showed nervousness and shock all over it while he struggled to utter a few words, all Jacee can say is, "It's happening..." in which she made her famous chipmunk face at him and leaned as far away from him as possible...

Jacee kind of spaced out when Jake was talking, but she remembered he said he was very proud of how far they have come over the last years by the grace of the Lord... in which she continued to internally panic...

Then Jake pulled out the ring and opened the box.... didn't say anything... and Jacee was waiting for him to put it on her. Well Jake panicked next and yelled, "JUST PUT IT ON," which in turn Jacee shot back, "YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO PUT ON ME!"

Can you imagine Jake's next words? Well his response was, "I DIDN'T KNOW, I'VE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE."

Well they finally figured it out... the ring was placed on Jacee's finger... with them realizing later that he never officially asked her to marry him; now over a year later it is still mutually agreed that they are getting married!