Shannon: We were in agreement about what our future held in store. We had multiple discussions about getting engaged and I said I could make a ring. We picked out our cut birthstones from the Erie Gem and Mineral show (also a fun date). I started thinking about what size and kind of wire to use when making the ring. It was no secret, so I measured Raven’s ring finger and got to work. I started with making the ring base and Raven was watching me work. I decided, to keep something a surprise, that Raven would not be allowed to see me make the rest of the ring and had to wait for the proposal. Once the ring was finished, I got to work thinking about when to propose. I had many ideas and was given suggestions by a few people. I decided all those ideas were not us, and I remembered that Raven and I had talked about taking awkward JCPenny’s style photos. It was perfect! There would be a photographer, and Raven would not expect it. When the plan was in motion, Raven reminded me that real JCPenny’s photos are kind of pricey and then I remembered my mom (Deba) had a professional camera and loves taking photos. With everything in place I steeled my nerves for the first big moment of this Journey. I was nervous and as we took photos we got closer to the right moment. After many photos we were thinking of other poses and the timing was right. I grabbed Ravens hands and got on one knee. I asked her to marry me and her mouth was agape when she realized what was happening. Then she saw the ring and couldnt stop gushing over it and the moment. In fact it took her almost two minutes to actually say the word “Yes” even though her eyes said yes a million times. The moment was perfect which is a cardinal theme for our partnership. This was the beginning of the magical journey we will experience together.

Raven: Everything about it was absolutely perfect! We were taking Christmas pictures in our home with Debbie as the photographer. We got some goofy poses in, and some more “serious” ones too. After about 45 minutes, Shannon grabbed my hands and got down on one knee. I was in shock and slightly panicked because how does one react to this situation??? I was a bit unprepared, even though I kind of thought that Shannon would propose while taking pictures. Shannon showed me the ring that I asked him to make for me and asked me to marry him. I stood there in awe of how beautiful the ring is. It’s a unique piece that he designed and created himself (my baby is so talented). It’s true that I didn’t actually say yes at first, but that’s because I was so stunned over the ring. I had imagined what being proposed to would be like since I was little, but I never imagined that it could be that authentic and heartwarming of an experience. I felt like the luckiest girl in the world.

Cat Life

Gary T'Challa Lasereyes

Ambrose Croissant-Beignet Morningstar