Markus and I first met one Saturday in August. He picked me up for our first date and his smile was the first thing I noticed. We decided to grab burgers from Five Guys, where we sat for hours laughing and getting to know each other. Before we knew it, Five Guys was closing so we decided to pick up a sweet drink from Dutch Bros and head to a community center parking lot to keep talking.

While talking in his truck, I told Markus that I loved line dancing and was really interested in learning how to swing dance. Before I knew it, we are standing in the parking lot, country music blasting through the open door of his truck, laughing while trying to learn different dips and dances. As if it couldn't get anymore Hallmark, it began to sprinkle down rain as we were dancing.

It was a perfect first date that led to a week straight of seeing each other every day.

After a handful of weeks of hanging out nonstop, meeting each other's friends/family, and getting to know each other, Markus asked me to be his girlfriend with a beautiful bouquet of roses.

We headed up to Cheyenne, WY for Cheyenne Frontier Days to see one of our favorite country singers, Zach Bryan, in concert. For many summers prior to being with Markus, my sister Leah (MOH) and I would go up to Cheyenne to see a concert, so naturally she and her husband Sam accompanied us.

I should have known something was going to happen when my mom and grandmother decided they also wanted to make the trip up, however, I brushed it off thinking they were just coming to enjoy the festival for the first time.

Upon arriving at the festival, I started scoping out a good place for Leah and I to take a photo together, as we had done every year prior. I found a great spot in front of a large mural and Leah insisted that Markus and I take a photo first, so we got into position. As we stood there for a minute or so, I struck a few poses and waited for Leah to capture the perfect shot, but little did I know she was actually recording and Markus was slowly taking the ring box out from his pocket.

After what I thought was a good handful of pictures, I began to walk away but Markus called my name to get my attention. As I turned back around, in front of my family and a crowd of strangers, Markus got down on one knee and proposed! And of course I said YES!

The cheering from the crowd of strangers really was the cherry on top of a great proposal!