Krystal proposed to me at sunset on March 16, 2015 at Inks Lake State Park at 7:35-ish. Yes, I do remember the exact time because I had been hearing about this sunset the ENTIRE trip. Krystal had stressed to me from the get-go that she wanted to see at least one sunset on our camping trip this year and I needed to make it happen.

At this point (the 2nd day), our trip had been filled with good company, great food (not bragging at all), a 5 mile hike, and an hour-long kayak ride. We had arrived back at the campsite about an hour before and I began the process of making dinner, which involved fresh corn on the campfire grill.

At around 7:27 I realized that if we were going to see the sunset we better go now or I would never hear the end of it. So I grabbed a hot ear of corn off the grill, lathered it with butter and tony’s and grabbed my girl for a “romantic sunset.” Please not the quotations here because this was possibly the most pathetic, anti-climatic sunset I have ever seen in my entire life. The random guy in the canoe and me slurping up the butter on my corn-on-the-cob (that I was holding by the husk I might add) only added to the romance build-up.

After awhile I began to walk back and Eric and Krystal followed a few steps behind. (I later found out that this was the point where Eric told Krystal not to be a chicken sh#t). Krystal lagged behind and Eric caught up with me telling me to go talk to her. I immediately thought I had messed-up and was preparing to kiss-ass so she wouldn’t be mad at me for the rest of the trip.

She put her arms around me and said the most romantic things (notice no quotations… real deal people!) and got down on one knee, used my full name and asked me to marry her.

I said yes, of course and kissed and hugged her and then…. I noticed the ring. Let’s just say I did not make it easy for her to find everything I wanted but she made me exactly what i wanted and it was all i could do to not stare at it for the rest of the trip. 

We joked later that the proposal fit us perfectly and it did. Neither of us had make-up on we probably smelled like hell, I was stubborn and had to bring an ear of corn which I proceeded to eat, Eric was a horrible photographer, we had a random guy in a canoe, the sunset was pathetic, BUT…

It was perfect because it fit us. Our lives tend to be a chaotic mess of bad luck, “uh ohs” and “well that didn’t go as planned” but we make the best of it because we are together, experiencing life and it’s chaotic moments as partners (ahem I mean fiancees).

~ Madison