Over Easter 2009 my now-fiancé Joe announced that he had planned a weekend getaway for us at a classic hotel in northern New Hampshire (think Kellerman's from the movie Dirty Dancing). Our first day up there was great. We biked in the morning, visited the animals in the on-site farm, and checked into our room where Joe announced that he had arranged a massage for me (my first ever!). After the massage we went down to dinner where the waitress kept calling me Mrs. Stelmach! After dinner we were relaxing in the room when Joe asked if I wanted his last surprise, an arts and crafts project. Of course I said yes and he brought out a photo album he’d made himself. On the cover it read “This is us…” Each page contained a photo of the two of us backed on cardstock with a caption describing that day (“…on Christmas day”, etc…) On the last page the place for the photo was empty and the caption read, “…on the day we got engaged” and as I read it he asked me to marry him. Of course, I said yes! I’ve never worn jewelry and I could never have loved a ring as much as I love my album. Joe worried that folks would think he was stingy when I had no ring to show-off but when people ask about a ring I happily pull out my album and talk about the guy who came up with a proposal that was more uniquely me than any ring could ever have been.