Steve and I have been dating for about 3 1\2 years. Much of that time has been long distance which has been difficult, but good at the same time.
I hadn’t seen Steve for six months, and three of those months he was at IHOP and was only allowed to communicate with me through letters. This time was extremely difficult, but God was really doing a lot in both of our lives.
I arrived here in New Mexico on December 12th at 8:00 pm. It was wonderful to be reunited with Steve and to feel like I was coming home. We decided that night that we would go hiking the next day. This is nothing out of the ordinary, so I wasn’t expecting anything special. So on Saturday the 13th we got up and got ready to go hiking. (which was captured in the wonderful pictures where I look so great.)
We dropped off Steve’s mom at a church to go pray in the prayer and healing rooms and we went to the mountains. We decided to take the steep crazy trail which I had never done before. It was so steep, and the altitude is so different than Texas, that I was getting tired really quickly. Steve was soooooo happy that for once he was in better shape than me. So we stopped many times and then made it to a set of boulders where I had to stop and rest. We sat there and it started to get a little chilly. So I snuggled up to him and said “I’m so happy I have a boyfriend to snuggle up to” (I had missed this over the last six months) Then he looked at me, and he told me that he loved me. I told him that I loved him too. Then he asked me “Do you want to marry me?” I immediately said yes and gave him a kiss. Then I asked if it was official. This was probably a mood killer, but I was just clarifying 
We stayed up on the mountain for a while and talked about our future. But then two old women came and sat close to us, so we had to hike up a little further, and continued to talk.
When we picked Steve’s mom from the church and told her she said “I knew it! The Holy Spirit told me!” This was a great addition to the day. She just had this feeling that Steve was going to tell her that we got engaged.
People keep inquiring about the ring…… I am actually getting my great grandmother’s ring. It has been passed down through the women in my family and I am honored to wear it. So Steve couldn’t have the ring there when he asked me because he and my mom didn’t think it would be safe to mail it. So it is being delivered through my secret service agents(you know who you are)
We are very excited about our future together and are thankful for all your prayers!
