Each year for as long as Jess and Paul have known each other, they have taken a trip during the month of May to the Boundary Waters near the border of Minnesota and Canada. In this majestic land, alongside Jess’ immediate family, Paul professed his love to Jessica with an engagement proposal. Here is the story:

A few months before the “Ely” trip, Bill and Anne Tredinnick were visiting Paul and Jess in the twin cities for the weekend. After a light rail train ride to the Mall of America, where Jess and Anne were in search of some goodies, Paul asked Bill if he could ask his daughter to marry him. They shared the news of consent with Anne and Jess later that day and all four celebrated at one of the couple’s favorite restaurants that night. The news left Jess reeling in curiosity about when Paul would propose.

Paul and Jess had been pondering the idea of using wedding rings made out of non-traditional materials including hardened maple and polished stone, but that changed during a visit with Jerry and Millie Hauge at their house in Farmington, MN. Millie had been reorganizing her jewelry boxes when she found her mother’s engagement ring. The stones had been removed, but the setting was in wonderful condition. She allowed Jess to try the ring on, and it fit like a charm. A visit to an antique jeweler later, and the ring was ready to be worn… as soon as Paul could come up with a plan.

As the 2010 “Ely” trip was approaching, Paul insisted that he do all the packing for the couple. He made sure they had waterproof gear, their tent, extra socks, and an engagement ring! As the couple set out for the fishing opener on the morning of May 15th, 2010 at around 6 a.m., he slipped the ring into Jess’ tackle box. Jess’ first peer into the box was uneventful – she was so intent on catching fish that she overlooked the sparkle of the ring. So Paul insisted Jess grab a new jig for him, and she finally saw the shiny piece of metal in one of the compartments. Paul got down on one knee in the boat and popped the question. She exclaimed a tearful “Yes!”  Talk about the catch of a lifetime!