Jon and Alena are engaged! And we are thrilled for them!

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Jon had graciously agreed to bring Silas home from Indiana for us, and it was the perfect opportunity for him to introduce Alena to us and to the state of Oregon. We had heard about Alena at the end of last summer when Jon brought Cooper back from his Indiana adventure.

We were so happy to meet her and to see the loving dynamic between them. Alena is a ballerina, so Brynn put on her pink ballet leotard and slippers for some instruction from Alena.

Sunday afternoon Jon and Alena headed to Cannon Beach. Jon had arranged for a photographer to do a “ballet photo session” in front of Haystack Rock as a ruse for his planned proposal photo session.

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But Alena wasn’t fooled. He knelt down and proposed along the dramatic Oregon coast. And she said yes!

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Stephen and I greeted them back at home with a celebratory cheese platter and some sparkling cider to toast the occasion.

Looks like a trip back to the Midwest is on the schedule for us next summer. Congratulations, Jon and Alena!

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