Jason and Joni's relationship had continuously been tested from the moment they met: hectic business travel schedules, Jason moving to Germany, the long drive together moving Jason to San Diego, training for half marathons, and Joni's recurring flares of colitis. While those trials may have driven most couples apart, they brought Joni and Jason closer.
By early 2011 they were living across the country from each other, but Jason knew he wanted to marry Joni and began devising his proposal plan and looking at rings. Since Jason moved back to San Diego in August, they really made an effort to plan a lot of weekends together in 2011. He knew he wanted to propose sometime in the spring and he really wanted their families to be part of the special day; however, the only weekend from February-June when they weren't getting together for Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Joni's Birthday, or weddings, and when our parents were all free, happened to be the weekend of April Fool's Day.
Jason ended up flying Joni's mom in from New York on April 1st and met her for lunch in the city. Joni was not expecting Jason until later in the day since she was working from home, but he showed up early disrupting her well planned out afternoon. To diffuse the situation, Jason tried to take a nap but he was just too excited. Thinking that she would wrap work up a little early, Jason tried getting Joni's attention around 4pm, yet she chose to devote it to her computer instead.
Eventually Jason convinced Joni to enjoy some wine with him, but he was not able to convince her to turn off the TV and listen to some romantic Michael Buble. Just after 6pm, Joni finally got frustrated with the work she was trying to do and put her computer down. Little did she know that Jason was getting anxious and her mom was getting worried (she had been expecting the "I got engaged" call an hour earlier)!
With only a few minutes to relax with each other before they needed to get ready for dinner reservations, Joni moved closer to Jason on the couch and fell right into his trap. Joni always comments how ridiculous Jason looks with all his cellphones, receipts, loose credit cards and cash, pens, and packs of gum in his pockets and April Fool's Day was no different. Little did she know that when she said her usual "take all that stuff out of your pockets" that Jason would reply with "If I do that I will have to get on one knee" and pull out the ring box.
Joni immediately started crying and after a long winded proposal she finally said "Yes!" After calling friends and family, Jason and Joni quickly got ready and left for dinner at a great Italian restaurant they had not been to since their second date. When they got out of the cab, Joni was distracted by the new shiny ring sparkling on her finger and Jason led her into a nearby bar where she was more than surprised to see his parents and her mom. After a few more tears of joy and a round of hugs, the five enjoyed a great night together making an evening filled with family that none of them would ever forget.