The Engagement

We were engaged on July 14, 2014 on the banks of Nooya Lake in Misty Fjords National Monument outside of Ketchikan, Alaska!

A port of  call on a family cruise trip to Alaska, Ketchikan is the rainiest town in the United States, proudly measuring their annual rainfall in feet, rather than inches. 

We had a gorgeous sunny day in the high 70s.  Steve booked a flight-seeing excursion to Misty Fjords National Monument. (Click photo to see some shots from the flight - final shot is Nooya Lake.)

We landed and waded ashore where Steve surprised Kelly with a proposal using a ring she had eyed (and he had bought) on an excursion to Skagway two days earlier.

Post-engagement selfie!

Taken by our pilot!

Engagement hats?  :-)

Celebration on the cruise that evening (click to see multiple photos).

And finally - THE ring!

Steve's mother Sheila generously donated her mother's engagement and wedding rings and some other family bands for use in making custom rings for both Kelly and Steve.  Kelly's long-time friend and artist/jeweler, Becky, mined the diamonds and yellow gold from Grandma Leiter's engagement ring, added some white gold and created a very special engagement/wedding ring set for her.  It was a big surprise in Kelly's Christmas stocking! Steve's ring is still to be made.