Gracie's version-Once upon a time Mandi and Matt met. Matt was a cowboy and Mandi was a majorette. They started dating and then they decided they wanted to get married and I am going to be a flower girl.

Felicia's version-Well actually they met when Mandi was in high school. They became good friends when me and Jon introduced them to each other. The first time they dated was Mandi's senior year of high school but it ended quickly when Mandi moved off to college. They decided to just be friends and didn't think anything else would develop. Well at least Mandi didn't think anything else would come of it. They did keep in touch throughout college, just as friends though. For four years Matt actually gave Mandi great relationship advice as Mandi also did for him. When Mandi came home from college, they both found themselves single. What had started as a wonderful friendship developed into a wonderful relationship. They share many of the same interests and are truly each others best friends...and lovers!

I had convinced Mandi just the night before that it was going to be a while before we could get engaged because I had to save money to buy her a ring. Little did she know I had had the ring for about a week now. She had been begging me to take her horseback riding for about a month and I had finally agreed to about a week earlier. I had thought about how I was going to purpose for a long time and even talked about it with her Aunt Kathy and Felicia. I wanted to do it in a way that would catch her off guard and come as a complete surprise. I knew if I took her to one of "our spots" then she would know what I was up to. So I decided to do it when we were riding since it had been her idea and she wouldn't think anything about it.
So after church Mandi went home to get her dog Cash from her house and while she was gone I showed Mom and Felicia the ring and told them that I was fixing to propose. They congratulated me and wished me luck! By the time she got back I had the horses saddled and ready and the ring in my back pocket. We rode around on the farm behind the house for a while so she wouldn't suspect anything. They whole time we were riding I was checking my pocket to make sure the ring was still in there. I don't know how she didn't see or ask me what I was doing. I was getting nervous and I don't think I said ten words the whole time.
I had decided to take her up to this place on the ridge where we had rode before the first time we were dating. It is one of my favorite places on the farm and has the prettiest woods around. The last time we were up there Mandi hung a necklace in a tree that I wore because she didn't like it. I needed a reason to ride up there so I said, "Let's go see if we can find that necklace." She was like, "Ok! I bet squirrels have ate it by now though." I started to wondering if she was suspecting anything yet but I don't think she had a clue. When we got to the top of the ridge I was trying to decided where and how I was going to do it and in a clearing there happened to be a big log laid down. So I made up the excuse that the horses needed to rest after we looked for the necklace that we didn't find. We got off and Mandi was walking around the woods talking about the trees and climbing up the log to look at a mushroom. I finally had to make her come and sit down with me. I somehow manged to get the ring out of my pocket and put it on my pinky finger whithout her seeing. I had no idea what I was going to say. So I started talking about her class ring that she wore on her ring finger and told her that I needed to know what size it was. She started talking about how she had gotten fat since she ordered it and it was supposed to fit this finger but now she has to wear it on this finger so she doesn't really know what size it was. She kept talking so I finally just said "Well maybe this one will fit!" And placed the ring on her finger and asked her to Marry Me! She just smiled, kissed me and said "YES!" Then she said, "Really, you really want to marry me?" and I said yes too. She had the biggest smile on her face and I think she even jumped around a little bit. I don't remember anything else that we said after that. I was so relieved that I had pulled it off and she never saw it coming. We called our families, friends, and then rode the horses back to the house. I was so glad that it was over with and happy that she said Yes! I really like looking and seeing that ring on her finger and I can't wait to marry her and make her my wife.