On December 17th Brad and Emily decided to take advantage of an unseasonably warm day in December. They took a walk at one of their favorite spots, but they weren’t quite done with the day. Brad suggested they go to one of Emily’s favorite places - Potter Park Zoo.

Unbeknownst to Emily, Brad had been walking around with an engagement ring in his pocket all day. Just waiting for the right moment.

As they walked around the zoo, they stopped by the penguins - notorious for doing nothing and refusing to move when people watch them. But they were swimming! There was a young one really showing off. They watched the penguins for a long time before moving on, but towards the end of the day Brad suggested they watch the penguins again.

He asked Emily if she had enjoyed their day, and then he got down on one knee in front of the penguins and asked Emily to marry him. She instantly said yes, and was in absolute shock.

He capped off the day with a surprise Christmas ornament commemorating the day. It was perfect.