July 4th, 2024—already a day steeped in celebration—was about to take on a whole new meaning for Stephen and Amanda. They were spending the long holiday weekend at the Phipps family cabin, joined by Stephen's brothers and of course, the dogs. The morning began with everyone piling into trucks, fishing gear in tow, as they headed off to Saranac Lake for a day on the lake. It was the perfect July day—warm sun, a cool breeze, and sparkling water. By late afternoon, they returned to the cabin to grill up some dinner and relax, but Stephen had more exciting plans in mind.

After freshening up, Stephen suggested a trip to one of their favorite spots—where they watched the solar eclipse together that April. Normally, they would hop on the ATVs for the rocky trek up the mountain, but Stephen insisted on taking his truck this time, and of course, the dogs had to come along.

Now, if you’ve ever been to the Adirondacks in July, you know the black flies are relentless. As they hiked through the meadow, Amanda was swatting away at the swarm, trying to keep the dogs from taking off into the woods. Suddenly, Stephen called out, “Hey Minnow, what do you have?” Amanda’s immediate thought was, Oh no, she caught an animal. Then she heard Stephen say, “She has a sock!” This was common for Minnow; she was always stealing socks, and no one’s laundry was safe. But where would she have found a sock in the middle of the meadow?

Sure enough, Minnow came bounding over, something suspiciously sock-like in her mouth. Amanda barely had time to process what was happening before Stephen turned to her, locking eyes and smiling. But as he lowered himself to one knee, she caught sight of the small black velvet box tucked inside what was unmistakably one of Stephen’s socks. Her heart skipped a beat.

Stephen quoted Maggie Rogers' “Love You for a Long Time,” one of their favorite songs. The song played in the back of Amanda’s mind as Stephen began to speak, telling her how much he loved her and recounting all the moments that had led them to this one.

Before she could even think, the words tumbled out: “Are you sure?!” Stephen’s smile was all the answer she needed. And when he asked the all-important question, “Will you marry me?” Amanda didn’t hesitate. “Yes!”

Stephen opened the box, revealing the most beautiful ring Amanda could have ever imagined—an oval sapphire, Stephen’s birthstone, surrounded by a delicate halo of diamonds. It was perfect and meaningful.

As they hugged and laughed, they suddenly heard a cheer from the nearby trees. Stephen’s brother, Charlie, had been hiding in the woods, secretly capturing the entire moment on camera—and also being swarmed by flies.

They drove back down the mountain for the perfect evening around the campfire and lit up their sparklers, which now had a little extra sparkle.