My TU friend, Hannah, is a rockstar. She’s a badass farmer and triathlete who lives in the northern Wisconsin country. She also has been growing out her waist-length hair for years, and she volunteered to shave her head and donate all of her hair. What a champ! 
The stylist is my beautiful friend, Stef, at Kasha Salon, and she volunteered her time and services. Thanks, girl!
Hannah, your hair is going to make a child very happy! Thanks for being awesome. Enjoy your newfound scalp freedom!
The next day, I went to help out at a Friends of the Little Plover River event- the fourth graders from the Stevens Point district all come out on an afternoon field trip and learn about their local stream. I was at the fly casting station with Stu, a member of my TU chapter. 
I left the FOTR event early to head down to Madison for a very special photo shoot- a lifestyle shoot with Kris and Shane… turned surprise proposal! Kris had been planning this day for months, and I was in on the surprise. It’s hard to plan a photo shoot for “no reason” with someone less-than-thrilled to ham it up for the camera without giving it away, but Kris’ masterfully laid plans worked perfectly. He convinced Shane to play along, and we ended up having a lot of fun!
We started taking photos at Kris’ mentor’s piano, then headed downtown at the Capitol (to drink wine on the lawn, of course!), around the square, then over to the Monona Terrace.
Right after this picture was taken, a woman walking by asked if we were taking engagement pictures.
Kris and I looked at each other with a look of panic, and we all mumbled, “Oh, no… these are just for fun,” or something equally awkward. Shane turned away and I looked at Kris with a face of shock as I mouthed, “OH MY GOD.”
I thought the jig was up! Luckily, Shane didn’t suspect a thing… so we moved on.
The tulips on the capital lawn were in full bloom and proving to be bright and beautiful. I hoped my giant smile wasn’t giving me away, and blamed my positive mood on the beautiful weather and these pretty flowers. 🙂
We set up so I was facing the capital…and then, on my cue, when the lighting was right, Kris got down on one knee, said something (I’d imagine to be) very sweet, and Shane said, “YES!”
It is difficult to be a part of a moment without intruding, but I did my best…
Congratulations, guys! I’m so happy for you. Thank you for letting me be a part of this big moment! I still get goosebumps when I look through this gallery. ❤
As were walking back to the parking ramp, I heard someone call my name. I looked up, and saw all my Madison friends from WLCV! They convinced me to stay for a drink (I love edible orchids!) and to catch up. Twist my arm… 
I made it home late and tired, but charged my camera batteries and swapped out memory cards, getting set up for the weekend’s photo shoots. More on those later!
Thanks for reading, friends. 🙂
Miles this year: 269.1
artist & athlete | a glimpse into real life, Heidi style 