Katie had no idea that I had this day planned for a long time. I had only discussed it with a handful of people to keep it a secret. I decided to propose to her at the lake of the Ozarks because we frequently go down there so there would be no reason for her to get suspicious. Although she knew that my parents, my oldest sister and her family, a couple of my friends, and one of her friends would be there, she had no idea that I had secretly invited her parents along with my other three sisters and their families. We woke up that Saturday morning just like we would any other morning at the lake, and our friends suggested to Katie that we go get breakfast and check out the strip for a bit. Little did she know that this was all a big diversion to get her out of the house so that her parents and the rest of my family could show up while we were away. We were gone for a few hours, and then my friend Andy got a message saying we were good to go. On the drive back to the house my heart was racing nervously. As soon as we pulled up I ran inside because "I had to use the restroom really bad". Her friends held Katie up outside for a bit by asking her to help carry some stuff inside while I grabbed the ring and changed into my shirt that read "I asked". When she walked through the door, she saw my entire family and her parents gathered in the living room taking pictures. It took her a bit before she realized what was happening. I could tell she had figured out when she read my shirt and responded by saying "but you didn't ask". That's when I dropped to my knee, and she responded by making me the happiest guy on the planet.