See the Tearful Moment a U.S. Marine Proposes to His Girlfriend on Fixer Upper
First comes the Fixer Upper, then comes the fairytale ending!
On last night’s episode of the hit HGTV show, Chip and Joanna Gaines reimagined a particularly challenging property for U.S. marine TJ and his girlfriend, Stephanie. Although the reveal was (unsurprisingly) stunning, what really stole viewers’ hearts was when TJ popped the question to his longtime love, who he met while recovering from a leg amputation after suffering an injury during his tour in Afghanistan.
“I just love you so much, and I know we’ve been on a lot of great adventures and I think this marks the beginning of our greatest adventure,” he said in the clip above. “Will you marry me?”
She excitedly agreed, and the foursome (including a teary-eyed Joanna) celebrated with the best present a newly engaged couple could ask for: a fully renovated starter home.
TJ and Stephanie had already purchased the house, a corrugated metal barn, before they started work with the Gaineses. The renovations were going to exceed their small budget, so Chip and Joanna rallied Waco residents to raise donations to cover the updates.
The original structure had undergone several add-ons, and essentially only included 980 square feet of true living space. Chip and Jo opted to nix the awkward layout in favor of an open and accessible floor plan that made it easy to travel between the refreshed rooms.
The land was what drew the homeowners to the property in the first place, so expecting mom Joanna included plenty of windows and double doors for easy access to the new patio and sunporch. She also tapped go-to furniture designer Clint Harp to build a custom porch swing for them to relax on together and enjoy the Texas weather year-round.
A classic country kitchen with gray cabinets, concrete countertops and wood accents is a standout, but it’s the master suite’s bathroom, complete with the couple’s favorite phrase “Every Step of the Way,” that is one of the more meaningful moments for the owners.
“What a beautiful start to the rest of your life,” Chip said. “We both sincerely hope you live here happily ever after.”
The final season of Fixer Upper airs Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. EST on HGTV. For the full tour of TJ and Stephanie’s new digs, visit HGTV.com.
