Kayla Weigel, 20, thought her boyfriend, the man she dearly loves, was at school at Bismarck State College on Thursday afternoon. Nope.

He was on a roof - at his dad's house.

Tyler Felchle had one thousand white Christmas lights he was working with.

But this wasn't for decoration purposes. It would take Felchle about 21/2 hours to complete the job. The lights spelled out a question for Weigel to answer.

That was Thursday.

Thursday and Friday, Weigel remained in the dark. It would be Saturday when she would see the lights.

Saturday, it was Weigel's birthday, and the couple - who have known each other since junior high - for the third year went to Paradiso Mexican Restaurant to celebrate. Then to a sister's to visit. Then Felchle suggested that since she loved surprises he would blindfold her so she couldn't see where they were going until they got there. She assumed it would be the supper place decided on, Green Mill Restaurant. She didn't know it would be Shelter 9 in Sertoma Park, just across from the Felchle house, 625 Riverside Park Road.

After the blindfold came off, she thought she'd be in the Green Mill parking lot, instead she was looking at an engagement ring, and Felchle on one knee, and a roof in the distance that spelled out in lights: "Kayla will u marry me?"

"It was overwhelming …," Weigel said.

But somewhere in the flow of tears, she remembered to say yes.

She said she had no idea he was planning this. But she said she's not surprised about the efforts he put into it.

"Tyler's always going out of his way," said Weigel, soon to be a student at Medcenter One School of Nursing.

Felchle, a pre-engineering BSC student, said he thought of the idea and asked fellow employees at Starbucks if they thought it was a good one.

"Everyone thought it was wonderful," he said.

Weigel's father, Ken Weigel, 48, of Bismarck, said he thought Felchle's idea was creative. But he's getting used to this unique proposal situation. Another daughter, Amanda Weigel, was proposed to in September after a high school football game in Fargo.

Amanda Weigel, 22, recalling the event, said she remembers seeing the football players in a huddle, but the next time she looked they were in a straight line at the 50-yard line with her boyfriend, assistant football coach Jerald Lemar, in front of them. A friend of his led her to him, and while Lemar was on one knee, his six senior players each recited a word, one at a time, "Amanda. Will. You. Marry. Coach. Lemar?"

She said yes, too. They'll be marrying in July 2004.

Kayla Weigel and Tyler Felchle are waiting for more Christmas lights. They plan to marry in December 2004.