Saturday was a lucky day for both Lania Paulk and Robert “Rob” Harper Foshee IV.

Foshee, an active duty soldier with the 101st Airborne Division and in the 2-320th Field Artillery Regiment, had just returned home to Red Level from a year-long tour in Kalagush, Afghanistan. Stationed out of Ft. Campbell, Ky., his month-long leave began Fri., May 13.

His family, Robert Foshee III and Belinda Foshee, along with his girlfriend, Paulk, wanted to welcome him home in grand style. So, they organized a wonderful coming home party, Paulk said.

And Foshee – well, he organized a proposal no one in the family will ever forget.

“We were all so happy to see him,” Paulk said. “It is so good to have him home. We were all outside eating and having a good time, and he kept trying to get me to drink my glass of tea.

“Every 30 seconds, he’d say, ‘Aren’t you thirsty, honey? Why don’t you drink some tea?’ Come to find out, he had dropped an engagement ring down in my glass and was waiting for me to find it,” she said.

“I guess I wasn’t going fast enough for him,” she said. “I just kept right on talking, so he held the glass up to the light and I could see my engagement ring.”

Of course, she said, “Yes.”

The couple, who have been dating since May 2010, are planning to wed after Paulk graduates college. She is currently a business administration major at Judson College.

In addition to being a soldier, Hudson is currently enrolled as an online student at Thomas Edison State College. He plans to continue his bachelor’s degree program after his Army enlistment ends in June 2012.