My Engagement Story
(Written January 4, 2011, the day after we got engaged.)
I don't start school again until next week, but Danny started this week. So, I went down to Provo to visit him. Traffic was pretty bad on the way there, so I didn’t get to Provo until about 4:45. Danny’s family was there and his two best friends were hanging out that night, so a lot of people greeted me at the door. His family was going to see the exhibits at the Museum of Art at BYU. Danny and I were going to go with them, but then his parents gave him twenty dollars to take me out to dinner.
I was picking up on clues and feeling awkward and nervous by the time we went to dinner. I was not enjoying myself at dinner and told Danny I felt nervous, like I was on a first date. I just couldn’t relax, and I couldn’t eat much either. We went to the Brick Oven, and I asked a lot of questions on the way there to try to figure things out. Like, why didn’t his family want us to go with them, and why didn’t we just go to subway for dinner with his family, and did he really like the Brick Oven that much? We had been there a little while ago, and I wondered why he wanted to go again. But. I knew why, or I guessed it. It’s right by the place where we had our first kiss, on the path that goes around Maser Hill.
So, anyway, at dinner I was feeling so uncomfortable. I told Danny this many times, and I kept asking him if he was going to propose that night. He said that "every day is a maybe." I just couldn’t figure out if he was going to do it or not. I was very suspicious, and this is when I realized that I hate surprises. I do not like being surprised. I feel like I am being tricked, especially when I can tell it’s coming. So. Dinner wasn’t great, until Danny started joking with me and talking about it with me. He didn’t really give anything away, but he talked about what clues he had given me and how he had been thinking the weekend would be a good time to do it…but I knew that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to do it that night. Still, it helped.
Unfortunately, I was so nervous and Danny was thinking about the ring, so we left our leftover box of pizza sitting on our table with the 3 dollar tip. At least we got free rootbeer. . . we didn't even know that Brick Oven gives out free rootbeer on Monday nights.
Danny wanted to walk to the museum from the Brick Oven. I thought that was weird, because it was so cold outside. It would have made more sense to drive. But by now I already knew what was coming. I could tell he wanted to walk there so he would have time to propose, and I had suspicions that he wanted to go to the spot where we had our first kiss. I was a little disappointed when we passed that spot on the way there and didn’t stop. I just wanted to get it over with so I could enjoy the rest of the night. But we just kept on walking. Later he told me that he wanted to get it over with too, and he almost proposed on the way there, in the middle of campus. Instead, I tried unsuccessfully to throw snow in his face, but he's too quick for that.
His family was just leaving when we got to the museum. He said later that he was nervous they would give something away, and they kind of did. They seemed more friendly and I think I saw someone glance at my hand. I was watching for these clues, and they were adding up. Danny was nervous by now, and I was feeling less nervous for some reason…probably because I knew more of what was going to happen and didn’t feel as tricked anymore. So, I enjoyed looking at the art, and he seemed a little preoccupied. We didn’t stay long.
On the walk back across campus to his car he suggested going to see the place where we had our first kiss. Neither of us had been back to the spot since that day. Honestly, if I had been the one proposing this is what I would have planned. We walked down the snowy path to the bench where we had our first kiss on December 2, 2010. We realized later that we got engaged one year, one month, and one day after our first kiss(and my first kiss ever), in the exact same spot.
So, we got to the bench (which was a little different, because they redid the path last year and put in some new tables and benches along the way), and he hugged me. I could feel/hear his heart beating really hard and knew that he was nervous and was about to propose. He told me he loved me and that he wanted to be with me forever. Then he got down on one knee and pulled the ring box out of his right coat pocket (I had seen him keep putting his hand in that pocket, so I guessed that’s where the ring was). He asked me if I would marry him, and I don’t even remember the exact wording or if he said my full name. I said, “uh huh.” Hahahaha I should have said Yes! But that was my first reaction. Then he said, “well, put it on!” Because he didn’t know he was supposed to put in on my finger for me. So I did.
It was the same ring I had sent him pictures of online. It is white gold with one .37 carat diamond in the center and 16 little diamonds on the side of the band. I love it. It feels really weird to have a ring on that finger. So, anyway, some people started coming on the path lower than our path, and I got a little nervous, so we walked a little ways on the path. Then I guess it hit me what had just happened and I kissed him. Then I asked if we could go back to the spot again. We did, and we talked about the ring and he asked me again if I would really marry him, and this time I said “yes.” Then I took off the ring so he could slide it onto my finger. He wanted to see the ring, because he hadn’t really had a chance yet to look at it closely.
So, finally we went back to the car. I didn’t want to tell anyone yet; I just wanted to keep it our secret for a little while longer and be happy together. We were going to go ice skating, but it ended up being later than we had thought, so we just went to get ice cream at Cold Stone. We shared a “love it” size bowl of cinnamon bun ice cream with pieces of Heath bar in it. It was pretty good, and it tasted like cinnamon toast crunch (that observation came from Danny. J). Then we went back to the car and I called my family. They were doing family home evening, so they put me on speaker phone so I could tell the story. Then we went to my grandparents’ house and told a lot of family there. We called and visited and texted many people that night to tell them the news. Sorry if we didn't get to tell you that night...we didn't really know how to spread the word.
I woke up my mom when I got home around midnight and she wanted to see my ring. Sadly, Dad has not even seen it yet. All my siblings except Chelsie were up still, so they saw my ring. Becca is sick, so she was on the rocking chair with a lot of blankets on her. I feel bad for her. Rachel had drawn up some sketches of wedding dress ideas for me (some weren’t very serious), so we laughed about that.
I regret not getting a picture of us TOGETHER that night. We were too excited to think of that. This was a few nights later. Danny is always falling asleep on me. It's okay.
