I’m Engaged!

It’s a natural feminine tendancy for us women to think about how our perfect fairytale engagement will go down. We plan it in our head years in advance and drop enough hints to your boyfriend until you think he’s figured it out. The best engagement is when it’s a fairytale, but it’s not at all how you planned it.

 

And that’s how Andrew made it.

 

August 14th, was our 2nd year anniversary of us courting. “We” or at least I thought it was we until after Andrew proposed that made it just “him.” We planned the day to have breakfast together, go to the petstore and buy some fishes for our new fish tank, go to Adoration, and go to the park for a picnic.

I arrived at his home early in the morning to start of our day, and Andrew was making breakfast.

 

He made sausage and hashbrowns and I made scrambled eggs. Yum!

I noticed Andrew rushing me a little bit but I wasn’t thinking anything of it. So we got in the car and went to PetSmart to look for some more fishes for the fish tank. I know as we were pulling up to the store we were debating on whether it was Pet Smart or Pets Mart. I *think* we decided that because “Pet” was in red and “Smart” was in blue, then it must be PetSmart. Anyway, we looked like little kids getting really excited! There were many choices but it was so fun to pick them out together. Andrew really wanted a shark but our tank was too small.

We made sure the fish were acclimated before we put them into their new home.

This is me showing the excitement on camera for the both of us. And meanwhile, I thought that this day couldn’t get any more exciting.

Andrew and I went to St. Raphael’s for Adoration for an hour. Yes, we are those faithful romantics. And yes, I’ve got a keeper!

After Adoration, we made sure to get our picnic ready and drive to Azalea Park. Now, this park was the park we went to when our homeschool group would get together for playdates. We built lasting relationships at this park, had childhood drama, and childhood crushes. Although, I’m engaged to mine.

We set up camp and before we started eating, I made Andrew open his gift first…er, I thought I made him. It’s this so-called decision making I thought I had but apparently Andrew planned it this way the whole time kind of thing.

I noticed he seemed in a hurry but I just kept placing it in my head as him being anxious for me to get to the present he made/bought me.

I had warned him that the present I made was for our marriage, as they were matching pillowcases.

I’m not sure you could see it here but one says “HIS” and the other says “HERS.” I even made sure to make them on the side of the bed I know we’re going to be sleeping on.

Here’s another one of my handsome fiancé for your viewing pleasure:

Then it was my turn to open his present. He told me that the big box was something he bought, and the little box, which is not shown in pictures, was something he made. The little one had scissors in it because he didn’t want to tote it around…and you’ll see why soon.

I had to tell Andrew to take pictures of me opening my present because he was just staring at me. So here I go opening the box up slowly. I always open my presents this way.

I’m not one to open it fast. Andrew was insistent that he reach over every once in a while to “help” me. He just couldn’t wait for me to open it. I think in the photo below, my eyebrows are raised because I’m getting slightly annoyed by him reaching over and touching my box.

In the box was my favorite book, The Scarlet Pimpernel. It was a beautiful copy as well so I was overthetop happy! At this point, Andrew stopped taking pictures.

Christopher, Andrew’s brother, was so nice as to take pictures of us from behind a tree. If you need a state-of-the-art creeper, Chris is your man. (With just 3 easy payments of $19.99!)

Then I opened the book. And there it was. Beautifully hanging down from a string was my engagement ring. I thought he was just trying to get a closer look at the present. I didn’t notice he was on his knee to propose. I felt my stomach drop and my heart beat fast. I never experienced a sensation like that before.

Everyone has asked what was in the book that gave me such a reaction. Andrew meticulously cut the inside of the book out in the shape of a church and hung the ring on it.

The scissors was used to cut the string so I can get the gorgeous ring on my finger! You can kind of see the little bag with the scissors in it below.

I was reading the two main paragraphs in the inside of the book in the photo below. When Andrew first received the book, this is the page he came to and he thought it was perfect. And it was! Scroll up and read the passages yourself!

Then he asked me to marry him and made me the happiest woman alive! He put the big diamond ring on my finger while we were both tearing/crying.

We hugged and I cried some more.

Until I lay my head on Andrew’s chest and realize someone was behind a tree. Andrew told me it was Chris and we laughed. Isn’t my ring beautiful?! I think Andrew did a wonderful job.

AND it’s cooler than sliced bread!