When people ask me to tell them about how Brian proposed, I always have to ask them if they have time for a story ;). I just can't do him any justice without sharing the thoughtful details of his 4-day long proposal!
On Saturday, September 1st, Brian asked me if I wanted to go to Arkansas the next weekend to spend the day at a local art museum with some neat trails called Crystal Bridges (in Bentonville) and then shop around at Pinnacle Hills (in Rogers) and just enjoy the day together. I said yes, of course, and was a bit suspicious and carefully hopeful that a ring was coming. We had gone looking for rings about a month before, and he had already asked my parents' permission (stories for another time!), so I knew it had to be coming soon. Also, we had some neat memories in Rogers in particular, it is one of our favorite places to visit, so I had always kind of hoped that he would propose there...more on that later!
On Wednesday night, I was packing up my backpack to go home from his place, and when I walked into his room to say goodnight, I saw a decorative box sitting on his bed. I looked at him kind of funny and asked what it was. He grinned and told me to open it.
*I quietly thought to myself, "he'd better not be proposing to me right now! I had really hoped for
something more special than this" I'm so shallow...
I opened the box, and inside was a sweet letter to me telling me all about how much he loves me and how thankful he is for our relationship and all of that nauseating stuff that I get all giddy about. Underneath was a pretty grey dress that fit perfect! I asked him what all of it was about, but he just got defensive and asked why he couldn't surprise me with special things...sneaky, sneaky.
Thursday morning, my alarm went off and literally about 5 seconds after my mom was beating down my door asking "When are you getting up?" I told her that I was just waking up and that I would get up in just a couple of minutes (I was milking my last moments of sleep). Then she said, "Oh, alright. Well, I have something for you when you are ready." Of course, I popped out of bed immediately when she said that. I walked into her room, and sitting on her bed was a decorative box slightly smaller than the one that I had received the night before. I started to get SO giddy with excitement. It must be happening!! I opened the box, and inside there was a letter for me and a letter for my mom. The letter that he wrote to my mom thanked her for all that she has done for me and for welcoming him into the family and treating him so well. Underneath the letters was another beautiful dress, and a gift card to Oasis (a local spa) for my mom and I to get massages that evening, he had already booked them! I called him immediately and woke him up to scream into his ear and let him know how excited I was...and how I was getting a little suspicious ;)
I was officially on edge. I just knew it had to be coming! That day in class, the other girls in my group could tell that something was up. I literally could not contain myself. Finally, I let down and told them all about what Brian had done and that I thought that I was getting engaged soon. They were all so sweet and interested in all that I had to share, and continued to ask questions the rest of the day and the next day while we were at our clinical site.
On Friday morning, I was rushing around the house to get ready for my early clinical when I noticed that my dad had a decorative box, just smaller than the last one, sitting beside his recliner as he read the morning paper. I teasingly scolded him for not telling me that it was there, but he knew that I would see it :). When I opened it, it contained ANOTHER lovely dress, a letter for me, a letter for my dad, and chocolates from a special candy store in town that my dad loves. I was so sad that I wasn't able to pour over this new box like I had the last ones, but I made up for it that evening when I read all three letters multiple times!
Saturday morning, I had coffee with a friend of mine (and one of my bridesmaids), Meghan. As we visited, she asked me about Brian, and once again, I found myself spilling my every thought. I will never forget, she said "Well if he doesn't propose today, then that he is just CRUEL because he is TOTALLY leading you on. You are getting engaged today!" It was so fun to share the excitement with such a special friend before the day started.
Shortly after I was done with coffee, Brian picked me up and we went to one of our favorite lunch places in town (Red Onion Expressoria) before we hit the road. I was struggling throughout the whole day to play it cool and pretend that I wasn't about to jump out of my skin...and yes, he waited for the WHOLE day. He is so patient...and particularly thoughtful. I just love that about him, but I thought I was going to go out of my mind with anticipation. Don't get me wrong though, we had a very special and fun day. We had a great time looking at all of the art and sharing our very uninformed opinions of the different pieces with each other. After we looked through most of the galleries, we decided to go on a few of the trails that they had available and enjoyed an afternoon strolling through the beautiful area that surrounds the museum.
After the museum, we had dinner at a local seafood place, and then drove to Pinnacle Hills, an outdoor mall, in Rogers. I was starting to get super excited, because I realized that he might be proposing exactly the way that I had always hoped :)
- Side note...We had our first kiss at Pinnacle Hills where the two brick roads cross. We were wrapping up a WONDERFUL date (we both look back at it as one of our favorites). It was dark, and the stores were closed, so it was almost deserted, and the lights that hang over the street were on and it was just perfect. I know it sounds crazy, but I had a feeling then that I was going to marry Brian. And on the way home, I thought about how awesome it would be for him to propose there...and I've kind of always hoped that would be how he would do it.
We get out of the car and I am about to jump out of my skin...he is about to do it! However, he seems very calm, and asks "So, are there any stores you want to check out?" I was taken aback...I thought he was getting ready to set the scene to ask the big question. I couldn't think of anything else! I told him that I couldn't think of any stores I wanted to go in, so he asked if we could go look for some new shirts for him. We went into a store and he tried on t-shirts for literally an hour! Once he chose one, we left and he asked if I wanted dessert. It hadn't been long since we had eaten, and I was still very full, so I told him that I didn't think that I could eat anything else because I was stuffed. He looked at me very strangely, almost like he was frustrated and said "Well I want dessert, so we are getting some" very defiantly. I remember laughing because he is never that intense about getting what he wants. So we went to have dessert, and sat there for ANOTHER hour...at this point it was 10:00. I was getting really concerned...and I texted the friend that I had met for coffee and told her that I didn't think it was happening. She told me to hang in there...that it was coming.
Finally, Brian stopped sipping on his water and asking me if I wanted anything else, and we left the restaurant. All of the sudden, I realized...he is about to do it! He was waiting for it to get dark, or something like that. And then I thought, I haven't seen a ring box on him all day and he doesn't have a jacket or anything to hide it in. So I thought, 'ok, he is going to make some lame excuse when we get outside to leave me on the sidewalk while he goes out to the car, and I am just going to pretend that is normal and not question him, because the ring must be in the car'. We walk out of the restaurant, and he looks at me and suggests that we go for a walk.
I was crushed. I didn't want to go for a walk. I wanted him to ask me to marry him. At this point, I really believed that he was not going to ask, and I really didn't want him to know that I had been expecting it and was disappointed. But instead of wallowing in self-pity, I decided that I would suck it up and cry when I got home and try to make the evening enjoyable.
As we start walking, I realized that he was squeezing my hand so tight that both of our knuckles were white. Then I started putting together all of the things that he was saying as we were walking, about how much he loves the memories that we have made and loves being with me and all that wonderful mushy stuff. I will spare you the details for once ;)
Then we get to the spot where the two brick roads cross and he kind of kept walking. I tugged back on his hand and said, "You'd better at least kiss me!" teasingly. He grinned from ear to ear, kissed me, and pulled a ring out of his pocket and got down on one knee and asked, "Will you marry me?" I was honestly kind of shocked! I had talked myself into believing that it wasn't going to happen! In fact, I just giggled and giggled and asked "Are you serious?" and "Really??" and hugged him and kissed him and then realized that I hadn't said yes! So I cleared that up and made sure that he knew (and everyone within a 10 mile radius knew) that I was so excited to marry Brian :).
The whole experience was incredible. I felt so loved and cherished as Brian pursued me throughout our "proposal process", as I call it. And I know that I have shared these pictures before, but they are worth sharing again :)
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| See the brick road in the back?? |
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| We were just a tiny bit giddy :) |
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| The Ring!! |
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| And a close-up :) |
We are getting SO excited for the wedding! I cannot wait to share the rest of my life with the wonderful man that created this wonderful proposal story for me. 18 days :)
-Rachel
