I had another blog post about our recent summer vacations all typed up and ready to post, and then everything changed. Brad proposed! We’re engaged! I’ll end up posting the vacation post later, but first I’ll post our engagement story.
Brad and I have discussed getting married for a few months now, so I knew that a proposal would likely occur at some point this summer. As much as I tried not to “expect” it to happen at any particular time, I did kind of think it would happen either on one of our vacations or on my 30th birthday last month. When each of those events came and went, I began to wonder. But I was also actually glad that he didn’t propose at any of those “expected” moments, because this way when he did do it, it would be much more surprising and special.
On Monday, Brad told me he wanted to go out to eat on Tuesday night to Local 463 here in Madison. I thought to myself how we don’t typically go to eat somewhere like that on a weeknight, but it wasn’t too far out of the ordinary, so I dismissed it.
Brad came to pick me up and then said he forgot to get something out of the car. I thought, “we’re about to get right back in the car, but ok” as he ran back outside. In the meantime, I noticed that he was a little dressed up for going to eat on a Tuesday at Local 463. So I got suspicious. He comes back in with a picture frame containing 3 photos of us: one of us on my family vacation in Key Largo, one on the beach on his family vacation in Watercolor, and a third of us on my birthday. He spoke about how all of those were special moments and places (and basically all of the times I thought a proposal might occur ha). I then knew. This was really about to happen! He then led me over to the entryway of my house by my front door and told me how that place was special for him/us, because that is where he first kissed me, that is where he says goodnight to me when he leaves my house to go home, and that that is where he gets to propose to me!
Then he dropped to his knee, got out the ring, and asked me to marry him! He was crying, I was trembling and shaking my head “yes” before finally managing to squeeze out the word “YES!” We hugged and kissed and then eventually realized I hadn’t even looked at the ring yet. And when I did, it was absolutely perfect. I had given him some direction in what I liked, but he did an amazing job picking it out.
Brad then told me that we were actually going to eat at Ely’s, our favorite place in Jackson. Which explained why he was more dressed up. So I went and changed clothes and we headed to dinner. We decided to enjoy dinner with only the two of us knowing that we were engaged and to call our family and friends after dinner. At the restaurant, a couple was seated next to us and they were celebrating their 47th anniversary. We ended up telling them that we had just gotten engaged and they gave us some sweet advice. It was a beautiful moment. A God moment.
We finished up and got to making our phone calls. It was so much fun calling everyone and hearing their reactions. Definitely something I’ll never forget.
As do most little girls, I have dreamed of getting married my whole life. As I got older, I was beginning to think that this may never happen for me. But about a year and a half ago, I finally began to not just trust God, but to trust His TIMING. From that moment, I truly became content with whatever plans He had for my life, whether or not that included marriage. I could never have imagined how richly He would bless me over the next year (and for many years to come), and sometimes I still can’t believe it. ‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His Word…
So now the wedding planning begins! I am as big of a “planner” as you will ever meet, but I am already feeling overwhelmed with everything that has to be done! Lord, please help me not to plan myself into insanity through this!
Until next time…
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