Monday, December 20, 2010

engaged already!

i know i hardly write here these days. the daily-journaling sort of me took a bit of a hiatus when grad school start, and i think that's spilled over into my blogging.

anyways, people have been quite vocal on facebook the last two days due to some news j and i let slip on there, so i wanted to post a couple photos here, in this more private space. in their vocalizations, a few people let me know that it was a quite a surprise to them, that they "missed the pre-engagement" part completely! well, i chalk that up to them not being someone whose ear i can talk off because i've been talking a lot about the mister, and to the pre-mentioned fact that my writing frequency has waned as well as my long-distance friendship pursuing ability. so perhaps, after today, i will get to telling our story. i've been describing it as a whirlwind romance because it has been quick... but lovely nonetheless.

so my mister proposed to me on saturday afternoon! it's very exciting and i have been giggling quite a bit as i replay those moments in my mind.  i had been aware of his search for a ring, so it wasn't a complete shock.  but i did not imagine he had already ordered it (off of etsy.com of course!) and that it arrived on thursday to the p.o. j didn't waste any time. he asked my parents for permission to marry me the next night, as we happened to be staying with them for a quick night, and he told my sister sarah and her husband with them that the planned to propose to me the very next day. and he did...

he tricked me that morning into a photo shoot at a friend's house after brunch. i whined and complained because i felt embarrassed and am not eager to do such things (especially when i feel all akimbo without showering, etc.). but he knew we'd be glad for a photo of us on the day of our engagement, so he stuck to his guns. here's the best shot:

and then we did some almost-last-minute christmas shopping (even slightly ruining our day by a trip to cabela's. ha!) and headed back towards minneapolis.  i asked him where to next, due to our necessary pursuit of more gifts, and he said his house for a bit. i wasn't sure why but he said he needed a break and was "stressed," the reason for which wasn't exactly apparent to me.

oddly, when we got to his apartment he was very eager to play a song for me. he had mentioned that he had written me a song a couple days before, or was working on one, and had showed some determination to sing/play it for me. so he whipped out his guitar and was ready. but i wasn't! i took my sweet ol' time reading a cookbook he had laying on his coffee table. i even told him to wait until i was done so i wouldn't be distracted by my search for a specific recipe. anyways, he was patient, and i soon became ready.

j played guitar and sang me the most beautiful and meaningful song... it was all about us, about our future, about going anywhere and everywhere together, and by the end (still without a clue) i was shedding a few tears. i loved it! so he came over the couch and was hugging me, and i was happy with just that, the gift of an amazing song from the man i love... but then i noticed he was reaching into his front shirt pocket and wait, what?, he's sort of shaky... what's he nervous about? and as i was realizing that there was something going on he was on his way to his knee (wedged between me on the couch and the coffee table). and j tells me that i gasped and said, "is this happening?! no!" and before i knew it, he was looking up at me and asking me to marry him. i was so unbelievable, such unexpected timing! and so so so great, of course! we laughed, and i did a few jumps, and just hugged his neck tight and long... and talked for a bit, prayed together, and then started the phone calls.

that evening he took me to a new nepali/tibetan/indian cuisine restaurant we had heard of from a friend in northeast minneapolis.  we told the waitress that we were celebrating our engagement, and j spoke a few (well-pronounced) nepali words which sparked a fun conversation in nepali between me and the owner. it was a perfect and quite appropriate way to celebrate.

the next morning i took j for breakfast to the place we had our first date (on may 8th, 2010) to celebrate a little more before beginning a day of church, a photo shoot job for j, more church, and wedding planning mixed in. we're thinking of getting married in just over five months so hopefully we have already made some lists and begun the hunt for a venue. we are so very happy... and this man is truly a gift from God to me.

here's a couple shots of me and the ring the day after the engagement:

2 comments:

  1. yay!!! i'm so glad you wrote out the whole story here... i'm so happy for you, my dear lovely sister, liz. so happy....

    ReplyDelete
  2. So excited for the two of you and what a beautiful ring! congratulations!!

    ReplyDelete