How He Proposed...

I meant for this to be posted back in February when I was writing a lot of lovey-dovey stuff and sharing about my relationship with Nick, but things got busy and I forgot to post this.  Here is the post I wrote just after Nick and I got engaged.  Nick proposed in THE BEST way possible! By the time you finish reading, I know you'll agree.

 I got engaged! Nick and I have been planning the wedding for a while, but since we've felt the Lord leading us towards marriage since pretty early in our relationship, we knew we'd get engaged at some point, I just didn't know when.

Yesterday (September 8th, 2008) was our one-year-anniversary. We went to The Melting Pot to celebrate, which was all the way out in Charlottesville. We accidentally got on the wrong highway on the way, and got a good half-hour out of the way which made us an hour late for our reservation. I wasn't really upset about it, since we still made it there and they saved our table for us and everything, but Nick seemed more irritated than usual (and I can understand...since he had a dramatic proposal planned back at the dorm). He kept apologizing for getting frustrated, even though it wasn't at me.

Me: "it really doesn't matter; I'll forget about it by the end of dinner, anyways"

Nick: "I hope you forget about it by the time we get engaged"

Me: "by the the time we get engaged??? Of course I'll forget about it by then. I'll forget about it by tonight"

Nick: (thinks) "same thing"

The meal was amazing, and we promised to come again, even though it was expensive. Our server took a picture of us and put it in the Melting Pot frame, so now we'll have a picture to remember that special night for the rest of our lives! On our way home, Nick drew the conversation towards engagement, something we had talked about many times. He asked me my thoughts on it, and I told him all the legistics of it. I told him why I didn't think it was tonight because of this or that reason, and he played along, knowing the ring was in the back seat.

As we got closer to home, Nick said, "I just love you so much, Abi". We had told each other that all night, but I just asked him why he loved me. He proceeded to remind me in story form of the night we met, the weeks that followed, and our one very special night sitting in the open trunk of his car. That night we talked for 4 1/2 hours, and didn't even realize it, we were so engrossed in conversation, and so stunned at what we could see God unfolding right before our eyes. I thought it was precious that he remembered everything, but I didn't think much more about it.

We got back to my dorm, and Nick suggested we take a walk. We walked around the campus, and I had pushed any thoughts of engagement out of my mind by this point because we had set a time we need to be back since Nick had an early class in the morning, and needed to get to bed. When we got back to the car, I noticed the lights were left on. He asked me if I had left my stuff in the car, and I said I had, and asked if he unlocked it.

He didn't really answer but flung the door to the trunk open. The trunk was decorated beautifully with a red velvet blanket and pillows, covered in red rose petals. There was two bottles of sparkling grape juice in a box of ice, and my favorite chocolates scattered over the back. Romantic music was playing in the background, and the whole setup was decorated by little white lights. I was shocked!!! My first thought was that he was re-creating a previous very romantic date, but I still didn't think he was proposing, until he whipped the little white box out from behind the setup and got on one knee.

"This is for real, Abi, stay standing" (He had fake proposed so many times, every time he got on one knee I'd get down with him). So I stood next to him, sobbing with shock as he held the diamond to my face.

"Abi I love you, will you marry me?"

 "Abi, will you marry me? Are you sure?"

I confirmed that yes, I was sure.  I was sobbing so hard with disbelief he had a hard time hearing my answer.

I sat next to him shaking and sobbing and looking at the ring, I still couldn't (and can't) believe it. Andrea, Kayla, and Jenny came out of the bushes :) wielding cameras and snapping flashes in our faces. They had been there the whole time to capture it all (thank you all, I love you!). 
 

Nick did sooo good planning it out. I'm still blown away at all the details, and how everything went so perfectly. I'm so blessed to be marrying the man I've been praying for for so long...God is so good. He's given me what I don't deserve.

And the rest is history!

(Of course, I said yes!)