the one with a proposal!

I'm engaged!

And now for the story everyone has been waiting for:

Aaron planned to come up on the Thursday before Memorial Day weekend so that we could hang out on Friday during my day off, wait around while I worked on Saturday and then head to the lake with my mom, sisters and grandparents. So the plan was that I'd head to his hotel after work at 8 on Thursday evening to go swimming or sit in the hot tub. Close to the end of my shift, I text'd A to make sure the plan was still to swim. He told me that his cell phone was dying and that I was suppose to just text him when I got to the hotel. So after getting off work, I made it to the hotel in record time (I couldn't wait to see him), text him saying where I was and waited... The response: there's a note for you at the front desk.

I got the note from the front desk and opened it to find a message that (paraphrased) said that he couldn't wait to see me, that we had a very special night ahead of us (at which point I thought, 'what's so special about sitting in the hot tub?!') and to take the room key provided, head up to his room... and then open note #2.

Side note: everyone who's heard the story in person asks me if I knew at this point what was coming... and I did not. A is gifted with a flare for planning great dates, I assumed this was just another of his great feats of date-planning.

I used the room key to open his hotel room; the room smelled like him, was dark but a small lamp lit a vase with 2 red roses and a note #2. Note #2 read (paraphrased) that he couldn't wait to see me, that there were 8 - yes 8! - new dresses on the bed along with 1 back-up. I was instructed to choose whichever one I wanted b/c he wanted me to feel beautiful. The note went on to tell me to take my time getting ready and then read note #3 when I was finished.

Second side note: at this point I stood closer to the light and could in fact see 8 brand new dresses of different fabric, style and color laying on the bed alongside one of my own dresses. Unbeknownst to me, A had gone to the Olson's house and grabbed some essential things for me. On the dresser very near the lamp and vase lay many of my toiletries including makeup, deoderant, toothpaste/brush. He's also grabbed 4-5 pairs of shoes. Side note to the side note: I'm sure you're asking yourself, "he went shopping?" and yes, he went shopping a few days before with his best friend's wife in the Cities, visiting 3 different stores and ending with 8 dresses... he chose well too, they were all very cute.

So after getting ready, I opened note #3 sitting where note #2 had previously been. It said (paraphrased) that I am special [insert gushy stuff here:)] and that he couldn't wait to express his feelings in person. Then I was instructed to meet him in the chapel at Triumph. I was a bit confused at this point so I text'd him to clarify (this is where, if he were telling the story, he'd insert something about not being ready for me and scrambling b/c he thought I would try on all 8 dresses instead of the 2 I actually tried on) I hopped in my car and headed into Moorhead to Triumph... to find 40-50 women decorating for VBS! So not only was I completely out of my element, all dressed up with no idea why I was there so very dressed up but... everyone else was decorating, wearing jeans and t-shirts. I'm sure I stuck out like a sore thumb. Ah well...

At any rate, I happened to meet a friend at the door (who graciously finished tying my bow for me) I found A in the dark prayer chapel just off the sanctuary at Triumph with nothing but tealights in a circle on the floor. There he stood, looking dashing in blue (my favorite color) After setting my purse, keys, sunglasses on the floor, he took my hands in his.

Looking into my eyes, told me that he loved me - something neither one of us had said to the other / something I knew would be said only when he was going to propose... starting to suspect something else is going on... And he said he wants to spend the rest of his life with me, got down on one knee, held out a stunning ring and asked me to marry him. I said yes:)

(ok... I said yes and squeeled and jumped up and down for a bit) We kissed and I put the ring on, we danced a bit to some jazz he had playing in the background. He did have one last thing he wanted to do. He wanted to pray together for wedding plans but more for our marriage in general. What a story and what a catch! We're getting married September 19, 2009 at Triumph

The moral of the story: God is good!