So…what have I been doing all summer long?? The answer: lots! Summer is wedding season’s busiest times, so while I’ve been busily taking many photos for weddings, some engagements, and family portraits, I thought now that things have finally died down a bit that I should fill you in on something spectacular…I’m ENGAGED!!!
Josh and I have been busily planning our own wedding, and it’s been fantastic. Now, most of you who know me and have read my blog posts previously know that I never thought I’d find someone I could truly be happy with forever until I met Josh. Long story short, I met him, and 3 days into dating, I realized he was the one I’d always hoped for. I knew 3 days in that he was the one for me and that I would marry this man.
This 4th of July, he proved my intuition correct. The day before the 4th, Josh drove all around, finding the perfect spot for a fireworks show. All day, he started throwing out hints…he brought over a suit (it was 90 degrees out), said that he had planned a special fireworks show for us, said that he had reserved dinner at a posh restaurant right before. I was absolutely SURE he was proposing. 2 hours before go time, he was still in a t-shirt and jeans and casually mentioned that he wasn’t going to dress for dinner. Hmm, odd, I thought. Anxious, I start dancing around the subject of where we were going (surely, I thought, if we were still on for dinner at a posh place, then he would still propose??), and he started rubbing his stomach saying “Babe, I think I’m not feeling so well, is it ok if we just go to Panera?” So, off to Panera we went, and as he happily ate his meal (not feeling well, huh? I watched him chow down like he was feeling JUST fine), I slowly sank bits of bread into my soup, trying to figure him out. Still optimistic (although, not as much as earlier in the day), I perked up and asked “So…when is this super awesome firework display you’re going to take me to?” to which he shrugged and said “do you still want to go? We can just stay in if you want tonight, hon”. At this point, all of the bits of bread had sunk to the bottom of my soup bowl…much like my sunk hopes that he was going to propose that night. I looked him in the eye and said emphatically, “Yes. It IS 4th of July, after all. If you’re feeling up to it (at this point, he says I eyed his empty plate suspiciously, but I have no memory of this).”
So, as we were driving out to watch fireworks, I was thinking that I probably shouldn’t pout or be too disappointed and ruin a magical night of fireworks…after all, it only comes once a year. So with each passing street corner, my spirits were lifting, and we seemed to drive on forever. An hour later, we pull up to a lovely large lake north of Kansas City, and Josh brings me out to the top of a hill. By this point, it’s fairly dark, and I can’t see too well as we’re walking out to the place he decided we should pick for the evening, and I’m trying not to think too much of the likelihood that a rogue snake might dart across in the dark and sink its venomous teeth into my ankle. We finally get to the top of the hill, and I look out, and it’s beautiful. The lake is just below us, there’s no one in sight (everyone else is on the other side of the lake), and there’s a beautiful large oak tree right next to us. The boats on the lake all have their night lights on, and everything looks so serene. And then the fireworks started. I’ve always loved fireworks, but that moment was perfect. All of a sudden, Josh pulls out a bottle of champagne and 2 champagne flutes. I guess I was too busy staring at the ground searching for eager-to-bite-me snakes and never noticed that other than the blanket, he also managed to sneak in the bubbly. So, pleasantly surprised, I sit there with my glass of bubbly and the fireworks, and I’m super happy and relaxed (the bubbly helped with that), and as the fireworks show starts picking up, I say–without actually turning to face him since I don’t want to miss a moment of the fireworks–”this is so beautiful and so perfect.” Josh clears his throat, and I’m still watching the fireworks, completely happy when I hear him say “you know what will make this truly perfect?” and I look at him, surprised that he didn’t think it was already, and look down to see him holding this gorgeous breathtaking diamond ring, and as I glance up at him with shock and surprise, he says “if you will be my wife”.
At that perfect moment, the fireworks started going off like crazy over the picturesque lake, and I started crying and screaming “YES!!” I found out later that he realized he was coming on too strong, and didn’t want me to figure out he was going to propose so he started doing things to throw me off…knowing all the while that I would never let him cop out of a night of fireworks. So in the end, even though earlier in the day I was convinced he was going to propose, I was still completely and utterly suprised when he did, and it was the most memorable and happy 4th of July I’ve ever had.
Now that you know how we got engaged…here’s the best part about being a photographer…doing my own ring shots of this gorgeous GORGEOUS ring that my FIANCE got me. Damn, it feels good saying that.
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