I'd assume that anyone who even knows this blog exists and knows me already knows that I'm engaged.  I thought it'd be a good idea to just put the whole story on here so that when people ask, I can just refer them here (even though I know they'll still make me tell the story right then and there).  Anyway, I also like telling stories... so I'll go ahead and tell this one.

It was a dark and stormy night...

Wait, wrong story.

I got an email on August 14 that the ring I had ordered for Lys had arrived.  Naturally, I made some quick plans to propose ASAP.  Serendipitously, I had already planned to take her to a play that's very special for us (Aida) the very next night.  Sweet.  I threw together a plan with my mom and older sister that morning after early work, and then went to other work.  I also stopped by her house to tell her mom to have Lys dress in a specific dress to match what I was wearing so we'd get some good pictures.  I called the jeweler and asked to have a nicer center stone put in than just a CZ.  He told me it would be all ready by 5.  My plan was to pick it up at 5:20 ish.  Perfect.  I have a normal day at work, get off early to pick up the ring, and get to the jeweler's around 5:25.

Upon arrival, I asked for John, with whom I had worked, to find that he was on the phone.  They give me the ring, but can't find the wedding band.  I'm sitting here waiting so impatiently, having told Lys that I'd pick her up at 6:30.  Eventually, John comes out, we find the band, they explain a bunch of stuff to me, and I pay for the center stone.  After running my card, they couldn't print the receipt, so they had to check a bunch of stuff and I got out of there at like 6:10... I'm stressin' a little by now.

I get home, get stuff ready, change, etc.  As soon as I get home, my mom and sister leave to run an errand when they had said that they would go ahead of us to set everything up.  I'm stressin' a little more now.  Then my little sister texted my dad and said she wants to come, but she needs to get there from Provo.  Now I'm stressin' a lot.  I'm sitting here waiting to go, knowing that Lys is waiting for me and may begin to suspect something, but not being able to do anything. 

Things worked out and we left.

I got to Lys's house around 6:45, we left around 6:55, and were off.  She was wanting dinner, so I started driving to the temple where I had dinner waiting.  I drove past Costa, where she had suggested we eat, so she was a little weirded out, but then thought maybe we were going to the Costa where Mariah works.  I innocently drove past that one on the basis of "I don't know where it's at exactly..."  Apparently she wasn't fooled, because that's when she started to suspect something was up.  She was also hoping for a bathroom soon, and expected one upon arrival at Costa.  Sorry, Lys, no such luck.  Also, there's more to that than what I'm saying, but she might get upset if I share all of that.  Ask her in person sometime.

We make it to the temple, find a bathroom in a nearby church building.  As we pulled up, I got a text from my sister saying that I need to stall for 10 minutes (that turned into almost 20).  Thankfully, bathroom breaks took longer than normal, and I stalled a little in the church parking lot, then outside deciding what we would need to bring in.  Thankfully, the play happened to be right where I had planned to take her for dinner.  Finally, I get the go ahead from the fam and we head to the designated place. 

We start walking towards the venue and happen upon a blanket with Costa, water, and a borrowed guitar that's a lot nicer than mine.  I had promised her earlier to show her a "new song" that I was working on sometime, so that seemed like the appropriate time to do it.  I first played her a song that I had written for her before I left.  You could say it was kind of nostalgic.  Then I played her the new song (that I had actually finished writing that very day), and was meant as a proposal song.  Basically, it's "I'll love you for forever.  Will you love me for forever?" but with a little bit better lyrics (I'm really not much of a lyricist, though).  By then, she was tearing up, so I reached in my bag and pulled out...

A note!  That was a purposeful fake out because I knew she'd be expecting a ring at that point.  While I was in Mexico, she gave me some thank you cards to give to people, so I saved on of them for her and wrote a note on it that was kind of the same message as the song with some promises added in.  I made her read it out loud (she cried through most of it), and as she did, I slyly pulled out the ring from my bag.  The note ended "There's just one condition..." and I whipped out that ring and asked her to marry me.  She said yes.  We hugged and stuff.  Life was (and is) good.  My family also jumped out of the bushes at that moment to get some pictures and haul our stuff away so we didn't have to worry about it.

Now we're engaged! 

Here are pictures:

 

So there's that ring I gave her

 

 

The two happiest people on earth

We've had plenty of ups and downs since then, but things are going well.  I'm just happy with my life.  There are plenty of difficulties, but I know deep down that things will work out.  This has been my dream for the last 4 years, and now it's finally coming true.

Now I just have to get Lys to not stress about making plans and what not.  She tends to do that.  Like a lot.  

I love you Lys.  I'm sure excited to spend eternity with you!