One Year Ago: Our Engagement Story

The exact spot I was proposed to in. I'm not hearing the guy in the backpack :)

Exactly one year ago, Joe and I went to Disneyland together as boyfriend and girlfriend and came back engaged. Since it's been a whole year (!!!) I thought it would be fun to share our engagement story with you!

Joe and I had this trip to Disneyland planned for a few months. We thought there would be no better way to spend our tax returns than on the happiest place on earth. We had never been there together and he had never been there at all, so we were beyond excited. I remember it was right after Valentines Day that year we were just strolling around the mall and we popped into a jewelry store. Joe asked me to point out a few styles of rings I liked and wanted to get my ring size for "future reference." Which I completely believed. He had talked a lot about how he wanted to get married but was really enjoying boyfriend/girlfriend life right now and wanted that to last a while longer, so every part of me believed we were just looking and nothing would be happening for a long while. 

After we left the jewelry store, Joe said he had to go to the bathroom really bad and apologized ahead of time if he took a while. So I sat in the mall food court with a soda and got comfortable. Almost fifteen minutes passed, which is long even for him, so I texted him asking if he was ok, and right at that moment he walked out with a look of relief on his face and said, "all good!" haha. Turns out, he was in the bathroom on the phone with the woman in the jewelry store we had just talked to. He had put one of the rings on hold that I had tried on and absolutely loved. The one that when I saw it on he tells me my face completely lit up. 

The next few weeks went by completely normally, besides being extremely excited for our Disney trip. There was one day we were home, our friend Cory was over, and Joe's phone rang. He went into the other room to answer and closed the door behind him, another thing I didn't think twice about because I assumed it was his work calling or something. He came out asking if I was hungry and said he was going to go pick us up Subway sandwiches. Cory asked to go too because he said he had to go to the bank or something. Lucky for him I didn't try to go with them and just let them go. They took absolutely forever getting sandwiches because as I know now, there were going to the jewelry store to pick up the ring he had ordered. Cory even had some funny story about why they took so long, something about an obnoxious lady in front of them at the bank. Again, I didn't have the slightest idea of what was really going on.

Fast forward a few weeks and we're in California. The whole first day in Disneyland was so amazing and wonderful. I would have never guessed there was a diamond ring in his pocket. He seemed so calm all day, just happy to be there, and was doing a really good job of hiding how nervous I now know he was. I was told afterward that his first attempt to propose was at the wishing well to the right of the castle, right after he took that photo of me below. His plan was to give me a quarter to toss in, and when I turned around he wanted to be on one knee. But when I really did turn around, he was just standing there smiling. Too nervous!

The rest of that day was nothing but complete joy for both of us. Once the sun started going down, I asked if for the first night we should watch the fireworks in Disneyland or go on more rides, which he instantly jumped to fireworks! And insisted we go early to get a good view. We sat there waiting in our spot, which was a great view, and as the show started, we got up and Joe stood behind me, his right arm wrapped around me, his left in his pocket. I thought maybe he was just cold. 

We had watched the entire maybe 45 minute show, which was absolutely beautiful, and as the finale went on, and When You Wish Upon a Star started played loud on the speakers, I felt Joe's arm drop. I turned around to see why, and found him on one knee, holding something very sparkly, "Will you marry me?"

The next few minutes are kind of a blur. Right after he asked, according to Joe, I snatched the ring (ha), and pulled him up to me for a hug. I was so nervous I couldn't even respond, poor guy had to ask again! "So, will you?" 

I just needed a couple seconds because after he asked again I said yes probably ten times! We stood in that spot and hugged each other for the remainder of the show, fireworks over us and that lovely song playing. 

As people started to disperse we walked to the nearest bench to sit together. The feeling I had at that moment is completely indescribable. Shocked, thrilled, so so happy, all these feelings at once. More hugs, tears from both of us. I was caught completely off guard, yet knew 100% that yes was the right answer. 

The rest of that night was so much fun. I first called my mom, texted all my sisters and dad, we took our picture in front of the castle (I needed to have one of both of us from that night, I look pretty raggedy in that photo due to my hair being wet then air dried, and crying all my makeup off, but I love it so much.) and we went into a store moments before closing to grab something wedding-y, a bride and groom Mickey and Minnie frame that now holds that photo. After the park was closed, we went to Joe's Crab Shack for crab legs at midnight. 

Throughout dinner we just laughed and smiled, and he explained everything to me, how he got away with the whole thing without me having the slightest clue. We went back to the hotel and completely passed out, so tired from a day of fun and excitement. We spent two more days there and the magic lasted the whole time. Still so shocked about the whole thing, telling strangers in elevators that I was engaged, and feeling the most happy I ever had. 

So for one year now I've been wearing this ring, and every part of me is still as excited and in love as that day. We will be getting married in three months, and every emotion I feel toward it is a happy one. In my whole life, I've never been so sure about anything, and there really isn't a better feeling than making this huge commitment in life, and feeling 100% perfect about it.