Happy Engagement Day

Four years ago today I foiled Hubby's plans to propose to me. He asked me anyway.

We had just gotten back from spending six weeks in East Asia with Campus Crusade for Christ ministering to college students. We both headed up the mountain to finish the summer working and enjoying the awesomeness of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the summertime.

I was interning with the college class at our church, so I was putting things together to get ready for school to start back up. A lady was at the church helping the youth with some projects they had going on and she invited me to come over for dinner. She said she had a few other college students coming just to hang out and eat. I asked if my boyfriend could come too, and then called Hubby to let him know we had plans for dinner.

He sounded kinda upset that I had made plans for dinner and said he had wanted us to cook dinner together at his apartment and then head up to our favorite place to look at stars.

I didn't understand why he was being so silly about dinner and told him we could cook dinner the next night, and it was too cloudy to look at stars anyway. (Can you believe he proposed to such a bosy butt?!)

He came to pick me up that night to head over to dinner and he was kinda dressed up (dressed up for him is a short sleeved Polo shirt), so I think I was slightly suspicious, but not really enough to think something big was up his short sleeve!

We had dinner, and later someone who was there told me they thought Hubby was acting weird, but I didn't think anything was peculiar at all. Usually he's a little more reserved in a group of people and he just seemed very relaxed. I'm sure he didn't feel that way!

We ate and hung out and then left. I assumed we'd go watch a movie together or something, but Hubby said he really wanted to go look at stars. I'm sure I looked really confused as I checked the very overcast sky and promptly replied that there weren't any stars out tonight. (Still kinda amazed he asked me anyway-- what a jerk I can be!)

He said let's just go up there and see what we could see.

Our lookout place is up on a mountain and it takes four wheel drive to get up there! It overlooks the town of Boone, NC and is a really amazing place to watch the sunset or look at stars. We enjoyed being there in God's beautiful creation many times in college. We got up there and it was chilly, cloudy, and dark. Haha!

We could see the lights of the town, which really is beautiful even without stars overhead, so Hubby just started talking to me about how important I was to him, and how I really was his best friend. I wish I could remember the words now, but I think my brain blanked out when I started suspecting something big was up!

Most girls dream of the romantic moment when some handsome man slips a ring on their finger and asks them to be his wife... I guess I wasn't an exception to that. The moment is surreal and dreamlike, and my mind just kept trying to stop and collect the memory to preserve it forever.

I felt so cherished and treasured. I knew Hubby was promising to take care of me and love me as long as he should live. The moment marked a new chapter in our journey as we declared that we intended to join our lives together. It was magical and special and perfect.

Looking back over four years I'm amazed at how we've grown and changed. We gotten hitched. We've moved to a new town, worked new jobs, had 1.5 kids, made new friends. We've made many decisions together, talked over so many topics, shared many a meal, fought occasionally, kissed and made up, and laughed a lot.

My husband was exactly right in the few words I remember during his proposal, we are best friends. There is no one else in all the world I would rather share my life with.

Thanks for asking me to marry you, honey, I'd say yes again a million times over!