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I love engagement stories.

Well, except for the cliché, “He asked me at the ballgame over the big screen.” Really, man? Couldn’t you be more creative than that? I’m totally kidding, I am sure that takes an enormous amount of work to set up! (On the sad side, think of all those men who ask and she says “no” in front of everyone watching!? Yikes, dude!)

Honestly, I kind of think mine was boring. Every time I would tell someone at first, I was embarrassed by the simplicity of it.

But everyone has a beautiful engagement story. Sure, sometimes you have to look through the cracks and sometimes you have to take into account all the nerves and excitement that made you say or do something ridiculous.

The morning after I met my husband for the first time, I was unaware of how my life would change. My first impression of him was tall, super adorably cute, and shy in an endearing way. Second impression: Indecisive, super considerate, gentleman, and trying very hard to make me comfortable during our first date.

Read about how we met here.

Only a few months before engagement!

I think I knew after our first date that this could be the man I would marry. That sentiment came true about 4 months later. This is an excerpt from my “boy journal”, as I called it!

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“It was Kansas Day [January 29].

My phone had died at the school. I was driving around town finding medicine for a terrible cough and cold. I put my phone on the charger and get a few messages from Ryan and a few other people. He asked if I wanted to come ride with him in the tractor with him after school. Of course, I did!

I hightailed it out there, to 1350th Road and Georgia, though I made the completely wrong turns and took the definite scenic route, I finally made it after he called me and talked me through it. That was embarrassing because I completely messed up his directions.

We rode about 45 minutes in the tractor, then drove back to Frank’s house with everything. We went to Ryan’s house to eat some dinner. We were chatting about how his talk with my parents went, as well as some various wedding stuff. I called my mom to ask her some questions about venues for a wedding reception.

We talked for about 15 minutes, then I went and sat in the living room and Ryan and I talked for a little bit. I was sitting in the leather chair saying something about how we better get a ring on my finger before we keep talking about wedding stuff.

He got up and disappeared into the bedroom.

I didn’t think anything of it until he reappeared carrying a brown box. I started freaking out, saying things like ‘What are you doing?’ and ‘Is this really happening right now?’ and ‘Oh s***, this is real!’ He got a little worried and asked if I wanted to do it some other time, but by that time he was already on his knees learning into the chair. I replied, ‘I don’t know’ and ‘No’ about the same time frame. I’m sure my hands were over my mouth or heart with shock.

I said, ‘You might as well do it now since you got the ring and you’re on your knees.’ He opened the box and set it near my lap, looked at me expectantly.

I said, ‘Don’t you have something to ask me?’.

He said, ‘Will you?’. I kind of waited and then he said it again.

I put my hands up to his face and said, ‘Will I what?’

Then he finally said the words I was waiting for. 

“Will you marry me?”

To which I looked at him and whispered, “yes, yes, yes!”

I might have also said a few, “of course’s’ and other things came out. I gave him a couple kisses and he gave me the ring to put on my own hand since he was afraid he’d do it wrong. I was still in shock, afraid it couldn’t be real and that it was happening far before I was ready for it.

Isn’t this engagement ring gorgeous?? He picked it out all by himself!

I was extremely awkward when it happened. Poor Ryan, he was so sweet about it and really serious. I kept laughing randomly, and he was a little worried about me. I looked at him a lot of loving, laughing eyes that night. I really think I was trying to process and respond to the situation the best I could because I certainly was excited for it to happen!

And it did! And the rest is history…”

Sharing our story always brings me back to how much I loved Ryan then; it’s even more now. But it’s fun to think about our beginnings, to marvel about the spark that brought us together and still runs strong (most days).

Whether or not you are, have been, or have yet to be engaged, we all dream or reminisce about that day. It offers us some sort of nostalgia in our remembrance of it. It’s good to think about why you fell in love with someone, and I definitely think that includes embracing our engagement stories.

Who cares if it was awkward? Who cares if something embarrassing happened during the question or before or after? It’s your story! It’s special! And it’s a moment in your love story that is precious and priceless. Share it!

Here’s to LOVE and remembering our (somewhat) awkward engagement stories!

My wedding shoes!