This Day Last Year

Jeff and I got engaged this very day last year. I was so excited that I wrote the whole story down first thing the next morning. So this is our engagement story:

Jeff had asked my dad if he could marry me about two weeks ago, so I have been expecting the proposal ever since then. Every night when we would get together after work, I was expecting him to whip out a ring, or throw a rock at my window after I went to bed or something. Last Saturday, we went on a midnight hike, and I was all giddy thinking for sure he was going to pop the question then. My suspicions were all in vain, though, and it turns out Jeff is a little sneakier than I suspected.

I work with Jeff's friend from high school, and roommate, Will. On Monday, Will and I worked together, and he came through the doors and the first thing he said to me was, "Hey! I finally got a date with that Ashley girl I've been telling you about! The only thing is, we need you and Jeff to double with us, because I still feel a little awkward with her alone." I love to double with people, and Will is really fun, so I was like, "Sure! That sounds great. I have this Wednesday off, let's do it then." Then Will says, "Okay, are you sure Jeff can go on Wednesday? How about you call him, and ask him on the date to make sure it's okay." So I called Jeff up, and asked him on a date for this Wednesday. He agreed.

Then on Tuesday night, Jeff and I were playing games at my house. Jeff had told me earlier that he bought the ring, and he was just waiting for it to come in the mail. Since I'm leaving for a week on Friday, I was getting a little antsy that he had less than a week before that, with very few proposal opportunities. After we finished the game, he said this, "So, would you be mad if I didn't propose before you left for Florida? I don't know if the ring will be here in time. I thought you could just buy a ring, and it was good to go, but I guess they have to set it, and stuff. So that kind of takes a while..." I think I sighed and rolled my eyes, and started preparing for all the questions about my mystery boyfriend from the family all throughout Abe's wedding.

Then Wednesday came. Jeff texted me at like 11, and said, "I just feel like it's going to be a good day." My suspicions started up again, but I quickly killed them remembering our conversation the night before. Will called me at around 3, and he was like, "Hey, so me and Ashley are going to go up a little bit before, so we'll just meet you guys up at my cabin. Jeff knows how to get there. And then we'll ride 4-wheelers and stuff. Okay, so I'll see you tonight." I got suspicious again. Why would Will and Ashley not just wait for me and Jeff? But I talked myself out of it again, because that would be so awkward for Jeff to ask me to marry him on a double date when it's their first date. So I convinced myself it definitely wouldn't happen this week.

Jeff picked me up, and we drove up to the cabin. Jeff told me that Will had planned this "weird dance thing" and then we were going to ride four-wheelers after. We pulled up to the cabin. I could see christmas lights hanging from mounted antlers through the window. I walked in, expecting to see Will and Ashley, but no one was in there. There were a bunch of candles all over, and Jeff was like, "Oh, he left us a note." He read the note, and it was like, "We went on a 4-wheeler ride. We'll be back in a minute." The candles were all arranged in a circle, with room to dance in the middle.

Jeff went over to the stereo, and he was like, "Oh, well it looks like he left his ipod. Do you want to dance?" So we danced in the middle of the candles, and it was super cute. And then on like the second or third song, he was like, "Sarah, I have a question to ask you." And then he got down on one knee. I think I squeeled a little bit, and he finally whipped out the ring. I'm a little embarrassed at my reaction, I just grabbed the actual ring, not even the whole box, I pulled the ring out, and then I almost put it on myself until I remembered the guy usually does that. I think in the midst of all my ring fumbling, I squeeked a yes out, and he put the most beautiful, sparkly ring on my finger.

We danced for quite a bit longer, and then I saw that he had bought M&M's and Starburst for me, and so I asked if we could eat those. We went and sat on the couch, and then WIll and a girl who was not Ashley came through the door with posters saying congratulations. Then Will went over to a hidden video camera, and told me the whole thing was recorded. Hopefully we were standing in the right place.

So they successfully tricked me. There was no double date at all, and I love that I asked Jeff out on the date where he proposed to me. It was so perfect, and the ring is beautiful. And I already told Abe I'm planning to flash my ring in all his wedding pictures.