Engagement - Part 1

Engagement part 1 on the blog today! These photos have been a LONG time coming! We took these back in January for our Save the Dates. It was absolutely freezing and I swear by the time we got to our location and started shooting my hair had gone completely limp. We took them near the place we got engaged, and the location was perfect for a winter shoot...in the snow and surrounded by trees! 

It just so happens that my sister is a pretty amazing photographer. I was excited for her to capture these images! We decided that because of having a photog in the family, we would do a few different engagement shoots, so we ended up doing these, which are a bit more serious, and just did some fun spring ones that I can't wait to share with you!! 

You can see more of my sister's work at haleychristine.com! 

 Ernie and I have dated for almost 8 years. We had been best friends WAY before we started dating, meeting when we were just 15 + 16 years old. Senior year, our friendship took an unexpected turn and we decided to try being more than just friends. I was just having fun and didn't see it going further than the summer....boy was I wrong!

 For just about 8 years, we've had quite the adventure. We went to the same college, but our times there only matched up for about a year. Long distance was SO tough! I spent almost every weekend driving to see him or vice versa, but that 3.5 hour drive was a killer! When I was student teaching, we were even further apart at an almost 7 hour distance. We often met in the middle as our hometown was perfectly between the two places. The day we both finally moved back to the same town and were in the same place for longer than a weekend, was one of the happiest days of my life. While texting, phone calls and FaceTime make the distance easier, after being a part for so long, finally being reunited and not having to say goodbye was one of the best feelings ever. Distance definitely makes the heart grow fonder!

If I told you I hadn't been hinting for a ring, I would be lying. I think I always knew E was the one, but moving back and being in the same place again definitely made all of that very clear. When you know, you know. The hinting was subtle at first, but sometimes I even pulled a Beyonce, doing the single ladies hand move...you all know the one. E was patient with me...waiting for the right timing. I'm not the easiest to surprise and I can read him like a book. But it all paid off when he got me with the surprise of a lifetime.

Little did I know, E was planning an amazing proposal right under my nose and I had no idea. He later told me how he painstakingly planned out our entire day and even scouted for the perfect place to propose. All I knew was that we were going to Leavenworth for the day...a nearby Bavarian village inspired town where we have had multiple special dates, to meet up with his family. As the days got closer, things started to go wrong...

 You may remember my allergic reaction to Amoxocillin that I talked about here. It was the ABSOLUTE WORST. Right before my winter break, I went on the antibiotic to fix some throat issues I was having. After 7 days of taking it, I had the worst allergic reaction and broke out in the ugliest hives you have ever seen. My entire body was covered. Poor E played it cool, praying my wonderful hives would leave soon, so our date would go off without a hitch. The rash cleared, but then a week later, just a few days before, the rash returned. We went to the doctor and literally sat in the waiting room watching the rash takeover my body for the second time. He later told me this was when he really panicked, knowing there was no way I would be up for our date if my rash was still around (guys, it was really horrible...my whole face was covered in puffy hives...I was definitely one attractive girl, let me tell you). I also came down with the flu at the same time that the rash made it's reappearance...fever, chills, aches...the works. Luckily, with a little prayer and rest, my rash finally cleared up just in time for our Sunday date.

 Now, here is where you are probably thinking things went perfectly. The proposal went off without a hitch. Not quite...

 When we got to Leavenworth, it was pouring rain. December is a very busy time for this little town, which relies heavily on the Christmas season and festivities that bring tourists from all around. This was December 21st, so with just a few days before Christmas, the town was absolutely packed. We spent an hour driving around looking for parking. During this time I started getting a littlee bit hangry. We finally found a parking spot, but had to pay. We didn't have change, it was still pouring and the slots to get the money in were so ridiculously small that we spent another 15 minutes just trying to fold the dollars down enough to stuff them in to pay for parking. Once that whole fiasco was finished, I was even more hangry and started to get a bit of a tude (I know! How horrible of me!). E kept telling me we needed to find his family to meet up (they weren't actually there...little did I know), but I demanded that we HAD to eat! And of course, this sweet boy obliged me and we headed to our favorite little place to get a bite to eat.

 Now heres the thing about our favorite place in Leavenworth...it sells beer, cider and brauts and is outside. Probably not the best idea on our part. Not only was it freezing, but we were sitting outside just barely under an umbrella as the rain literally poured around us. I was more under the umbrella while half of E's body was exposed to the elements. I didn't realize it until later, but he was completely soaked by the time we finished. During our meal, E was acting a bit strange. Quieter than usual. He said he had to make a quick phone call to his parents to say we would meet them in a minute. When he returned, we finished up and he led me to the park where we were going to "meet up with his family."

With a full belly I was in a much better mood, but both of us were soaked. As we headed for the park, I started questioning what his family was doing down there in the miserable weather. He replied with comments like "they just love the outdoors." Looking back on this now, I realize what a poor excuse this was. Poor E was nervous! I was too cold to think anything of it, but the whole way I kept thinking to myself how ridiculous this was. When we finally reached the park and were near the river, I got a little bit more adamant about meeting his parents elsewhere. Not only was it still pouring (it was actually raining harder than ever), but the rain had made the snow a huge wet mess, which we proceeded to slosh around in up to our knees. I'm sure we were quite the sight. Two people huddled under a small umbrella, sloshing through the wet snow. "Let's just call them! We can meet them in town! I really can't feel my toes anymore, can you just call them?" I fired these thoughts and questions at him as we slowly made our way through the park, looking for his "parents". I could just see the river, when E stopped suddenly.

"This is not what I had planned..." was all I really heard. Before I knew it, E was dropping to one knee in the wet snow. I don't really remember this part. I was truly swept up in the moment. All I really remember was crying...scratch that, sobbing, and the wet snow didn't matter anymore. In his moment of nervousness, he handed me a small round wooden box. I looked at it confused, before he quickly took it back and produced my ring. I don't remember even looking at the ring, as he put it on my finger, or saying anything besides YES and "You really want to marry me??". We ended up hugging, and stayed that way for quite some time as the rain continued to fall around us.

After some of the shock started to wear off, we aimlessly continued to walk around the park. Both of us completely caught up in everything that had just happened. I don't remember the rain, or being partially frozen, as all of that had completely slipped my mind. He proceeded to tell me what he really had planned (a sleigh ride, a walk through falling snow in the park (it was supposed to snow this day), and gazing at christmas lights), and how the rain had truly turned his plans upside down. Honestly though, I wouldn't have had it any other way. The proposal was absolutely perfect.

And that's how it happened. Pretty simple. Very sweet. An unforgettable moment. 

and August 1st we say 'I Do'! 

Stay tuned! Engagement part 2 coming soon!