On Bended Knee

Well ladies and gentlemen, the moment we've all been waiting for has finally arrived....we're engaged!!! I get to spend the rest of my life with my best friend for eternity.

April 23, 2011----Las Vegas, Nevada

Here's the story:

Ryan and I have been thinking about getting hitched for the past few weeks. We went ring shopping once just to find out my ring size and narrow down the general idea (even though Ryan knew exactly what I'd like without even asking...simple and bold). I had been under the impression that it would be at least 3+ weeks until it was finished...

Friday night, Ryan told me that we were going to meet with his former Mission President after he got off work to discuss possibly using his company's pavilion/garden for a open house. As we were pulling into the parking lot, Ryan suggested we look around the back area to see the space so we could have a better idea of what we were envisioning for the event. To my utmost surprise, Ryan had a completely different reason to us going on a stroll in the back....

Before my eyes, Ryan had several romantic tables with candles and he even rented electric heaters (so we wouldn't get too cold, after all, the ground was covered in the remains of a January Blizzard). Ryan wrote me a poem and set up a trail for us to follow. We took a stroll down memory lane as we relived one of our very first dates--trespassing. He read each new verse of his poem at the 'set up' tables particularly placed at noteworthy spots from our original date. Ryan even set up one of our songs, Inevitable by Anberlin on a bridge in the garden for us to dance to.

To this point, all I could say through fits of crying was, "Is this what I think it is Ryan?"

Afterwards, Ryan gently lead me to the very spot where I accidentally dragged him knee deep into a pond on our visit to the garden. He sang me a song on his guitar, and slowly lowered onto one knee.

I said, "YES!"

The ring is absolutely beautiful, and do I mean BEAUTIFUL! I can't keep my eyes from it--I'll probably still be staring at it until the day I die. It's an emerald cut diamond with 2 tapered baguette side diamonds on the band. Ryan definitely knows how to shop. I've only had it a few days, and my finger already feels naked when I take it off. Funny, somehow my finger knows that that ring belongs there--forever.