It's hard to believe that it was just a week ago that Matt and I got engaged! So many people have been asking how he popped the question so I thought I'd share! Thank you all so much for your love, prayers, support and well-wishes since last Friday!
So I was at work on Friday finishing up all my weekly duties. There was hardly anyone in the office and I was in a hurry to get home. We get off at 4 p.m. on Fridays, but at 3:30 my dear friend Katy Lee, who also works at the church, called me. She said she was in the Student Center and had made a slide show for the high school retreat that she wanted me to come over and see. I didn't think anything of it because I work with her and with Student Ministries a lot and we're always doing fun stuff like that. So I told her I'd be over in a few minutes after I'd finished all my "chores."
By 3:45 I could tell it was going to take me longer than expected and I called to tell her I wouldn't be done til 4 and didn't want to hold her up, so I'd just see the slide show Monday. She calmly answered that she had things to do in the Student Center and was just hanging out, so just come over when I was done.
The screen changed to one that said "Who would have thought three years ago this day would come..." All I could think was, "What was three years ago? Did Casey [youth pastor] start working here three years ago? What does that have to do with the high school retreat??"
But then the screen switched to a picture of Matt and I the night we met in that same room. We met at the 242 Prom (our college and young adults group) in spring 2007. Matt said hi because he thought we had class together, and just as I was giving him a blank "who the heck is this guy?" look, our friend Amanda Bammel said "smile!" and snapped a picture of us. I always loved that we had a picture together the night we met! : )
Anyway, back to the proposal. I knew at that moment what was happening, and looked back to talk to Katy, but she was already leaving and just waved and smiled. I watched a whole slide show of our relationship set to the song "Say Yes" by Dusty Drake. The last words are "All you have to do is say yes!" which also appeared on the screen. I started crying when Matt came in and it was truly the most incredible moment of my life! I wish I could remember exactly what he said to me, but it was all a bit of a blur. I do perfectly remember him on one knee asking me to marry him, and that I said YES!
I asked Matt if my friend Sarah had told him that I wanted to get engaged in the Student Center and he didn't know what I was talking about. I had told her even before I was dating Matt that I wanted to meet a godly guy at 242 and then get engaged in the Student Center (where 242 is held) because I knew it would mean so much to us. But she had never told him that, it was just meant to be that Matt knew how much that place meant to us both, in our relationship and our faith journeys!!
After saying bye to all the girls at work and making a lot of phone calls, we headed to my house so I could shower and "get pretty." He told me we were going to Felipe's (our favorite place) for dinner and then he had a whole romantic evening planned. He had wanted to have an engagement party that night but his parents were out of town so he had one planned for the next afternoon. I thought it was a little fishy that his parents would be out of town when we got engaged, but I played along.
While I was getting ready, Matt told me his garage door opener was broken and he was annoyed because he would have to use the front door. I asked why he wouldn't just use the key pad on the garage door and he replied that the front door was faster...obviously. Hmmm...fishy again.
We went to Felipe's and had our favorite meal, but Matt (who is maybe the cleanest, tidyest person I know) accidentally spilled a ton of salsa in his lap, and said he'd need to go home and change. By this time I was fully suspecting something was up but wasn't sure if we were having an engagement party or if it was just part of the "romantic evening" plan.
When we got to his house, I walked in the door to find 60 of our friends and family waiting for us. It was an incredible moment. I really felt so blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life. And I was shocked that that many of them had been keeping the big secret for soooo long! The evening was an absolutely amazing celebration and a memory that I will treasure forever.
Now, after a whirlwind of a week and lots of planning and scheduling (and scheduling conflicts), Matt and I are officially getting married on Friday, June 17, 2011. It's the day after my 24th birthday and I couldn't think of a better present!
Thank you so much to everyone who has invested in us, prayed for us, been there for us and just been a part of our lives. We love you all SO much!!
