I'm Getting Married!

After years of swearing that I'd be the crazy cat lady - and a few more in which I was convinced that my handsome love would never pop THE question, I'm actually engaged.  And have been for about 6 months now, to be exact! I feel like I'm already forgetting the small details of our engagement (to be totally cliche) was completely magical and I don't want to keep forgetting it, nor any of the other great things that I've done to prepare thus far.

May 30th, 2012
Otherwise known as the Day of my Doom.
Also known as our 2 year anniversary.

I scheduled myself to have my wisdom teeth taken out that day which was not the smartest idea I've ever had. It was a Wednesday and Brian kept talking about celebrating our anniversary. He knows I'm a wimp when it comes to healing and pain so he kept telling me that he he hoped I'd be recovered enough by the weekend to celebrate. Needless to say, I. Was. Miserable. I was bruised, swollen, and a big fat baby. He kept taking care of me and doing whatever I needed to make me get better. Such a love!

Saturday, June 2, 2012
I was finally feeling decent enough to get out of the house. We ran some errands and stopped at Applebee's so he could eat and I could try to slurp down some soup. The entire day he was jumpy and nervous and was driving me crazy. He kept blaming it on the fact that he had just quit his job and having "nothing to do" was making him antsy.

As we got home and he started eating dinner the ants and his pants got worse. We're talking jiggly legs, pacing, and pouring himself some pretty stiff drinks.  After I commented on his behavior for the hundredth time he finally gave in.

"Fine, you already know we're celebrating our anniversary tomorrow so I'm gonna go ahead and tell you part of it now" he said. So he disappeared into the other room and came back with a card and a small wrapped package.  I knew it had to be good - Brian NEVER gets me cards.  He doesn't think he's good at picking them out which I think is nuts, but whatev.

So, I open the present and it's a 5 Hour Energy drink. Uhh really babe? How romantic! He told me to read the card which would make me understand the drink.

Que: Instant meltdown in a good way.

The card was really simple, and he started off by writing me a sweet note to tell me how much he loved me, and how much he was committed to our relationship.

He ended the note by saying that the energy drink would be needed in the morning because we were getting up at the crack of dawn to crew and go up in a hot air balloon!

AHHHHHHHH!!!! Was pretty much my reaction.  I've ALWAYS wanted to go up in a balloon and I couldn't believe he had made this dream come true!!

What made it even better? Brian's terrified of heights. He shakes like a leaf just getting on the ladder to grab something from the attic. So I knew this was going to be an anniversary to remember - he put aside that extreme fear to make one of my all time dreams come true!!!

I quickly put the ice back on my face and said a few prayers that my foundation was strong enough to cover the rest of the bruises my surgeon had kindly left on my cheeks. I was so excited!  Sleep was hard to come by that night, and I was up well before we needed to be to get ready for our celebration.

We started out at an elementary school right behind Jenny's house. Our friend Matt had arranged everything with one of his friends, and we quickly signed our lives away on waivers, and began to inflate the balloon.

The inside of our beautiful balloon, right before take off.

Before I knew it we were ready to hop in and lift off.  I was practically jumping up and down with excitement, and my poor love looked like he was about to pass out. He was holding onto the side of the balloon for dear life and our amazing pilot Sharon laughed and said "Just be careful how hard you squeeze that ... the gas line for the burner is under that padding!".  Brian looked even more terrified at that point and I just laughed!

We lifted off and I began rapidly taking pictures and taking in the sights.  It was one of the most amazing things I'd ever done and I couldn't believe it was actually happening.

It was a touch breezy, so Sharon wasn't sure how long we'd be able to stay in the air if the winds didn't change as we got higher.  I think deep down Brian was praying for a shortened flight so he wouldn't have to be up high anymore!  So within a few minutes of our lift off I felt the balloon shift a little.  I stopped taking pictures and turned around to see him trying very hard to get down onto one knee with a small black box in his hand. That's when the shock hit.

The best shot our pilot could get while trying to keep our balloon in the air and capture the moment!

To be perfectly honest ... I don't remember what he said.  I was so completely overwhelmed with the situation and with staring at the beautiful ring that I'm pretty sure that I drifted a level deeper into shock.  I know he told me how much he loved me, and again how committed he was to our relationship and he was willing to overcome the heights thing to show me - and that he wanted to spend forever with me and asked if I would marry him.  I was completely caught off guard so I just kept interrupting him saying "yes!!!" "yes!!!"

Engaged and in shock!

Annnnd then I did what any newly engaged woman would do to her brand new fiancé .... I yelled at him to get the ring back in his pocket because I was scared to take it out of the box and have it slip out of the balloon to it's poor diamond covered death. I'm sweet!

I spent the rest of the flight in complete shock and awe.  It was so beautiful out and I really couldn't believe he had planned everything ... but the surprises didn't end there!

We flew right over Jenny's house (left) seconds after he proposed!

We landed and helped pack the balloon away.

Beautiful balloon and amazing crew!

The ring didn't quite fit, so I was obsessed with getting back to the car and getting it to the jewelers so that sucker could be sparkling on my finger quicker than you can say "engaged".  But as we neared the elementary school I got another surprise as the pilot (who was know driving all of us) turned onto Jenny's street instead of continuing onto the school.  I just looked at Brian but he wouldn't say a word.  All he kept telling me was to not touch my phone because he didn't want me telling the world yet.  That should have been a clue, but I was too busy living on Could 9 to notice anything.

We rounded the corner to Jenny's house and I turned around to see tons of cars, and hear tons of clapping and cheering.

My sneaky, sneaky new fiancé had not only told his family, but had also gotten to my best friend Salise who spread the word like wild fire that he was going to pop the question.  They all got up at the crack of dawn and drove across town to meet us at Jenny's after the big moment.  I was met with hugs, cheers, and champagne (which I couldn't dang drink thanks to the bubbles and the gaping holes in my mouth.  Stupid teeth!!). Brian's family had cooked a massive breakfast and we were all together to celebrate.  It was complete bliss.

I was never the type of girl to have a "dream" proposal mapped out in my head ... but if I did, I'm almost positive it would be 100% exactly like what Brian planned out. I'm so thankful!