Engagement Day

The day Dustin and I got engaged, May 14 20016,  is a day I don't ever want to forget! 

 Dustin started our day off telling me that he had several surprises for me (but wouldn't tell me how many) He arrived at my apt close to lunchtime (having met my parents that morning to pick up the ring that had been at the jeweler) and told me lunch was in the car!  

Surprise #1

He showed up at my door with a dozen roses.  They were beautiful and so fun to receive.  

Surprise #2

He took me to UAB's campus (where he was once on staff and is returning to be on staff) for a picnic on the lawn.  We ate Jimmy John subs (my favorite) and enjoyed beautiful spring weather.  When we were finished eating he showed me his campus and world there.  

After lunch we came back to my apt for Surprise #3.  

Surprise #3

Tennis balls so we could go play tennis.  Tennis is my favorite sport and since dating, Dustin has started playing with me.  It's something we really enjoy doing together and was so fun to do on this day!  

After being outside for awhile and getting very sweaty we took a break to take showers and regroup before surprise #4

Surprise #4 

Dinner at a Japanese restaurant.  I once told Dustin that I loved Japanese steakhouses and would love to go to one sometime.  He did some research and found a good one in Vestavia Hills that we went to for an early dinner.  it was really yummy but Dustin was definitely super quiet during dinner. Now the quietness makes sense.  Boy was nervous:-)  

After dinner we were scheduled to go meet his friends at an overlook in Vestavia Hills.  Like I said in my last post his friends had asked to do some photos to help their photography business.  To be honest I was not super excited about this but was trying to be a good sport.  The weather was beautiful and I knew we would get some good photos!  

If you want to know at this point if I was suspicious, I definitely was but Dustin was really good at downplaying this whole thing and even showed me a text his friends had sent about the photos.  I also had in my head that we probably wouldn't get engaged until July. Let's remember he never talked to me about  a ring:-)  

Surprise #5

We arrived at the lookout right before sunset and met his friends Alec and Katlie.  They were great at arranging us for pictures and thanking us for being their "models".  It was a beautiful night and was actually a little fun to take photos together.  They took a few photos of us before telling me they wanted to get one with Dustin behind me.  As I was looking at them and Dustin was behind they snapped a few and then told me I could turn around.  It was at this point that I saw Dustin on one knee.  It was one of the must surreal, crazy moments I've ever experienced.  I immediately saw tears in his eyes as he begin to express his feelings for me, tell me he loved me and then asked me to marry him. 

When he took out the ring he immediately asked me if I recognized it.  You see the back story of not ever talking about rings was that my mom wore a beautiful diamond on her right hand that I had admired since I was 7 years old.  It was big and beautiful and fit my finger perfectly.  I knew I wanted that ring and even prayed when I prayed about marriage that one day that ring would be passed down to me.  The ring was my great great aunt Hedies and is over 100 years old.  It has stayed in the same setting for all these years and was passed from Hedie, to my grandmother, to my mom, and then to me.  I love the story behind it and that not a single thing about it has been changed in over 100 years.  It was even the perfect fit for my finger!  

To say I was excited about the ring was an understatement, but even more importantly I couldn't believe that this man who has so patiently and tenderly pursued my heart was now asking me to be his wife.  It's one of those moments I've dreamed of and prayed about for so long that in the moment I couldn't believe it was happening.  I think I actually responded with, "are you kidding me?"  but then definitely gave him a quick "yes"!

The moments after were some of the sweetest that Dustin and I have experienced.  The photographers were there, but they were at a distance and we were able to spend those moments just soaking in the joy of what happened.  The sun was slowly setting and the moment was beautiful.  He was able to express to me the words that he said he had wanted to express to me for a long time, and I was able to respond.  

Having his friends photograph the whole evening was one of the best parts.  For me being an amateur photographer and really valuing photos it was so special to have these pictures taken and to be able to have them for a lifetime to document this special night.  

Dustin thought through it so well and and couldn't have chose a better way to propose to me.  We stood overlooking the city we fell in love in and relished the day.  

This day is in some ways is a day I have dreamed about since I was a little girl, but in other ways I did not let myself ever think about it.  Thinking back over that day it really was so very perfect to me.  The timing, the day, the way Dustin planned it out was so very special. I'm thankful for a man who cares so deeply for me that he put so much thought in planning out every detail.  

Thank you katie and Alec for capturing our engagement so beautifully and giving us a gift we will always treaure.  Check out their blog post on our engagement HERE. 

After awhile of enjoying being together and being ENGAGED Dustin asked me if I wanted to go back to my apt to start calling our family.  Little did I know that he had one more surprise!  

To be continued....

Part 2 of our Dating Story

"There is strength within the sorrow. There is beauty in our tears, And You meet us in our mourning with a love that casts out fear. You are working in our waiting, you're sanctifying us. When beyond our understanding, You're teaching us to trust. Your plans are still to prosper, you have not forgotten us. You're with us in the fire and the flood, You're faithful forever Perfect in love. You are sovereign over us" 

(Michael W Smith)

The words of this song have played in my heart repeatedly over the last couple years as I walked through singleness, went through break-ups, and prayed for my husband.  Now as I enter a new season I continue to process these words and am continually reminded of the the intricate way the Lord works in our lives.  

Looking at my ring on my left hand is a daily reminder of that fact.  If you started reading my story you can go HERE to read part 1.
And now I'll continue with part 2...
It's a long one, but I want to remember all the details and our story!  This is my scrapbook for me, but I hope it will be an encouragement to anyone who reads!  

 I knew Dustin was special from the beginning but my heart also held so much fear. The fear slowly shifted away in our dating, but we would both say that a trip we took to NYC together the beginning of April was when things really changed.  Taking Dustin to NYC was possibly one of the more nerve-wracking times for me in our relationship.   NYC holds such a deep place in my heart and it's such a unique place.  I knew I was taking him to a piece of my world that was very dear to me and I wasn't sure what to expect.  

Although the weekend in many ways was a complete whirlwind, which included taking him to see his first broadway show (Les Mis), spending time with lots of my friends, seeing the sights, and showing him my world, It was also a weekend with lots of quality time and some really great conversations.  I remember sitting in one of my favorite little NYC restaurants (Tartine) with him in the middle of Greenwich village on a date together dreaming about life and future and knowing in that moment that I would follow him anywhere.

Although we didn't talk about it we both left NYC feeling confident that "this was it".  

I remember praying for Dustin a lot that week afterwards.  The school year was winding down for him and he was in the middle of making some big decisions.  unbeknown to me in that week Dustin was putting a plan into motion to move forward in marrying me.

 
One of the things I respect so much about Dustin and the way he led our relationship is that he guarded my heart so well.  We didn't talk about a future together, he didn't make me promises about the future, and he didn't tell me he loved me.  What he did do was affirm me of his adoration for me and care for me.  I knew he was invested and he made it as clear as he could that he was committed, but he didn't make promises he couldn't keep.  

It was in the month of April that he made the decision to transfer with CRU (Campus Crusade) to Birmingham, but we still never talked specifics about engagement and marriage.  I knew our relationship was serious and in my heart I knew we were probably going to be getting engaged at some point, but the timing of that was unknown to me (I definitely had a couple freak outs that we never talked about a ring:-)).  Although it was hard to follow in the moment, I am so thankful that Dustin asked me to trust him and didn't give me the details of timing.  He knew what my heart needed and he didn't give me more or less.  

Flash forward to the end of April when we were both going down to the beach for different work retreats.  We were scheduled to meet up at the beach for me to join him on his staff retreat, but were taking separate cars down there.  What I didn't know when I was already at the beach was that Dustin was making a little detour to my parent's house in Fairhope on his way. 

 It was on April  28th that he asked my parents if he could marry me!  

I love hearing about that night and the time he had with my parents.  

And he's a pretty good secret keeper because I would never have known those days we were at the beach together that he had asked my parents and had a date to propose!

May came and we went back to life and work after the beach.  May was going to be a busy month for me and he was preparing to leave for a summer project in June.  Because of this we really talked through the calendar and when we could get time together.  He asked me one night on the phone to not plan anything for May 14th.  He wanted to plan a special date for us since it was one of the last weekends we would have together for awhile.  

He told me he wanted to surprise me but that he needed to ask me one question....Some friends of his had messaged him and ask him if we would take some pictures for them to help them build their photography business.  They needed some practice and needed some "models" to help them.  Although I felt like it was a little strange for us to take pictures together like that, I pretty easily agreed to it in order to help his friends out!  

Although in my head and heart I wondered when we would get engaged, I really had no idea what to expect when May 14th rolled around.  

To be continued....