New blog for a new name. Starting things off right with my engagement post from the old blog thelifeofjuje.blogspot.com
I guess getting engaged is a pretty good reason to finally make a comeback into the blogging world. Maybe it will last. Maybe it won't. Instagram may have ruined me for blogging.
I just got back from my annual ProStart conference (an advanced culinary class I teach at the high school level). It's usually SUCH a fun conference. It's like being in culinary school for a week. However, I got engaged August 4th and left for my conference on the 5th... Needless to say, my notebook has about a paragraph of actual notes taken from the conference. The rest is pages and pages of wedding to-do lists, Julianne Beecher doodles, reception ideas, and our engagement story. Yeah, going to that conference right after getting a ring was a complete waste of time. I take that back. I got loads of wedding planning done and got paid for it! Nice.
Wrote down my thoughts on how the proposal went down during a probably highly useful training on using standardized recipes in restaurants.
Here it is:
August 4, 2012
Austin and I had been talking marriage for a little while. We wanted to get married and had gone ring shopping once (I found my perfect ring FAST!). We were talking dates in November, but I didn't think we'd get engaged for while--knew he had to save up for a ring, and I knew he hadn't asked Darwin for permission to marry me yet. So I was completely surprised!
Austin celebrates what he calls his "birth date"--so the fourth of every single month. I think it's awesome. Clarification: Austin and I were BOTH born on May 4, 1988. Same hospital. So we have the same birthday and birth-date. Secretly I thought to myself how cool it would be to get engaged on our birth date. But then immediately put it out of my mind because I knew it just wouldn't happen.
Austin came over to my parents house in the afternoon while I was mowing their lawn. He just stopped by after working out at Heath's, so I didn't think anything of it. He just chilled with my family while I was working outside. He is tight with my family, so I just continued with my own agenda which consisted of laying out in the hot, hot sun. Little did I know, he was gathering courage to talk to my dad. Ha! I'm sure Dar Dar's grin was out of control when Austin told him he had something he wanted to talk to him about privately in Cynthia (don't ask).
Anywho, it was Dan's reception that night, so we had plans to go to dinner for our birth date before and then go to the wedding together. Austin picked me up later that evening and gave me a little birth date surprise (he says it was so I wouldn't suspect something BIGGER happening later). We went to Capaletti's for dinner--my favorite nice restaurant. It was delicious! Met my family at Dan's reception (apparently they were all looking to see if a ring was there yet) and hung out for a little while. Then we headed back to my house in St. George so I could pack for my ProStart conference I was leaving for the next day (Sunday) from Hurricane. Such a normal, fun date night together that I really did NOT suspect anything. We even hung out at my house and did nothing for quite a while. Around 9:30/10 we decided to head to Hurricane. Austin was pretty quiet on the drive there, but so was I! He was trying to figure out how he would ask me. He hadn't planned anything... just knew he wanted to do it that night sometime (which I love, by the way). At one point when we were talking on the way home, he turned to me and said, "Ahhhh, you just don't understand how happy you make me!" I swear that he was getting a little emotional, but I can't be sure. I just thought it was so cute.
We passed my parents house and Austin decided he wanted to keep driving around and wished we had a nice canyon to drive up. We settled for going on top of the hill and parked to overlook the town. We just chatted for a minute, and Austin showed me some parts of his patriarchal blessing. We got out of the car to look at the stars, and I gave him the perfect set-up for his proposal. :) I told him to tell me a story.
He started out, "Well, once there was this boy met this beautiful and crazy girl..." He went on to describe when we first hung out (he really must have thought I was crazy..., how he felt about me, our first date, and our whole relationship. He talked about me leaving for England--that it was the longest two weeks of his life! And he talked about falling in love with this girl. I was smiley and giggly the whole time because I was delighted! I loved the cute story (who wouldn't?)! He stopped when we were caught up and opened the passenger car door. I thought he was opening it for me to get in, so I followed. He seemed a little shaky and nervous, but I didn't really think about it. He reached in and grabbed something from the console. My thoughts: "What is he doing?! This isn't happening!" Then he turned around and started to choke up and said, "Then the boy got down on one knee..." He knelt down. "and asked the girl to marry him. Will you marry me?" I burst into tears and somehow said, "YES!" He got up and hugged me while I just cried and cried. Haha. I had wondered if I would cry--apparently the answer is yes. And they were loud, hideous tears. Not sweet, pretty ones. He told me cute things and why he loved me. I told him cute things and why I loved him. Some things are pretty hazy at this point. I was way too emotional to remember everything that was said.
So I was pretty shocked to get a ring. I love being surprised. Everything was perfect about that night, about his proposal. I'm so glad it wasn't anything planned or cheesy. It was straight from the heart. Intimate and perfect. It was meant to be. I truly see the Lord's hand in how this relationship came to be. Especially with timing. Everything has worked out perfectly between us. I love this boy so much. He has my heart completely, and I can't wait to be sealed for him for time and all eternity. Or eternities, as Austin would say. I just can't believe this is real and is happening to ME!!! I still look at the ring on my finger and can't believe it's MINE. I am lucky to snatch this man--he's a good one. Yep, I love him!
Time for pictures. The ones where I look terrible are from the night we got engaged. Remember how I cried all my makeup off? It doesn't help that I may or may not have a chunk of missing eyelashes. Yeah....
Dinner at Capiletti's on engagment night! Look at our yummy dinner!
Just got engaged! The parents waited up since Darwin was highly suspicious after Austin talked to him. My eyes look puffy.
Churchin' it up with my good-lookin fiance!!! Annoyed that blogger won't let me add the hyphen!
My notes from the conference. I was super focused, uh huh.
