My Love Story: Engaged {chapter 11}

This is the story of how my crush became my husband. Each Wednesday I’m sharing another piece of the puzzle to this real life love story. Need to catch up? Here is last week’s post: He Came Home.  If you are new here you can start at the beginning with The Window.

Nate and I spent a lot of time talking about our relationship while he was doing missions in Jamaica.  We had spent so much time away from each other that it almost felt crazy to think we would be able to see each other on a regular basis.

I clearly remember one conversation we had about when we thought we would get engaged.  Would it be within 3 months of Nate coming home?  6 months?  12 months?  We both felt confident that we had found “the one,” but we weren’t interested in rushing into anything.  We had spent  well over half of our dating relationship separated by significant distance.  We wanted to wait (but not too long!) and that is why we both agreed we would likely be engaged within 6 months of Nate coming home.  Of course this wasn’t a signed contract or anything.  It was simply a “feeling” we both had.

After many agonizing months, Nate did come home.  We got settled into a routine and suddenly it was January 23, 2005 – exactly 6 months from the day Nate came home.

We had gotten a lot of snow that weekend and were snowed in at Nate’s parent’s house Friday night, all day Saturday, and Sunday.  It was a fun weekend.  Nate and I played games and went sledding in his backyard, but Sunday night I was ready for a change of scenery and decided I would go home.

Honestly, I pretty cranky.  By the end of the day I realized we had hit the 6 month mark.  I threw myself a pity party in my head and decided I wanted to be alone.

Nate tried to convince me to go on a walk with him, but I flat out refused.  It was too cold to go for a walk.  He kept asking, but I put my foot down.

Then Nate said he wanted to come back to my place with me.  I was in such a bad mood.  I tried my hardest to convince him that was a lame idea, but he wouldn’t back down.  He told his parents he was leaving, grabbed his camera, told me he wanted to use up the rest of his film by taking a couple pictures of me, and we left.

Once we got to my place we went up to my room right away. “Let me take this picture of you quick so that I don’t forget,” Nate said. I stood there thinking this was kind of silly as Nate got down on one knee.

 “Smile. I want to take a picture of my fiancée.”

Nate snapped the picture and then scooted over closer to me.  I was stunned.  The first words out of my mouth were, “Is this a joke?!?”

“No, this is not a joke.” Nate pulled a ring out of his pocket and said some really sweet things that even just moments later neither of us could remember.

I said yes!

Nate had really hoped to propose to me outside in the snow, but since I refused to go on a walk with him this was plan B.  We got engaged in my small bedroom at his sister’s house.  It isn’t an amazingly romantic story compared to some.  There weren’t any flowers, candle light, or soft music, but I truly don’t care.  Nate and I had just spent the last two years traveling and living with people who had nothing.  The fancy hoopla didn’t fit us.

Just look at us!  We were over flowing with joy.  Being together is all we truly cared about. And now we were going to be together forever!

Tell me your love story!  What was your proposal like? 

Read Chapter 12: The Wedding.

Top Image by Amanda Faye Photography