I Said Yes

At about this time on this day one year ago I was at Levi's apartment in Leesburg hanging out with him and his housies (do guys who live together even call each other that?) after church. I may have changed into my "re-do Easter" outfit by now. It was the Sunday after Easter, and since we didn't get to take pictures together on Easter, we were going to do them that afternoon instead.

(Here's me before we left,

looking amused at Jacob's joking as always.)

 

(And here's Levi, trying to get Jacob to stop revealing the fact that Levi actually WAS looking forward to taking pictures.)

So off we went to a little park a few miles away and took a few pictures. In those months, and especially weeks, I was anxious for a proposal...anxious to be a "fiancée" instead of "girlfriend," and anxious to plan the details of our wedding that we wanted to wait for engagement to plan. So naturally, as I was at this park getting pictures like these taken, I was wishing...maybe even expecting?...the dream moment. 

 It didn't come. We took pictures for a while and loaded back up in Jacob's van to leave. But there was another area Jacob "happened" to know about, so we went there to get a few more shots. It was a manor - Rust Manor - that had lovely scenery and garden grounds. And then we took more pictures. A LOT more pictures. So many more pictures that even I was tired of taking pictures. This was odd for Levi, but I didn't think much of it because I was so focused on not being upset at the proposal I hadn't gotten earlier.

(Us on the back steps of the manor.)

The time came for Jacob to pack up and go get our table at Olive Garden, so I started heading that way, but Levi wanted to stay a little while longer and walk around. Ok, I thought...I guess this would be a good time for a proposal too, but I'm not going to let myself think that this time, because I won't be able to enjoy dinner very much if I'm too disappointed.

So I tried to ignore the strange silence that was between us by making strange chit-chat conversation that probably didn't even sound natural because I was so focused on NOT thinking about getting engaged. I guess it lasted for a few minutes as we wandered around the garden until we arrived under a tall, sturdy tree. As we approached it I got a stronger sense that maybe this was really it, but kept pushing it away. Levi started talking to me though, and as I was listening, I realized that this was it. 

After some introductory remarks, he got down on one knee, and a few moments later, asked me to be his wife. In shock that it had actually happened, I said yes, and despite the fact that he was holding a diamond ring out in front of me, hugged him so hard while wearing a smile that must have extended into the air because I don't think it was one my face could contain. How ever many moments or minutes later, he reminded me about the ring and put it on my finger.

We didn't go to Olive Garden that night... We went to Tuscarora Mill where a huge bush-bouquet of roses greeted me (even though I didn't notice them at first) from a cozy, private corner of the restaurant. 

That was one of the happiest meals of my life, and not because I was even aware of the food I was eating - I wasn't - but because I sat across the table from the man who would be my husband and we started planning our wedding. Dates. Wedding party. Plans. It was wonderful, and it was by far the happiest day of my life until we got married 3 1/2 months later. 

I can hardly believe that was a whole year ago...but it was, and I will never regret that day - the day I said Yes.