3 years ago today

I woke up knowing I was heading to the beach with a boy I had been dating for a mere 5 months. I also had a suspicion that it would be a pretty big weekend for us but that is all I would allow myself to consider - a big weekend in our favorite place - Seaside, Florida. And just that suspicion alone sent me into probably the biggest whirlwind of my life! I had two closings that day and they were both two really big deals that I had worked on for a long time. We weren't set to leave for the beach until later that night so I should have focused a little more on the closings at stake but I had a suspicion. And then that suspicion sent me to Tootsies' famed Tent Sale looking for a new something because if anything were to happen really big that weekend I needed to have a new something on my feet or my body. I did find a great pair of shoes which then sent me to the mall looking for a cute something to wear with my new shoes. All the while, closings aren't waiting on me, my work phone was going crazy that day but I just couldn't care for the life of me about anything else. This may be the weekend that changed the rest of my weekends forever.
(My cute Tooties' purchase were put aside for flipflops when I realized we were making a detour to the park - obvious in the picture above.)

What ensued that day were trips to get my nails done, some eye brow pampering, and a few nervous "what if" type conversations with my roommates. I ignored any phone calls from the boy or my mama because I knew my suspicion was too intense to actually have a conversation and not want to ask questions to confirm my suspicion and my whole life I had just hoped and prayed that on that special day I would allow myself to be surprised rather than do as I normally do and try to figure everything out.

So a disastrous (from all the unnecessary running around I did) afternoon later I was in the boys truck (that I had always been quite attracted to) heading to Piedmont Park in order to divert some of the traffic on the way out of town to the beach. I won't recount all of the details now because honestly, I was a little frantic that day (aka - witchy with a "b") all because of the unknown. For those of you that know me you may say I am somewhat of a planner. I don't have to have things planned all the time - I actually do better with spontaneity but if there is something to be planned - I want to be the one to plan it so having this whole beach trip and impromptu trip to Piedmont Park as a secret to me was a little painful and thrilling at the same time. Needless to say, I wasn't the most compliant girl that was about to be proposed to at her favorite place in Atlanta but then I wouldn't have a good story to tell and I'm all about the story.

Brad had my favorite flowers strewn all over a rock and the ground at a certain spot in the park. We walked holding hands through the park - me wondering why we were taking our merry time in the park when I just wanted to get to the beach to maybe get engaged.....Brad nearly peeing in his pants as he fumbled with the ring in his other pocket. When we came upon the beautifully set up place Brad dropped down to his one knee and time stopped. I say that romantically and humorously. You think your whole little girl life of this time - how it would happen, what you would be wearing, what you would say more than just "yes", who would be around (hopefully nobody), how long had he had the ring or done the planning? And then, I recall, my time had come and I was literally paralyzed. Before Brad got half his perfect words out I told him I would kick him if he was joking. How romantic.

Anyway, he read me a verse from the bible that he had also had typed and laminated and tied to some flowers for me. I said yes and then jumped on him and for the next hour I just kept asking him if that really just happened. Many people may agree - engagement is such an ethereal thing....something you can't truly fathom until you are in the moment and then when you are in the moment - it doesn't hit you that it just happened until days later. Needless to say I was a little stunned even though I had a suspicion that that weekend may just be the weekend. For the first time in my life someone had surprised me by not proposing on the beach under the sunset as I thought anybody would do. I love that Brad knew that this ride with me as his bride would be a challenging one and he was up for the challenge from day one - with a sweet little surprise at our favorite date spot.

We went on to celebrate with my family for dinner and then his family for a midnight visit before we hit Seaside for several wonderful days doing our favorite things and celebrating the question that I was so excited to say yes to!

Happy 3 year anniversary from our perfect engagement Mr. Brad! What a fun week we have ahead celebrating engagement, your birthday and the little man's first birthday! I am so lucky to get to walk next to you everyday in this adventure called life....I can't believe all that has happened in just 3 years! Thanks for sticking with me and always challenging me to be love better and live more fully I love you!