There is much planning to be done! We will be married August 31, 2007. We are totally stoked!
God has blessed us with many open doors so far and we are practically running through them. Please pray that we would continue to be good stewards of our time and finances (and our parents') as we plan.
Look for us in your mail box...soon, we hope. =)
a
Well, since Josh posted his take on the proposal I thought it might be fun to post mine.
We met in August, 2005 when Pierced Chapel had an outdoor service at Ute Valley Park. Our friend Allison introduced us and a few weeks later we went on a group camping trip together. A few months after that we went on our first date. Since then we have worked each day to reach the relationship we now have and God has guided us at each bend in the road.
On Saturday, February 10 I awoke with a sense of excitement for the day. Josh had told me on Thursday that he was planning a special date for Saturday and he had worked on Friday so I was anticipating seeing him at the gym and then our date later in the day. We usually try to plan a special "surprise" date once a month or so so I really was not expecting anything out of the ordinary when he told me he was planning a date for Saturday. The weather had been quite nice the past few days so we were going to start with a hike at our favorite place, Ute Valley Park.
After a good workout at the gym, we parted for a few hours to do our own thing and then meet up again. Josh picked me up at my house around 2:00 and I thought he was dressed kind of nice for going on a hike. =) When he opened the door for me to get in his truck there was a orange-yellow Gerbera daisy on the seat (it looked like fire). I thought it was very sweet of him, he said it had been a while since he'd bought me flowers, even sweeter. We had a few quick errands to run before we got to his house and then he grabbed his backpack out of the back of his truck and presented another Gerbera daisy. This one was peachy-white in color. I started to get even more excited for our hike but I really wasn't thinking he was going to propose. We had talked earlier in the week about engagement and we both had said it would be a few months. As we walked to the park I continued to wonder if perhaps he was going to propose but I kept telling myself no, it wasn't going to happen today and so by the time we got to our spot I was not expecting it to happen at all.
When we got to our favorite overlook, we walked by the rock where Josh was sitting when we first met. I mentioned this rock, (we usually mention it when we hike there) and Josh said we should sit down here. He had me cover my ears and eyes because he said he had a surprise in his bag. So I sat with my head between my knees until he tapped me on the leg and said he was ready. He looked pretty serious and I noticed a Tupperware dish with water and a towel in it. He proceeded to untie my shoes and remove my socks and talked about Jesus washing the disciple's feet. He talked about His love and the model we have to follow and what washing someones feet symbolized. As he finished washing my feet he talked about how God when brings us the person we will spend the rest of our life with He allows us to let down the guard of our heart and as he said that he pulled the towel out of the water dish (a great object lesson) and pulled out something from under the towel as he pulled it out. It wasn't long before I noticed what he had pulled out from under the towel and he held it up and asked, "Annie, will you marry me?" I realized then that he was on one knee and was holding the most beautiful ring in front of me. I managed an exclamatory "YES!" and yelled/laughed/cried as I gave him a huge tackle type of hug and asked, "Are you serious?" =) I don't know why, I just wanted to be absolutely sure I wasn't dreaming! We sat there in extreme joyful laughter for a few minutes as we realized what had just happened. We sat there a little longer to watch the sunset and then began our way back down. I knew we still had more planned because Josh said we had dinner reservations but that was all I knew.
We got to Josh's where I finally could call my parents but my mom was out and hadn't taken her cell so I could only tell my dad and made him keep the secret! Josh got his clothes and we went to my house so I could get changed. We tried to make most of our other phone calls on the drive and it was such a blast. We got to my house and I had Lacey come outside so she could be the first person I showed my ring to and then she was going to help me figure out what to wear. I didn't know that Josh had bought me a dress and coordinating jewelery earlier in the week and Lacey had already put it out on my bed for me! I didn't even have to figure out what to wear, just what coat to wear over the dress but Allison had something perfect for me to borrow. =) We stopped by Josh's parents house on our way to the restaurant and they were super excited. I finally got to talk to my mom right before we arrived downtown and I realized we were going to one of our favorite restaurants, Sonterra Grill. We got to the restaurant and they took us to our table where I saw three more Gerbera daisies and a card from Josh! He had really planned it all out! We ate dinner and then went to Rock Bottom to see some friends and it was so exciting. I really dread being the center of attention so all of this was quite exhausting but in a very good way. =)
The dress fit perfectly, the day was perfect as far as I'm concerned and I could not ask for anything different. I was so surprised that Josh proposed and that made it even more fun!
So that's it for now.
We are hoping to get a wedding date nailed down this week and will let you all know once we have some more details. I guess it's time to start getting engagement photos and all that other fun stuff.
a
So the number one question I've found to be asked in the 23.10 hours we have been engaged is, "How did he do it?!?". So here it is for you all...
It all started about a year and a half ago when Pierced Chapel had a service outside in Ute Valley Park one Sunday evening. I was sitting on a rock with a couple buddies of mine when my friend Allison brought over a very attractive young lady to introduce to me. We met and didn't really think too much about it, then a camping trip, a pursuit, a DTR, some dates, and that pretty much brings us up to speed.
It was Saturday, February 10th on an unusually warm and sunny day. I had gotten off work that morning and we met up at the gym for a couple hours, parted our ways, then met back up around 2:30 in the afternoon. With a subterfuge based calm, I suggested we take the afternoon easy, maybe go for a hike, and have a nice dinner out on the town. We drove to my house on the west side of town, which is walking distance from Ute Valley, parked my truck, and walked to the park. I brought my backpack/pre-rigged secret cache consisting of: a bowl, two towels, Nalgene full of warm water, ring, iPod, and Bible. We started up the muddy ice/slushy mud laden trail to the very place we met (and had our first kiss/night hike). When we got to a certain rock, Annie pointed out the fact that that was the rock I was sitting on when we met. So, I had her sit down, close her eyes, and plug her ears. (Ps...the sun was just setting behind Pikes Peak) I nervously pulled out the bowl, placed a towel in the bottom, filled it with warm water and prepared a second towel. I had her open her eyes as I pulled off her shoes, hoping she didn't notice my hands shaking too badly. As I proceeded to wash her feet, I explained (neither of us can really remember what exactly I said) how Jesus showed His disciples what service and love means when he washed their feet, which is given to us by the cross. Because of this, we have an example of what love means so we can love one another purely. Then I talked about us specifically (sorry, that stays between us!) As I rounded the end of the "speech" I dried her feet and removed the towel in the bottom of the bowl to expose the ring that had been hiding there the whole time. I asked, she screamed, tackled me, laughed and cried all at the same time and managed to get a "YES!!" in there somewhere. I was PLANNING on having us dance to a little Coldplay via my iPod, but of course it was dead. Even with that, IT WAS AMAZING!!!---definitely recommend getting engaged.
That's not the end of the day, though. When we got back and were making our "we're engaged!" phone calls, we drove to her house, giggling and shaking the whole way. Now we needed to change for our night out. Not really knowing what to wear, she got in her room to find a new dress and jewelry waiting for her. And...it fits! Side note...shopping for a dress was just as scary as shopping for a ring! So, we got all fancied up and made the stop to my parent's house for the announcement and pictures. After that we had an amazing dinner at Sonterra Grill downtown, where there were Gerbera Daisies already waiting for her on the table (I had a busy afternoon).
That's the basic down and dirty on the story. She tells it much better, so you should ask her for the details. Stay tuned for more stories!
Josh
