The “Night of” Photos

Sorry for the long delay, but I was waiting on others and you know how that can be!

But I finally have a few of the pictures, although Ryan’s sister does have the collection of better night shots. 

Hopefully this will do until I get those from her – she’s currently away at school, so it’s a little difficult!

She also has an upclose shot of the ring – but I can take one & put it on too.

And She Said Yes!!

I don’t really know how to start this off…so I guess I’ll just throw it out there.

I got engaged!!!

Pretty crazy, exciting, and surreal.  I’ve been hoping for this day for awhile now, but always thought his time line was a little different then mine.  Turns out he’d been planning this since last Christmas – got the ring in April.   But he was waiting for our 2 year anniversary from our first date (August 25), so he held off.

But, August 25 came and went very uneventfully.  Typical of Seattle, the weather was not in agreement with his plans.  So Ry waited.  He had no intention of changing his proposal, so it took another 2 weeks before it happened. 

On September 5th, he had me meet him at Madrona Park on Lake Washington – where we had our first date.  The first date was pretty incredible – 3 hours of just hanging out, talking, laughing, and eating Ben & Jerry’s.  So he had Ben & Jerry’s with him on this night and we sat on the same bulkhead that we visited 2 years before.  Ryan also had with him a stack of papers and a box – the size of a pencil box – wrapped in newspaper for me to open later.  After about 15 minutes of awkward chatter, he allowed me to look at the first page of paper.  It was a comic book he had made – drawn in stick figures (my friend in high school and I drew a ton of stick figure comics sophomore year).  The first comic depicted our first date and was so sweet and thoughtful and hilarious.  After that, I was allowed to read one comic every 15 minutes.  Eventually, Ryan got impatient and just let me finish them all of at once.

The final comic depicted Stick Ryan with his arm behind his back holding a question mark.  Stick Me is standing next to him thinking “presents? I love presents!”  This was the part where I was allowed to open my gift.  I unwrapped it, curious as to what was inside…

And it was…

Drum-roll please!

 

 

 

 

 

A LAMP!

Yeah, I know what you’re thinking.  What girl doesn’t want a clip-on bedside lamp for her anniversary, right?
Not this girl.  I looked at the box.  Then at Ryan.  Then back at the box.  A look of utter disbelief on my face. 

Me: “Seriously? You got me a lamp?”
Ry: “You don’t like it?”
Me: “Umm…no.  It’s a lamp.”
Ry: “But it clips on and everything!”
Me: “…<mutters>…you’re just like my dad…”
***note*** my dad has given my mom a traffic cone, steering wheel, and 3 hubcaps in the past.
Ry: “It’s a lamp because you light up my life!”

Okay, but still…a lamp???  Then Ryan shines his cellphone light onto the corner of his comic page depicting the lamp and in very fine print I see the words “but wait, there’s more”.  And then I get it.  I need to pull the lamp out of the box!  Inside the lamp, where the light bulb typically resides, is a ring box.  Ryan takes the box, drops to one knee, opens it and asks me the question I’ve been waiting months for.

Of course I said yes!

There was lots of smiling, hugging, and yes, even some kissing.

Then Ryan tells me that his sister and friend have been hiding out in one of the shelters taking our photos all night, so we walk over to them and get congratulated, etc.

About 10 minutes pass and out of the shadows come running 4 high school boys (Ryan has been mentoring them for about 3 years now).  With a bucket of water.  Aimed straight at Ryan.  I sidestep just in time, but receive a few drops on my arm and pant leg while Ryan gets doused.  On our first date, we were sitting on the bulkhead with our legs dangling over the side, when a giant wake from one of the passing boats washed over the ledge, soaking Ryan and sprinkling a few drops on me. So Ryan made sure this night ended the same way it did then.

I couldn’t be happier with the results.

***when I get photos from the night, I’ll post them***