Welcome back to Wedding Wednesday - and I know what you must be thinking - the proposals?!? As in, multiple proposals?? Certainly there was only one true marriage proposal, but Ryan did propose we spend our lives together more than once - and there was jewelry involved both times!
Early in our relationship, Ryan came to visit in Northern Virginia for the Easter Weekend and took me to one of my favorite spots: the Dickey Ridge Overlook in the Shenandoah National Park! I love to go watch the sunset here in Spring and Summer; I'd told Ryan about it and so we headed into the park for the evening with some snacks and drinks to watch the sunset.
Ryan had been very evasive all day about our evening spent watching the sunset and for good reason - shortly before the sun sank over the horizon, he got down on one knee and presented me with a promise ring and a promise that we would build a life together. I won't go into all the things he said - because I think those promises are for me - but nearby sunset watchers clapped for us and I was in tears.
So - a proposal? Maybe not. But it was a promise and it certainly won my heart and I wore my promise on my hand with pride and smiled every time I noticed it. If that didn't make it obvious that a proposal was coming down the road, shopping for rings (more than once) certainly did. Granted - the proposal itself did come out of nowhere... ha-ha!
I've never actually shared this story (with anyone) so it will be a surprise to everyone reading my blog (hi Mom *waves*) but the weekend we got engaged, I had decided spur of the moment to drive up to Pennsylvania on Saturday morning and spend 24 hours with Ryan - Ryan was currently living with some family friends and since the quick visit had been unplanned, we decided to find an AirBnB instead of imposing on Ryan's hosts - and we kept that fact to ourselves.
Now - prepare yourselves because this is where the story gets absolutely hilarious - we arrived at our AirBnB and it was absolutely the most unique house I've ever seen! The reviews on AirBnB had all been excellent; that was why we went with it (okay - I chose it) - but when we checked in... oh man. Yikes! The house was filled with all manner of New Age/Spiritual/Holistic items and while the host was very nice, he was also really fixated on showing us the Yoga Room and playing the Himalayan Bowl for us: "listen to the way you can hear it throughout the house... can you feel it inside yourself too?" Oh boy y'all - he was unique.
We'd already spent most of the day out and about any way - we went to a car show and explored a park in the gorgeous June sunshine - and so we pretty quickly decided to change clothes and head out to dinner. Especially after we learned that the bathroom we'd have access to was communal. *cringe* So we got ourselves together and headed out to have dinner at Bonefish Grill - the food was excellent, the service was great and we had a wonderful time. We also wandered the mall for a while and Ryan sent me out to the car ahead of him at one point... which was only slightly suspicious.
When we returned to the AirBnB; which was situated on a hillside overlooking the valley below us. As I've mentioned... the little inn was a little odd (Ryan will never let me live it down), so we decided to sit on the hillside behind the Inn together and watch the sun set - which was a little reminiscent of an earlier moment in our relationship. Ryan once again went down on one knee and spoke to me about our future together, our lives - all words I'll always remember and words I'll (once again) keep to myself. Words that brought tears to my eyes and made my heart absolutely explode...
Of course - I immediately text my parents, my younger sister and my friend since childhood to tell them the news. We shared the news with friends and family over the next few weeks and once everyone important to us had been told - in person - we made it social media official, ha-ha!
I've told Ryan ever since then that even though we agree that the AirBnB we stayed at was probably the weirdest place we'd ever stayed - or will stay - that now we have to one day bring our children back to the hillside behind that odd little Inn and tell them all about how their Dad proposed to me at sunset, on a hillside overlooking rural Pennsylvania.
Saying "yes" to Ryan was the easiest yes I've ever said. Choosing to do life with him, through the ups and downs - will always be one of the best and most important decisions I've ever said "yes" to. I know without a doubt that the Lord brought Ryan into my life in His own perfect timing and placed us together for His purpose. No one can predict the future but I am overwhelmed and blessed that Ryan is a part of my future and that we are blessed enough to get to do life together.*
*And of course - after getting engaged - I took numerous pictures where my hand was front and center to highlight my new bling, ha-ha!
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