The Proposal :)

So yeah. I'm getting married.  I'm getting married. Haha- I'm getting married!! :) Alright...enough exclamation points and girliness. Now to the good stuff...just a forewarning, this might be a long story. It was a fairly elaborate proposal and I want to have good memories of it :)

How did it happen?
Mike had asked if he could take me out for a fun Christmas date on Saturday. Our schedules are pretty crazy this month, so it was really the best time for us to celebrate Christmas together. He said he was planning a surprise and the only thing I knew was that we had reservations someplace. So he picked me up (looking pretty sharp in his dinner jacket!) and we headed to Highland Park Village for dinner. He took me to a really nice seafood restaurant called Cafe Pacific. We enjoyed a delicious and romantic dinner, and I felt absolutely blessed that I was spending Christmas with Mike this year.

We then drove around the neighborhood looking at Christmas lights, which is something I love but had not yet had a chance to do this year. We ended up at a gazebo in a little park area, a place he had taken me when we first started dating. It was beautifully decorated for Christmas, and it really couldn't have been a more romantic setting. He told me that he lied- there was more to my Christmas present than just dinner. He had taped a letter he had written to me under the bench in the gazebo. He writes letters to his family for Christmas, so I was really excited that I was getting one. He read me the sweetest letter (that boy can write!), and I remember thinking- "I am so in love with him...I wonder if he has any idea!" :) Little did I know what was in store for the rest of the evening and that Mike's sweet sister Lindsay was hiding in the bushes to snap these photos!

Isn't it beautiful and romantic?

A little blurry, but really sweet...

By this time I was shivering because it was so cold outside. I was upset that I couldn't stop shivering because I didn't want the moment to end. But we had planned to go to our 20s Christmas party after our fun date, so we decided to head out to join our friends. Mike said he needed to stop by the church to pick something up to take over to the party, so he asked if I wanted him to drop me off first or just go with him. Afterward, I asked him what he would have done if I had said I wanted him to drop me off at the party first, but he said there was no way I would have said that. He was a little nervous though when we got to the church and he thought I was going to wait in the car. He played it off really well, saying he didn't know how long it would take him to find "it" so I should just come in with him. I was still clueless :)

We walked into the church and we headed toward the Creekside room (which is where we have our 20s Gathering on Sunday mornings and where we met). Before we turned the corner, he stopped me and said that he lied again- there was still another part of my Christmas present. At this point I heard music playing and could see the glow of candles from around the corner. When we walked around to enter Creekside, this is what I saw:

Entering Creekside...

Ummm...yeah.

I said yes, ladies...he's taken ;)

I told you it was elaborate! :) Ok...just a few more pictures before the best part...

It kind of felt like a dream...

It certainly looked like a dream...

But a very, very GOOD dream :)

Mike walked me down to the chair and had me sit, and then he walked back to the other end of the aisle. He told me that it was about a year ago that he was standing there, and I was about where he had me sitting. It was just a normal Sunday morning Gathering, and he looked over and saw me. One of the things Mike has told me before was that he noticed I was always the one listening in a group, hardly ever the one talking. He had seen this several times before, but that Sunday, at that moment, he decided he needed to pursue me or someone else was going to and he would miss his opportunity. (Are you sighing yet?)

He then walked over to me and told me how wonderful the last 8 months have been (at this point he was on his knees). He told me he loved me and asked if I would marry him :) Of course, I said YES! And I was finally able to tell him how much I loved him! He had told me fairly early in our dating that he had never told anyone that he loved them and that he was only going to say that to one person. I was more than ok with that because I wanted to do the same. But knowing how I already felt, it was such a joy to hear him say it and to then say it back!

Asking me to marry him...

YES!!!

Oh, but it didn't stop there...nope. He then told me that he wanted to love me the way Christ loves the church and to show that he wanted to serve me, he wanted to wash my feet. (Are you crying yet? haha) It was such a sweet moment, and I was so incredibly humbled.

Washing my feet...

Probably laughing at the fact that I was wearing the most ridiculous socks...in my defense, I was wearing boots and I wasn't supposed to take them off at any point during our date. Haha- oh well...

The whole time he was talking and proposing, I could hear clicking in the background, so I knew there was someone in the room taking pictures. I just didn't know who until afterward, and I was just so happy that I was going to have pictures of everything! I also then learned that his brother Bryan had set up cameras around the room, so we will also have a video memory of the proposal. What an incredible blessing- I cannot wait to see it!

We of course got on the phone to call our parents. They were all waiting on pins and needles to hear from us; Mike had talked with both sets of parents before the proposal. My parents have known for 2 weeks and were able to keep the secret so well! :) They did not tell my brother Mike's plan, so it was fun to tell him and have him hear about it for the first time. He was so incredibly excited- it was really sweet and cute!

We are beyond excited about our engagement and upcoming marriage! The last few days have been overwhelming, but without a doubt exciting and joy-filled. I am really looking forward to the coming months as we prepare for the wedding and our new life together!

Were you surprised?
Completely! He did such a great job of keeping everything a secret...I never suspected he would propose this weekend. Hoped maybe, but never suspected ;) When we were at the gazebo, the thought crossed my mind, but when he didn't propose, I immediately pushed it out of my mind. I remember telling myself how silly I was for even thinking it...of course it was too soon. Calm down, Erin. Don't jump ahead of yourself...hehe ;)

I have known for awhile that I was going to marry Mike...it was just a matter of waiting on the Lord's timing and for Mike to ask! I knew that I loved him, and I had already settled in my heart a few weeks ago that if he asked me to marry him I would say yes. So saying yes was never a question, it was just a matter of timing. I guess it's true what they say..."when you know, you know!" But even more than that...I have been praying about this since I was 16. I've prayed for Mike, even before I knew him. It might sound cheesy, but it's just another way the Lord has been good to me. He has been gracious to guide every step of my dating life, calling me to be fairly conservative in my dating choices and providing extra measures of patience and trust in order to be obedient. In the moment Mike proposed, I was overwhelmed by the outpouring of God's faithfulness as He was revealing to me why He had me wait. And he is absolutely worth it!

Did You Cry?

I am not much of a crier to begin with, and to be honest, I was WAY too excited to cry. So tears streaming down my face? Not so much. But goofy grin from ear to ear? Probably. Haha! I did cry though when he was washing my feet- that moment was incredibly sweet and humbling, and I think at that point it was all hitting me. 

How did he Manage to Pull it Off?

Because he's awesome! :) He knows I am a planner, so he wanted to put as much planning into this as he could. He worked really hard to have all of the details in place, and I believe the Lord was gracious to provide the perfect engagement for us. The ideas and planning were his, but he did have some help from family and friends on implementation. With Lindsay taking photos, Bryan getting video, and our sweet friend Becca decorating, we were so blessed to have people who wanted to be a part of making this special for us. I am so thankful for everyone who was a part of the process!

Becca, the decorating extraordinaire!

Sweet youth girls who helped decorate

So...What about the Bling?
I absolutely LOVE it! Mike did such a great job picking it out. He had it custom made, which makes it that much more special, and the design fits me perfectly! It's so elegant and absolutely beautiful. I might be biased, but this is my story, so it's ok :) It sparkles a whole lot, and it's really fun to wear. Someone asked me if I have just been staring at it non-stop and the answer is: yes. Haha! There's just something about the silent message that a ring portrays of "I am taken..." I kinda like it ;)

When is the The Big Day?
No one likes this answer, but sorry- we don't know yet! We're going to try and make it through the holidays and just enjoy this sweet time of excitement before we dive into planning anything. I can tell you it will be sometime in 2011 :)

Hehe :)