Beijos and Pennies: One Year Later...

On October 16th this year (exactly one year after Zack and I met, almost the same time too!) he asked me to be his forever.

STORY TIME!

So we woke up on this sunny Sunday, just like any other. Ammon, Scott, and Sheena spent the night at the Burrells’ because we were singing in their family ward. It turns out it we weren’t as needed as thought, but it was still fun to sing the EFY medley again! (woot efy!) We finished singing and left, trying to make it to their student ward. We went to church and it was just delightful, their bishop is nice and their ward is smaller than mine, more cozy [:

Zack and I went to his apartment to get ready for our picnic we decided we were going to go on a while ago for our “anniversary.” He made quesadillas and we took apples and water bottles and other things that don’t really matter. He said he was going to go change into normal (non-church) clothes. I told him it was fine to just stay in church clothes, but he was ADEMENT about changing. That should’ve been my first clue, but he told me if I was going to expect it, he wasn’t going to do it. Well, what a better day than our year anniversary? So, naturally I didn’t expect it! We loaded up in the car with our usual red picnic blanket and basket and took off. We jammed out in the car on the way there. He didn’t drop any hints by saying abnormally cute things or messing with my left ring finger.

We got there and ate our quesadillas (note to ANYone who packs quesadillas: don’t pack in plastic bags, they get soggy…) after we finished eating he said he had to go the bathroom, okay, nothing weird about that, right? He started walking toward the big bathroom at Vivian park, which is a good 50 yards farther than the smaller one from where we were. I called out to him, confused by his choice. He must’ve responded with some witty remark that made me laugh AND made sense because I wrapped up like an enchilada with the red blanket. He seemed to be gone for a while so I unwrapped a little to see if I could see him, which I couldn’t be I could see this guy in a suit and a girl and then, kinda walking behind, this other guy. I thought, “hm…that’s weird. What weirdo brings his girlfriend and another dude to the park on a Sunday? Oh well, it’s a little bit cold. I’m gonna curl back up.” Little did I know, it WAS him. He has gone BEHIND—they were closed for the winter—the big bathrooms at the park and changed into his suit (only requirement I had). He was wearing his swimming suit and a shirt so he could change, I didn’t even notice the extra bulk!

He got to me and nudged me, asking what I was doing all curled up. I told him it was cold and he gently pulled the blanket back from my face. There he was in a suit, with Ammon, Sheena, and Scott. Scott and Zack had guitars, Ammon had a video camera, and Sheena a digital one. I was still a little confused as they told me to sit on the tree stump conveniently right there. Zack and Scott sat down and started singing the song I’d hear the melody of for about three months. I was like okay, he’s going to end the song with will you marry me. The end of the song came and no proposal. Hm, maybe this was just a really cute thing he wanted to do for the special day, okay. No disappointment inside me at all, he walked over to me and started talking to me about how I make him so happy and he wants to try to make me as happy as that for the rest of forever…still wasn’t clicking…then there it was. Smoothly, perfectly, he kneeled, pulling the ring out and opening the box all at the same time. He asked me. I don’t even remember seeing the ring until he almost dropped it after I said yes trying to put it on my hand.