Engagement

We took this late after we had called everyone to tell them our exciting news. It's not the best quality, but it is my favorite picture.

Ok, lets be real honest for a moment. I knew I wanted to marry Travis well before we were officially engaged. In fact we knew we wanted to marry one another almost a month before we could show off the ring and tell people officially. We had done some ring shopping, but were not happy with what we were finding or the $$$$. I didn't want to break the bank and neither did Travis, but we both only wanted to buy one ring in our lifetime together, so this one needed to count. Finally, we found the perfect person to custom design our ring and give us the best price because he was a wholesaler. Travis drew up a picture of what I liked and the magical ringer worker took off and designed the perfect ring for the both of us, meaning Travis loved it and so did I! Now we just had to wait for it to be made. Time was ticking and family was wanting to know dates and how serious we were. Long story short, it wasn't going to be much of surprise when we got engaged. Travis however, knows how to make everything a surprise and did make our engagement memorable! Even if he was just flying by the seat of his pants (his true style in life).

I was getting very impatient and wanted to tell all my friends the good news, but being a girl of course I couldn't do that unless I had a ring. I never thought I would be that way and in fact I have made fun of girls for it, but now I understand. On March 3rd everything was official!  I had no idea it was even coming. I thought it would be at least two more weeks before the ring would be done and then Travis had to make it through mid-terms.

The day started normal, me hoping we were getting engaged:) Travis finished one of his tests and came to pick me up for our date. We were going to have dinner at the restaurant where we had our first date. This didn't make me suspicious because I was the one who had recommended it the week before. The whole night Travis tried to throw me off his scent, so that I would not think it was going to propose. He brought me flowers but said they were to help cheer me up because we weren't engaged and the ring wasn't done yet. Hopes up and down #1. We ran errands and I asked if we could walk around the temple, but he said we should later that night. So, we headed to SLC for dinner. After dinner he said he had a surprise for me. Hopes getting up! We drove to the overlook road behind the capitol, which has a magnificent view of the Salt Lake valley and is very romantic. He then gave me my surprise, a box of animal crackers. We have a running joke about animal crackers because they are one of the first gifts he ever gave me. I thought it was cute, but a little let down that he was going to propose to me in a car with animal crackers. Either way it didn't matter because I LOVE him! I opened up the box in eager anticipation for the moment I have waited for my whole life. Inside was a ring box and my heart was freaking out with excitement. Travis with even more eagerness encouraged me to look inside. As I opened the small box I found......more animal crackers!! Hopes up and very much so down #2. I was very disappointed, but couldn't help but laugh because Travis was dying of laughter. He told me he wanted to lighten up the situation with some humor.  Again, very much his style. At this point I was done getting my hopes up. I didn't care if we were going to the temple to take our favorite walk. It wasn't going to happen tonight. We pulled up to the temple and started our walk. I started thinking, "Jess it doesn't matter when it happens, you already know you are going to marry him." We stopped to admire the temple. Travis then started talking some mumbojumbo about angel Moroni and how he was not facing east. I tried to explain to him that he was crazy and tried to walk forward. He stopped me again. At this point he was acting strange and we both knew it. I turned to look behind me and thought I saw my car in the distance. Travis took me by the shoulders and spun me around so we would walk the other way. After a minute a car that was parked near by drove away. I turned to talk to Travis and he was down on one knee. He said, "Jess I do have a surprise for you and I know you will like it." He then asked me to marry him right there in my favorite place in the whole world. He didn't even know that I always wanted to be proposed to in front of the temple with just the two of us. As I was giving him my big loving smooch there was some flashing going on across the street, my little sister Bethany was taking pictures. So I did see my car! She was hiding under it waiting for the right moment, the moment that took a little longer and required some stalling on Travis's part because there was a couple parked right where he wanted to propose:)

 I have never been so happy. Travis came through again, exceeding my expectations! We went home and didn't say a word to my parents until they noticed my shiny ring. They were surprised! It was so fun to call all our family and friends and tell them officially. Even if everyone knew, probably sooner than we did,  we were getting married! And it was still a good surprise.