I'm ENGAGED!!! :-)

This is the LONG version of my proposal story. Feel free to read, skim, or just look at the pics! :-)

A Confession:
I kind of knew it was coming. In fact I had guessed the date about 10 days early and the location 7 days before it happened. I didn't know for sure, but several little hints and clues all seemed to point in that direction. However, this doesn't disappoint me one bit. I love getting to guess and try to figure things out in anticipation. It just made it that much more fun for me.

Zach and I had a very real yes-this-is-what-we-both-want discussion one night about three months ago. After that we discussed several things in the next couple of weeks pertaining to getting married, starting a family, the ceremony, time frames, etc. It was so much fun talking about this with the man I was falling in love with, but it felt a little early. I requested that we not make plans like that until he was ready to ask me.

Being the wonderful guy that he is, he respected my wish… so well that I started wondering if he had changed his mind. The relationship progressed positively, but because he hadn't said ANYTHING about us getting married I just didn't know.

6 month date:
He took me out for a very special evening that involved reservations at the restaurant of our first date, a scrapbook that ended with the phrase, "The best is yet to be..." and 2 dozen roses delivered to my house. I thought he was going to ask me that night and although I wasn't disappointed, he apologized if he had gotten my hopes up. Then promised me that it was coming…

"I was going to ask you on Thanksgiving Day, but then you said not on a holiday."

Oops! :-D He let that cat out of the bag! Although he swore up and down that he wasn't going to do it on Thanksgiving anymore I still had a time frame to guess with. :-)

Christmas, Lights and Snow:
I love Christmas. I love Christmas lights. And I love snow. One week before the OU/OSU Game Zac asked me if I would want to go to Bricktown to see the canal lights after the game. "Sure. That'd be fun." I tried to say nonchalantly. I had already thought he was going to ask me the day of the game and this idea thrilled my heart. Christmas lights on the canal sounded very romantic and like a perfect setting for a proposal.

Then the forecast came in. Cold. Ice. Snow. About 10% of me was worried this might mess up his plan, but when he arrived at my house on Friday night he said all the roads were clear and he had no trouble driving.

"YES!!!! Christmas lights & a magical layer of snow on the ground along the canal!!" It's gonna be beautiful!


The Throw-Off:
Later that night Zac said we would post-pone the trip to brick town because of the snow. "WHAT?!?!?!" My inside got very sad, very quick. Surely he wouldn't post-pone the proposal? I had to remind myself that I had no real proof that he was going to propose and again tried to be nonchalant when I said, "Okay, whatever you want to do."

But I was disappointed. I convinced myself that he couldn't have been planning to propose, because a layer of snow would have just made things extra perfect, not been a reason to call it off. But even if he wasn't going to ask me to marry him… there is nothing like christmas lights in the snow, (A sight not often enjoyed by Oklahomans.) so before we said goodnight I asked him if he might reconsider for the sake of "snow magic."

I didn't have to do much talking before he said, "Okay, you've convinced me." But we still just left it at, "We'll see how we're feeling after the game."

Bedlam:
Football has been a really fun part of our relationship. Since college, my love for the Pokes has grown from mild-interest to working at Boone Pickens for home games and regularly watching or listening to away games.

The Privotts are OU fans. Big OU fans. ;-) I've had a blast spending time with Zachary and his whole family tailgating and attending the OU home games all season long. So what do we do about bedlam? We both promised that we would remember that it is just a game and walk away with our relationship in-tact no matter who won and who lost.

Zac got us tickets!! Never had either of us thought we might get to actually go to the game to support our respective teams, but it worked out (thanks to a great family friend) that we were able to go. It was 9* when we left the house, but we bundled up and truly had a great time together. (Of course I would have liked to see my Pokes win, but it was an exciting game nonetheless.)

Dinner:

Zac spent a lot of time on his phone on Saturday. More than usual, but I didn't think anything of it. There was an earthquake near his parents house, so I assumed he was texting with them about that. I also figured he was getting a good share of ribbing on the day of Bedlam for having a O-State girlfriend. After we had de-layered from the game and dressed up for a nice evening out we headed toward OKC. 

In the car Zac said he'd like to stop by his parents house on the way by. "Why?" I asked, not thinking. "Well, I just want to check on them from the earthquake."Umm-hmmm… whatever. ;-) So we stopped by and I got really interested in their christmas decorations while Zac ran up to his room to "get a contact case." Yeah… right! (He was picking up my ring.) ;-) Their tree really is beautiful! Any given my love for Christmas it wasn't hard for it to capture my attention.

We left the Privott's and went to Zios for dinner. We made good use of the crayons by playing tic-tac-toe, dots, and drawing pictures. I drew Zac a monster truck with lightning bolts and a house on a hill. Zac drew a penguin, igloo, eyeball, heart and smile for me. :-)

On A Walk:

After dinner we bundled up and went out to see the lights and walk the canal. It was beautiful. Conversation was easy. We held hands and watched as a family sled down a little hill, the colored lights danced off the water, the snow crunched under our feet, I stole a kiss or two as we walked and every 20-30 yards Zac would give me a different reason why he loved me.

We were getting back down to the end of the canal near where we parked and as Zac gave me another reason I looked up ahead to see how much longer I could make out little walk last. To my surprise his parents where standing 20 feet in front of us!!

As soon as I saw Joan and Steve I knew it was going to happen. Both Zac and I have very close relationships with our parents and after the 6-month-hint (about Thanksgiving) I requested that if he chose to involve one set of our parents he be sure to make sure both sets could be there. I didn't see my parents, but I knew they had to be around somewhere.

Zac took my hand and led me a little further down to where several trees were all brightly wrapped. He took my hands in his and told me that he never thought he would find someone like me. That the last 7 months of his life had been better than anything before he met me and that he wanted to spend the rest of his life making sure I knew I was loved and cherished.

Then he got down on one knee and asked me if I would marry him!

Of course I said, "Yes!"

After he put the ring on my finger and hugs were given all around by both our parents we all six went to the Melting Pot and had desserts to celebrate! 

It was wonderful. 

It was beautiful. 

And look at this RING!!!!

It was so romantic and I was so thrilled that he arranged for both of our parents to be there! I cannot wait to get deep into planning our wedding and preparing for our marriage. I love this man very much and count myself as so blessed by our Father in heaven that He would bring Zac and I together to serve each other and Him for the rest of our lives. :-)