The Journey

So, I'm pretty sure that Brian has had the Rehearsal Dinner spot picked out since long before we met.

He & his mom went and checked it out a few weeks ago, wanting to make sure that our {alleged} wedding date was available.  I wanted nothing to do with it because we weren't engaged yet.

But Brian texted me at work on Friday and told me that another couple was looking at the same weekend so would I please go with him to see it Saturday night...

Here is an outline of Brian's lies over the last few days:

"I'm at the Town Center, I had to look for some shorts."  {I just bought your engagement ring.}

"Somebody else wants to use the room July 5th..."  {Nobody else wants to use the room July 5th.}

"I'm really nervous about talking to your parents about the proposal..."  {I did it this morning.}

"Let's go around 7:30, so you can see what the room will look like when we have the rehearsal dinner."  {I want to propose at sunset.}

"Maybe we could have dinner out there, too..."  {Don't wear yoga pants.}

So, I'm not going to lie, I had an inkling that something was going on here.  

I've suspected for some time that he had the ring, {the whole "shorts" thing tipped me off.}

But, I was sure that it wasn't going to happen until he finished his summer semester finals.

{Just the same, I've been doing my nails every other day all summer...just in case.}

So, we had a quiet day at home Saturday after staying out too late the night before.  Brian seemed calm and his lies about dreading the, "I'd like to marry your daughter" talk had thrown me off his trail.

We got dressed, {not in yoga pants,} and headed to the potential Rehearsal Dinner site.

Brian was really quiet on the way there and was sending a suspiciously high volume of text messages at every stop light...

When we walked in, I was surprised that the woman showing us the room was right there waiting for us and that she seemed very excited.  She also seemed kind of weird.  Jumpy.

I was also surprised that there was actually a wedding reception going on in the main ballroom.  And very surprised that she would have agreed to show us the room at the same time...

So, after peeking in on these strangers' wedding reception, {great band, BTDubs,} she showed us to the room we are interested in.  

She rambled on about table sizes, linens & centerpieces while Brian made random comments like, "the room can hold 120 people..."

"Why don't I show you the balcony..." she said.  

{writing this is actually making me nervous...}

After commenting on how beautiful the view is and how nice it will be for the rehearsal dinner, she abruptly went back inside and closed the doors behind her.

I turned around to face Brian & started to say, "she is so weird..." but the look on his face stopped me.

I knew then exactly what was happening and a sob quickly escaped me.  

What happened in the next minute or so is a complete blur to me.  

I remember telling him to wait so that I could put my clutch and iPhone that I was carrying down.  

I remember the doors opening back up and my sister, Burton, snapping pictures with a huge smile on her face while the woman popped a bottle of champagne.

I don't remember what he said.  But I remember that I said yes.

Later, I told Brian what I thought I remembered him saying.

"Nope." he said.

{I since have been reminded of his words, but that's for us.}

I remember that my hands were shaking when he put the ring on my finger.

And I remember being happier than I have ever been before.

I think that it will be so special to have the Rehearsal Dinner where we got engaged.

{I'm seeing some of these pictures framed out on that patio...}

When I think about everything that Brian went through to get us to that spot and to that moment...my heart feels like it might burst out of my chest.  

It also feels that way every time I look down at this baby...

Swoon.

{Whenever somebody gets engaged, I will go to any length of stalking their pictures to find a picture of the ring.  So I figured I'd just make it easy for you guys.  And show off a little bit.}

My friend, Cynthia, called me the night we got engaged and said, "I think that it was less than a year ago that you were sitting on my porch, drinking & complaining about how you were going to be single forever..."

I have been thinking about that time in my life a lot lately.

I was single for 5 years.  I lived by myself for 3.  

I spent the vast majority of my time with 2 babies and a dog.  

There were definitely a lot of really lonely, scary times.  A lot of being forced out onto the dance floor with one or two other single girls to have a bouquet thrown at you...

But, like any good journey, I wouldn't trade a single step of it.  

Because it led me here.  It led me to Brian.  

I'd be lying if I said that I always had faith that things would work out as well as they have.  

The whole idea of having a man that you love get down on one knee and ask you to spend the rest of your life with him was just too magical.  Out of reach.  

I think that it's probably hard for anyone to believe that such a wonderful thing is actually going to happen to them.  Especially after 5 years...

But I wish that I could go back & talk to that Brooks now.  

I would tell her to have have more faith.  I would tell her that she had every right to believe that the man she was waiting for was waiting for her too.   

And if you're single, that's what I'd say to you, too.  

Be faithful.  Have hope.  Love a lot.  Enjoy the journey.  

And until then, I promise not to throw any bouquets at you.