The Proposal!

Hello friends! There are so many people that would like to know the story about us, but are not near to us, so we decided to write a blog. Hopefully you all enjoy it, if not you don't have to read it :) This is also for our posterity. So we will tell more about how we got to where we are in later posts but decided that today we would just tell the events that happened September 8, 2012.

 [Alli's thoughts are green & Chad's: blue of course]

Chad had been planning a surprise date for me ALL week long! Well actually longer but she knew about it all week. We went to the BYU football game, got sunburned, well at least I did. 

And then afterwards headed up to Salt Lake. Chad would not tell me where we were going. 

Because if I did it would have ruined everything. So not knowing where we were headed I followed his directions. We got off of I-80 at 700 E... RANDOM. I was thinking to myself, there is nothing here. I am so confused. Where is he taking me?! Just the way I wanted it. :) I took her on a round-about way to Liberty Park. The place where "Charly," Alli's favorite movie was filmed, but she didn't know that yet. I was so confused when he said to turn into the parking lot. I asked him why we were there and said it was totally random. He said he had seen it in a movie and thought it was pretty and just wanted to walk around. Although I had been there Tuesday night to scope out how I wanted to propose, after asking her father for his blessing. I could not think what movie had been filmed there. So as we walked I told him stories about how I use to go there with my grandma roller blading and how I'd play in the area with all of the canyons in salt lake (the replicas of course). I told him I wanted to show them to him. But I wanted to take her to the ferris wheel first, which was conveniently located behind the building, which added to the element of surprise ;) so he led me the direction of the ferris wheel without my knowledge until we turned the corner around the building and BAM it was CHARLY'S FERRIS WHEEL!!!!! What!??! Who knew it even still existed, yet alone was just down the road from where I had grown up?! I didn't. It totally surprised me and was so sweet of Chad! I thought he went to so much effort to find out where it was until he stated you can find anything on the internet. 

So I went to buy tickets to ride the ferris wheel. For those of you wondering, there is more to why I chose this park. Our first date we went to a carnival, hence the title of this blog, and our first ride was a ferris wheel. Alli liked the ferris wheel the most, although she was a little scared. I liked the ferris wheel the most because it's the only ride that did not make me sick...but that is another story for another day. I wanted the proposal to be as similar to the first date as possible, to induce romanticism. As we were waiting in line, I thought to myself maybe Chad has changed his mind about waiting to propose until after I met his parents...No. Well maybe. I mean this sure is a lot of effort for just riding a ferris wheel. I only told her I was going to propose after she met my parents so that she would be surprised, and it worked! As we were riding Chad reached into his pocket and I was like oh my goodness maybe it's happening! But no. He was making sure the tickets were still in his pockets and hadn't fallen out. So, I realized it wasn't happening, plus how could kneel down while riding the ferris wheel? So I decided it was okay, it would happen when it happens. 

So we get off the ferris wheel and had more tickets and I wanted to ride the ferris wheel after I proposed so I suggested we ride the swings. Turns out it was a bad idea. As both of us felt pretty sick afterwards. Just like our first date! So then we decided to go sit down on the grass, in goose poop, whoops! Then I realized I had to go to the bathroom and I had to check with Emily what was going on because I was just ready to propose. I was getting kind of nervous. So Chad went to the bathroom, which isn't unusual for him. He also took a little while, which also isn't unusual so I didn't think anything of it. 

When he got back he tied a blade of grass into a knot. I then decided that we should both pull on end of the grass and whoever got the knot would get the wish, because Alli likes to make wishes. I got the knot! So I got to make a wish :) He then said he felt better and was ready to start walking again. So I told him I wanted to show him the little canyons where I use to play. I said I was ready to walk again because I got a text from "Lafonda" AKA Emily, that said "Ring is behind Jesus."So I figured they were ready for us to come, but little did I know, only seconds later did she text me, "Don't come yet." But by then I had turned my phone on vibrate, and didn't feel it. 

So we continued walking and I showed him all of the canyons. Big cottonwood, little cottonwood and then we got to Millcreek! Which is on of my favorite canyons in real life. I told Chad there are fire pits, and fun places to walk and that it is just a great canyon! Which was perfect because it's where I had Emily, Connor, Karl, and Hannah stash all the goods for the proposal. So Chad took me deeper into the "canyon" replica and through the bushes and rocks there was a picture of Jesus. I was a wee bit confused, thinking why is there such a nice picture of Jesus right here?? So random!! And then I saw a bouquet of sunflowers! Her favorite, and she'd been telling me for several months that they were her favorite, thinking that I had forgotten. But, I hadn't and was just saving them for a special time.

I'm beginning to wonder if this is for me. Especially because on top of the sunflowers was a ring pop. And the reason I had a ring pop there was because of Alli's mom. Alli was on the phone with her one day when Alli and I were at lunch and they were discussing our relationship and Sue asked Alli if I even had enough money for a ring. Then Alli said, I have no idea. Giggled. And then said a ring pop would be good enough for me. Which is true. I even told Chad while  ring shopping that I would be totally fine if he proposed with a ring pop, although I wasn't quite sure how long it would last. Anyways Chad gave me a hug and asked me what I had just wished for. I told him I could not tell him. No because it wouldn't come true, but because I thought it might be happening right then. My wish was that Chad would propose sooner, rather than later. So, if that stuff wasn't really for me, then no way jose I was not telling him! 

Two months ago, the night Alli broke my face. And he gave me a concussion. We were star gazing, not in the typical dating sense but actually looking at the stars. Looking for shooting stars, so that we could make wishes. I saw three shooting stars, while Alli saw none. I wished that one day, Alli would want to marry me. She asked me nearly everyday to tell her my wish, I was not ready for marriage myself so there was no way in heaven I was going to tell her my wish on the shooting star. So I had decided to save it for the proposal if it were to happen. After I would not tell him my wish, he asked if I remembered him making a wish on a shooting star. I said yes and he asked if I wanted to know what it was. Of course I did! I had been asking for months to know what it was and was so excited to finally find out what he had wished for. "I think you might want to sit down for this." 

I also had her sit down to be in perfect view for the video camera which was set up on the rock right across from the picture of Christ and bouquet of flowers. I have no idea how she did not see it. So, I told her that my wish was that one day, she would want to marry me. I then asked her, "Will you be my wife, and the mother of our children?" I knew that one day he would ask me that, but I was in shock. It took her at least a minute to say yes and I was beginning to freak out. Literally all I could say was "for reals??"

 When I finally said "yes" I gave him a big hug

and kiss ;)

 and he said "Well good, cuz this isn't mine." WHAT?! Really? But then he said JUST KIDDING! and reached behind Jesus and pulled out a ring box. "Wait, you really are serious?" "Yes!" AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Flippin' out inside! The man of my dreams literally FOR REALS just asked me to marry him! AH! So excited!!!! :D AND I get a real ring PLUS a ring pop! Score!!

And Chad. Yes and you! You are the most important part!! I was still so confused though. I had been with Chad ALL day! How did this get here? When did he ask my dad for his blessing?? I was so confused. So I then asked her if she wanted to meet the people who had been such great assistance. I signaled them to come out from behind the bushes. Emily, one of my best friends jumped out of the bushes and both of us started screaming. I'm pretty sure that somebody probably thought something bad was happening but when I saw Emily I knew the proposal wasn't a dream, it was real. Both of us started crying and then more friends came out. Karl, Conner, and Hannah. they had all been so sneaky and had known all week long and were so great to help Chad and make this proposal unforgettable! Most everybody in the world knew about the proposal. Yes, my whole family, all my new BYU friends, pretty much everybody and their cousin. Except for me, and Chad's sister Cammie. Oops!! Sorry girl :( They took pictures of the whole thing, not to mention a video and were just great!! 

So that is the story about our engagement. We are so super excited and happy! We're getting married on December 14, 2012 in the Salt Lake Temple.