Our Engagement Story

Last Saturday, Cody and I celebrated our one-year engagement anniversary.

Since I wasn't blogging when we got engaged last year, I wanted to share our story and look back on the day that changed both of our lives forever.

Getting married was something Cody and I knew we wanted to do eventually. We started talking about it more and more the closer we got to my college graduation. By the time I graduated, we had been together for a little over three years. We started dating towards the end of my freshman year of college.

When I graduated, there were a lot unknowns in both of our lives. We had always wanted to be somewhat established career wise, and have the chance to live together before we made the next step. Throughout the summer, getting engaged was really the farthest thing from my mind. I stressed myself out so much trying to find a job, my dream job preferably. So when Cody wanted to treat me to a day to celebrate my graduation, relax a little bit, I was pretty excited to take my mind off of job hunting.

Originally, Cody and I had bought tickets to the Miranda Lambert concert that night. Unfortunately, the concert was postponed leaving us pretty bummed. Cody still insisted that we make our day special, and suggest we pack lunch and go on a picnic at our favorite park. Fine with me! I can't tell you how many times I begged Cody to go to the park!

We packed sandwiches, and I insisted that we bring my dog Maci along for the trip. Being a good sport, he let Maci come along, probably against his original plan. :) Cody invited my sister Whitney to go, and she jumped on the chance. I thought it was a little out of the ordinary for her to be joining us on our special picnic, but I never thought twice about it.

Once we got to the park, we found a nice pavilion by the lake. We enjoyed our  lunch, let Maci walk around for awhile, and even had a visit from some ducks.

Once lunch was done, Cody suggested we walk to the other side of the lake, to the big rock we always fish off of... to take pictures. WHAT??? Cody wants to take pictures? MY DREAM COME TRUE! I always beg him to take pictures (cause I'm a picture guru), and he never wants to. Still, I never thought twice about it. 

Walking to the rock, Cody carried a mysterious brown paper bag, that he refused to let me peek inside. I assumed it was something to celebrate my graduation, cause after all, that's what today was for. Once we arrived, he set the bag down and Whitney was there to take some pictures of us by the lake.

After a couple, he took me to go stand by the brown paper bag. He told me had a surprise, and I had to close my eyes and stick out my arms. Cody began to tell me how proud he was of me, how much he cared and loved for me, placing something in my hands. He told me to open my eyes, and as I looked straight ahead, Cody was on one knee, holding the most beautiful ring in his hand. I looked down at my arms, and there laid a cookie cake (if you know me, you know how much I love cookie cake), that said "Will You Marry Me?" I began to cry, I looked at Whitney, I looked at Cody, and eventually I stuttered out a "yes."

 

At that moment, July 13, 2012 became engraved in our hearts forever.