We’ve been engaged for one month today, so I thought it was about time to share our engagement story! I’ll start on Saturday, August 27th. Ashley & Sky’s wedding had been the day before, so it felt like a big bonus having Saturday off. It was wet and muggy outside and everyone was preparing for hurricane Irene: buying extra food, sand bags, and flashlights. I was feeling pretty good that morning, having backed up all of the photos from the night before and being happy with the way they turned out. I remember Zac going up to the roof to help Timm with something while I was working at the dining room table. When he came back downstairs, he asked if I wanted to go out for a walk.
A walk sounded like a great idea to me; we might not get fresh air for a while if we are soon-to-be bunkered up inside and waiting for the storm to pass. I wore my new stripey dress and birkenstocks (because I always wear my birkenstocks)! Timm told Zac that there was a park just around the corner and up a little ways on Clinton Street. I brought my camera and Zac wielded a big golf umbrella. It was drizzling a little, but nothing we couldn’t handle. I started humming a song I’d heard on the radio (something about Marvin Gaye & chardonnay), because that’s what you do when you’re huddled like a little mouse underneath the umbrella with your lover in New York City. My rendition wasn’t cutting it (I am not the best rapper, believe it or not) so my iPhone became a boombox, and we kept walking. At one point, we stopped underneath the red & white striped awning of a nick nack shop with potted cacti outside because the rain was coming down hard.
There were so many runners out: trying to squeeze a last workout in before the storm. I loved seeing so many people out and about. I was fascinated with the way these hibiscus flowers rolled up to protect themselves from the rain. I pointed the ones on the sidewalk out to Zac, and he said, “oh, they’re like little rolled up tortilla sandwiches!” Zac says the funniest things without trying to be funny, and it makes me laugh. I love that about him.
I was beginning to doubt the existence of the park, we’d been walking for so long. Zac squinted and said he saw a clearing up ahead. Ok Butter, if you say so 
) Before I saw it from the distance, we were right in front of Cobble Hill Park. It was adorably charming: a small city park with cobble stone paths, a raised flower bed in the middle, and a bunch of benches enveloped by trees with drippy wet leaves. We entered the park, and hugged each other. I also pinched Zac’s butt (am I not supposed to tell that part of the story?!) and asked if we could go to the other side of the park to take pictures. Zac kept holding me and told me to wait a second, there was something he wanted to tell me. That was the moment I knew something serious was happening. I could feel tears welling up in my eyes as soon as Zac started talking, because this was it! Zac asked me to marry him, and said he wanted me to have something… I didn’t even see him pull the ring box out from his sock, but I remember glancing at the ring, hugging him like crazy, wiping tears, and asking him if he would pretty please put the ring on my finger! He was quick to note that yes, he had indeed talked to my Dad the weekend before )
So then we took some photos! When we got back home, Kelly & Timm (who were in on the secret) had hugs and champagne waiting for us. We skyped with our families and made tacos for dinner. It was perfect!
Zachary, thank you for asking me to marry you. I love you. I love being able to say that I am your fiancée. I love that I am a part of your family and you, a part of mine. I love thinking that soon you will be my husband and I will be your wife!
And of course, I can’t end this post without a picture of the sparkly ring I get to wear on my finger!
