I can’t believe everything that has unfolded over the past couple of days. My heart is overwhelmed with love & joy, and I feel beyond blessed to be where I’m at today.
While the proposal is still sinking in and my dreams of building a life and family are coming to fruition, I wanted to share the details of our engagement on the blog.
The biggest thing I want this story to unveil is that love is possible, it is possible to have a loving and healthy relationship, and you attract what you put out into this world.
After all of my failed relationships and wrong choices in men, I could have approached dating bitter, angry and pessimistic. Instead, I learned from my mistakes, I never gave up, I never settled, and I remained open to finding true love.
And today I’m here to show you, I did. And you can too.
If you’re reading this right now and you are single or you aren’t sure if you’re in the right relationship, I’m speaking to you, woman to woman, when I say you can find your person too. You deserve it as much as any woman does. And I hope, from the bottom of my heart, that our story to inspires you in only the most positive way.
*Mkay, off my soapbox, onto the proposal.* XOXO
Warning: this is a very long, detailed recap of the events that played out. I understand not everyone is into this kind of stuff. But if you are, enjoy!
Photos of this event were done by Reed Kenney, and to say we are pleased with his work is an understatement. Enjoy his images throughout this post and hit him up for your future photography needs!
Dropping Hints…
John and I have talked about marriage and kids since our very first date. That’s always been our end goal, but we didn’t really have a timeline in place. We both are super career driven and have spent the past four years together building and growing our careers and companies.
It wasn’t until we bought our first home together in October that we really started to get the itch to start moving towards our future. Needless to say, these past few months I’ve started to get anxious about when he was going to get down on one knee.
But, as he continued to tell me, I have to just trust him (and I have to remind myself that his timing truly is always on point!)
About a month ago, John told me he wanted to host a housewarming party since our pool was just being finalized and would be “swim ready”. We made a list of a small group of our closest friends to attend.
I sent out an e-vite and a few weeks before, we went to Target and Sam’s Club to get beverages and decorations. We mostly got pool floaties and some fun outdoor decor. That was the extent of my involvement with the housewarming party (which was rare for me to not be involved in planning things lol!).
Usually, I would have created a spreadsheet with dates, tasks and more than anyone would need to know about the planning of the party. I felt like he was taking the reins on this one so I decided to sit back and see if he could handle it.
I should also note – about two months ago, when I was in the middle of cooking dinner, he pulled my hand away from the pot and measured my ring finger. That truly was my first clue that it might be coming. But I really had no idea on when.
The Microburst
Fast forward to last Sunday, June 9th, the most intense storm I’ve ever witnessed blew through Dallas at 7- miles per hour and completely knocked out the power in our home. We were homeless for five days and I can honestly say it took me until today to finally feel back to normal.
The feeling of not being able to go home and not knowing when you can return home is one of the most horrible, scary feelings. Every day we’d wake up wondering “can we go home today?!” and get let down.
After work on Wednesday, we met up at our house to check on everything. John met with the pool guys to work on finalizing a few things, and I was there to get more clothes. We were both drained and went to eat at the local Mexican food restaurant. After one margarita, I asked (probably for the 3rd time in the past month) “when are you proposing to me?”
Anyone who knows me knows I’m direct and sometimes say or ask things just to see what the reaction is. #SorryNotSorry He responded, unmoved, “this year”.
“How do you expect to get married next summer without an engagement?!” I responded impatiently. “You know our dream venue books out years in advance, and there’s so much to do I need at least a year to plan this thing.”
“How about you plan a 10 day trip to Europe, give me the itinerary, and we’ll go from there,” he responded. We had talked about getting engaged in Paris years ago, but I’d told him recently I’d be happy if he did it here.
He did an outstanding job at creating doubt and frustration within me, and somehow we moved on from that conversation quickly as we went back to discuss the house. I wish I would’ve just put a cork in it lol!
After we ate, we went home and saw a large crew of men working on a power line in our alley. For the first time, we had hope that the electricity outage would be resolved soon and power would be restored.
We drove by the crew several times to check on the status and eventually learned they were unable to resolve the issue. It wasn’t this power line, it was somewhere else in the grid.
So, again, at 10 PM, we drove back to McKinney to stay with inlaws (which we’re so thankful they took us in for four nights while our electricity was getting restored).
On Thursday, by the grace of God, the power was finally restored and our life was able to go back to normal. Friday I was still mentally drained but pushed through a productive day of work.
The Day Before
John called me on Friday to let me know that he had a small surprise planned for us on Saturday and that I needed to make sure I had no plans all day. I started to feel a little curious but decided not to pry.
In the afternoon, I got a call from our favorite spa to confirm an appointment on Sunday. I called John immediately and he said that yes, we were going to the spa and that they ruined the surprise. But I found out later that wasn’t the case..
He then asked if he could take me to Nordstrom to pick out a housewarming party outfit. Who could argue with that?! We had a fantastic dinner at Northpark followed by finding the cutest little red dress.
We ended the night binge watching a new series on Netflix – What If. If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend. Renee Zellweger crushes her roll in the twisted series. However, if you’re sensitive (like me), try to watch it during the day and don’t make it the very last thing you consume before bed!
The Morning Of
John woke me up the following morning and said I needed to get dressed in workout clothes. He said, “today is your day” and that he had our entire day planned. After asking him multiple times where we were going, he never cracked!
Our first stop was breakfast at La Madeleine Bakery near our home. We enjoyed coffee, had a wonderful conversation, and shared eggs, bacon and waffles.
Next, we headed out towards White Rock Lake and landed at the Arboretum. It was so beautiful with a musician playing the guitar at the entrance. The local squirrels and bunnies were active and very friendly. I started to get anxious in anticipation thinking “this might be it!”
After spending about one hour there, we left and headed home. He told me I had about an hour and a half to shower and get ready.
Once I finished my makeup and hair, he called me downstairs. He had romantic music playing in the background and asked me to join him on the couch outside.
He had our sweet engraved photo album filled out and we sat down to look at all the photos and memories we’ve made over the past four years together. It was beautiful.
On the last page of the album, he read me a letter expressing his feelings for me and his dreams for our future, which totally made me tear up. He then handed me the letter and asked me to flip it over.
There was a photo of a ring box inside our home, with Zoey (our dog) in the background. He then got down on one knee and asked if I would marry him.
Of course, I said Yes! And it was the most magical, intimate and amazing moment of my life.
The Real Surprise
I’d be lying if I didn’t have a slight hunch he was proposing soon, but I was in complete shock for this next one. He told me we had to leave for our next appointment. I was so nervous because I couldn’t imagine where he could possibly be taking me!
We got in the car and headed downtown Dallas. 10 minutes later, we arrive at our favorite hotel where we love to eat, go to the spa and just relax. John had me wait in the car at the valet as he finds a man who is supposed to meet us.
Moments later, this man walks up to my car door, opens it, and asks me to follow him. I’m still super nervous. We walk to the hotel lobby and are handed champagne. From there, we walk out the front doors and over to a private entrance: the glass elevator.
We are greeted by a security guard and police officer, and we are lead into the elevator. As we go up, John says, “Now I know this is the first time we’ve been in this elevator, and it’s not going to be the last. The next time you’re in this elevator, you’ll be a bride. May 23rd we will get married here.”
That’s when I lost it lol. The doors opened to my dream venue, and I just cried. My heart melted. He knew how much I worried about planning our wedding, and he knew how much I wanted to have my wedding here. I truly didn’t know if it’d be possible. But he made it happen.
Surprise Engagement Party
We walked through the beautiful reception room with glass walls from the floor to the ceiling, and then we headed over to our favorite restaurant across the street.
We enjoyed a fantastic lunch with champagne, and our favorite thing to do is try each category on the menu. So we shared an appetizer, salad, and entree.
When we got home, John blindfolded me and lead me upstairs. I noticed my two best friend’s cars were in the driveway and we all screamed when I walked in the door. They hugged me, even though I couldn’t see them or the house, and I was locked away upstairs for the next few hours. When I was finally allowed downstairs, I walked into an engagement wonderland.
They did a phenomenal job at decorating our home in the most romantic setting: candles, photos, flowers, and champagne flutes. It was stunning.
Everyone knew it was an engagement party, but all along I thought it was a housewarming party. John put this all together over the past few months, and despite the major storm that almost postponed it, he pulled it off.
I can genuinely say I have the best man on my side. He is the most committed, patient, loyal man I have ever encountered and his unconditional love for me, and all my flaws, has made me want to be a better person since the day I met him.
We both have grown so much over the past years and I can’t wait to take on the next 50 together. I truly believe that you have met your match when it’s someone who brings out the best in you, and they make you want to become a better person for the foundation of your success in the future.
I could have never imagined feeling this whole, this secure or this safe in a relationship. In fact, for the longest time, I was fearful of commitment and vulnerability.
But after meeting John, I am turning into this lovey-dovey, romantic, “lover of love”. Which is still a little new for me lol! But it’s happening. And I’m letting it sink in. And I’m enjoying every moment of this feeling of pure joy and bliss.