I'd like to start this post by conveying my disappointment in the fact that John could not wait another 30 minutes to propose to me. 1/11/11?? Helloooo?!
So I've been excited for this particular post since the creation of this blog. People often ask, "How did you get engaged?" So here's the story, for all of you friends, stalkers & strangers alike!
Our engagement story is anything but the cliche "he dropped a ring in my champagne glass!" or "I saw our names on a jumbotron!" In fact it is highly personalized, so that makes it hard to explain. So personalized, my presh husband-to-be has a hard time telling the story in under an hour's time (true story, he likes details.)
I think it's safe to say that football has been at the center our situationship since day 1.
John & I started our relationship as best friends, but before we were best friends or even friends at all we were mortal enemies. Yes, you read that correctly. Mortal. Enemies.
After we both transferred to Notre Dame, we ran with some of the same crowds but never really hung out. Having come from the the University of Georgia and maintaining my status as SEC fan adoptee, I was HIGHLY offended (& had a little too much sun and tailgate fun) when I heard this red-headed heathen yell out, "ROLL TIDE!!!" in the middle of the stands of Notre Dame Stadium, on a day when the Alabama Crimson Tide was playing my beloved Bulldogs. Obviously I had something to say about this, and let's just say a shouting match ensued.
I like to think that I won when I dropped the epic line, "Way to be single!" What? What kind of insult is that? I don't know, but I was pretty proud of myself at the time.
Fast forward to a year later. John & I put the past behind us when we were both selected to work on the same Transfer Orientation Committee together, and from that day forward we were pretty much inseparable. John did a bang-up job pursuing me without my having knowledge of being pursued, and I always had the feeling that he wanted me around, but was going to have an awesome time even if I wasn't there.
So what I'm trying to say here is that I was the last person to know we were dating. Epic fail on my part, and super cool skillz on the boy's part. It all fell together so organically, and that's what I love about what we've got.
From the very beginning we bet on just about everything, but sports was always numero uno in terms of our knowledge face-offs. The NCAA Football National Championship quickly became the Stanley Cup of our gambles.
And I had (and still have - undefeated!) a nasty way of kicking John's ass every single year.
2009:
2010:
2011:
I know, it's sad, really.
We consider the National Championship to be our anniversary.
This year, as we were watching the game, it became increasingly clear that Auburn (and thus, I) was going to win the National Championship. In the closing minutes, John leapt up from the couch and started pacing all around like a lunatic. He maintains that he was nervous about the game's finale, but I still think he was nervous for what was about to happen.
Right after the Tigers clinched it, John stormed off and insisted that we turn the TV off as he didn't want to watch any of the post-game hoopla. When I followed him to give him a piece of my mind about taking my victory away, he was holding a big box and said, "I know we said we weren't getting anniversary gifts, but I got you something."
I got really nervous here. He wasn't acting right. I think I knew there was only one thing that could be in that box. I couldn't make myself open it, so he had to help me, and then I thought I might die when he got on his knee. I never knew I would get so NERVOUS whilst being proposed to!! Sheesh. Anyways he said a bunch of lovely things but I was too busy staring at the loveliness that is my new sparkler... and I don't think I really said yes but some nodding happened, the rest was history. I didn't faint or have a heat stroke, so I count that as a success. Turns out I'm not very good with surprises.
It was 11:30 pm - we went down to the hotel lobby for a pic. Note my PJ's. I had clearly been CLUELESS about the night's events when I dove into that cozy number.
Pajamas & champagne, anyone? I think I had always envisioned my parents would pop out of a closet when I got engaged or something weird like that, but in hindsight it was kind of nice that it was our moment.
As I recall, this guy was pretty excited to have the question popped and the ring out of his sneaky pocket!
As a good friend of mine says ... Way to marry the "way to be single" guy!
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