That's what he said

Hey everyone, it's Ryan.

I think it's about time I share the story of how I became the luckiest guy around. Bre doesn't know I'm writing this, by the way. She's in NYC. I miss that girl.

So, the engagement ring came into my possession (from a jeweler in Utah) on Thursday, February 26th. I knew it would burn a hole in my pocket, so I made plans to give it to Bre pronto. I wanted it to be a surprise, so I did all the things that would make our Friday night date seem like just any other Friday night; I bought her flowers, wore the shirt she likes me in best (it's brown), just happen to have made a CD of all our favorite songs and took her to Bajio, her favorite place to eat in Rexburg. No, nothing special. Nothing at all. I think she caught on pretty quick. That, and I'm sure she could tell that I was more nervous than I was on our first date.

For example, enjoy a couple of classic "Ryan Moments": Mishap # 1. I usually go to the ATM before a date, just in case my card doesn't work for some odd reason. I forgotten to go today. But I'll be ok, right? When I tried to pay, I was denied. I later found out that apparently, when you get a new card in the mail you have to call the bank and have them validate it... I'd somehow missed that little tidbit. So, I scraped every penny out of my wallet and still came up a dollar short. I had to ask Bre to ask her friends mom, who just happened at Bajio, if I could borrow a dollar. Mishap # 2. Bajio recently changed from using the tin pie pans to using actual plates. On our way out of the restaurant, that fact somehow slipped my mind and I threw the dishes in the garbage; the fun part was digging through to get them out. I was on a roll.

So, dinner is over. The exciting time has come. I'd hoped to go to for a walk in the hollow (a place where we would walk sometimes and it was just us), but it was covered in snow. So, I decided on a different special spot. We took a drive through the dry farms, like we often do. I had it all planned out. There was a spot up there where Bre and I had gone a couple of times during the summer - a little patch of grass with a swing set, where we could sit and talk and overlook Rexburg. It'd be the perfect place to pop the question. It, too, also buried in snow. So, casually, I flipped a u-turn and headed back into town... Bre was on to me by then.

A few minutes later, we pulled into the Rexburg Temple parking lot. We talked for a minute while looking up at the lights. I asked Bre if we could go for a walk around it. We walked and talked, and when the time felt right, I slipped the box into Bre's hand. Her eyes got big. I dropped to one knee, told her how much I loved her, and asked her to be mine.

The rest is history.