So back in September, Reed had a work trip he had to go on (I think I previously mentioned that). It was a hard 2 weeks, I missed him like crazy! We had already picked out the ring, and put a downpayment on it. As far as I knew, it was just waiting to be picked up. So the whole time he's gone, he's got me back at home asking when we were going to be official, and he kept saying, "when it's right, it will happen, but it won't be right after I get back." All I took from that was- 'wait- is he going to back out of this? Is he changing his mind?' I was so worried that he'd leave me. I was hooked to him.
The day he got home from Wyoming, I stayed up in Salt Lake because it was so late to be driving home. He lived with his parents, so it wasn't sketch, people, just so you know. The next day I was getting ready, and he claimed he was going to pick up the ring because it was done being sized and stuff, but nothing was going to happen. He even planned the whole day with me to lead me away from thinking that the engagement would happen. But as we all know, girls are pretty suspicious of like- everything, so I was hoping and thinking it would still happen. He disappeared for about 40 minutes while I was getting ready, and then came downstairs to see what I was up to.
We had planned a picnic in the park, with a motorcycle, and a walk through the park. That was what I wanted to do. Well he packs us a whole lunch in a backpack, and then comes downstairs... and paces... No joke, he'd come in the bathroom, say he loved me, kiss me, then go and literally pace the hallway. That's when I knew it was going to happen. He claimed he wasn't nervous, but come on, he totally was!
Well we go to the park on the motorcycle and all I thought was- 'this park sucks... there's no way he'd propose here... it's loud, it's by a busy road, and there's a weird track around it...' I mean- I was hoping it wouldn't happen there. Well then he says we are going to take a walk at a different park, so we take the backpack back to his house and drive down to Liberty Park in SLC. We get there and I'm scanning the parking lot for his friend's car. ...but i couldn't find it (I figured if I could find her car, I'd know that this was happening). We park and he's suddenly like- "I have to make a phone call." I'm a brat, so I responded with- "to who?" he says, "my friend". Then I kept saying "why?" Well he turns away, so I turn away and pull out my phone and text one of my besties and all I say is "I think it's happening now! Stay tuned!"
So we turn back around and he gets off the phone and whips out this neon pink bandana, and all I think is, 'oh honey, don't wear that, it's so tacky and doesn't match your outfit!' ...then he walks over and puts it on me... yup. Duh.
So I'm blindfolded in this park I have never been to, and he's walking me around and I'm killing the moment by saying things like: "Please don't let the geese get me! I hate geese! I don't want to be attacked by a goose!"
Reed: "You're not going to be attacked by a goose"
Mel: "do you plan on pushing me in the water? because I hate getting wet."
Reed: "no, why would I push you in?!"
Mel: "If I fall in the pond, promise you'll save my phone!!"
Reed: "Your phone? I'll save you!"
Mel: "well my phone is really expensive"
*starting to climb some ridiculously steep hill*
Mel: "this is a big hill... is this a big hill or does it only seem big because I can't see anything?"
Reed: "It's a good sized hill"
Mel: "I don't like it."
Then we get down and get to his friends and I can hear him talking to so spurt out "I hear you talking! come back!" So he comes back and claims he told me we were about to walk onto a dock, but I TOTALLY didn't know, and about had a heart attack! So I'm freaking out because the ground is moving, and I'm thinking- 'I know this will probably be romantic, but he'll probably still push me in". Well it takes him a while to get me down there to the end, because I'm being stubborn about walking on a moving ground, but finally we get there. By the time my blindfold is off, he's on one knee with the ring...
The only thing is: when he proposed, I guess I just assumed he'd know I was going to say yes, so I'm not saying anything because I'm a bit frozen and I'd imagined this my whole life, and here we are! So after a few seconds, I spit out- "yeah! yes!" Then there was hugging, much kissing, and as I turn around, we have an audience. Yup, people were filming, taking pictures, and just standing around clapping. It was like an awkward movie... things like that actually happen! haha! My life is an awkward movie, I love it. Oh, and in the background on a large bridge was a massive sign that said "will you marry me?"
So, yes I guess I knew it was coming, but it was more of hoping it would come. And it was pretty darn amazing! :)
Reed and I texted every day, almost all day. Although we lived an hour apart, it didn't keep us apart. Ever. We took turns driving to each other's houses every day that he wasn't working nights at the arena. I'm not sure who knows this, but Reed is extremely romantic. I on the other hand, am an awkward duck. I always want to be romantic, but when it comes down to it I get all embarrassed and uncomfortable. Well I am not going to go into details about our first kiss, but let's just say there was Park City, a resort, a ski lift, and a tree with our names carved in it. It was adorable.
Reed said he loved me really quickly. I had never said that to anyone, so I had a really hard time saying it out loud. I knew I loved him really quickly, but at the beginning he would text me and say things like- "love ya" and with my roommate by my side I'd say something like- "yeah, right." Finally she said- "why do you keep saying that?!" It was like a light bulb. Why can't I admit that someone loves me? Why can't I just accept it and accept my feelings? Bam. There it was. There was one day that Reed said, "I love you." I don't remember my responses, I think I just sat there and smiled... he'd then say, "you don't have to say it, I can see in your eyes that you love me." It was true.
Never did I believe it was possible to love someone so quickly! I'm a Psychology major and I've learned all about infatuation, and how it can make you believe you're in love, but really it's not love... it's infatuation. I was really worried about that. We decided after about 3 weeks, I think, that we were meant to be together. I don't remember how it came up... we might have been joking about marriage one day and it just made sense? I really don't remember, but it was definitely him. I was really scared, but we went for it. We both had been praying about it all, and it all felt so right. We talked about waiting until March so that people wouldn't think we were crazy, but for some reason we felt we needed to get married as soon as we could. Besides, I don't care if you all think we were nuts, in the end it was about us, not everyone else.
One day after a nice win at the RSL game, we went ring shopping. We didn't tell anyone. We even bought a ring and didn't tell anyone. About 4 weeks after our first date, he asked my parents if he could marry me. I was terrified. I imagined the worse possible scenario. Them both saying that we were crazy, not thinking, and needed to think about it more, or something. All my parents said was, "why are you asking us? It's yours and Melanie's decision." I couldn't believe it. Then my mom added how excited she was that she got to be a part of the asking. (my mom is adorable, in case you didn't know. If you don't know her, you're missing out).
Later when Reed had left I asked her what she really thought. She said I was 25, and smart, and capable of making the right decision. She added that she trusted that decision. Well there it was! Approval... from my parents, at least. I think we waited a few more days before talking to his. They were a bit more shocked... :)
My favorite was after telling my little sister, she said "the first day I met Reed, I knew you guys were going to get married." (not exact words, but pretty close). That made me pretty ecstatic.
Between our "engagement" and our actual engagement, Reed had to go out of town for work. All I could think was that if I was in fact infatuated, or wrong about this all, I would definitely know in the 2 weeks that he was gone. Would I miss him? Would I care? I couldn't imagine that I'd get happier when he left, because I was already so happy every second that I was with him. Well he left, and I'll be honest, I was a wreck. I spent two weeks moping around, wrapped in his blanket, wearing his gym shorts, and his hoodie. I think my parents thought I was insane. I didn't hang with friends, I just followed my parents around wrapped in Reed's blanket, not wanting to get out of bed some of the days. We facetimed every night, talked on the phone every night, and still texted all day long. I don't know how people do long distance relationships. Respect, my friends. That was not fun for me.
The night he came home was a Friday. It was 11 at night, I drove up to Salt Lake to be there when he got home, and I just wanted to hug him all night long. I didn't ever want him to leave me again. I knew needed to marry him, I knew I needed to be with him for eternity...
