Our Engagement Story

4:16:00 PM

I've never shared the story of how Mitch proposed to anyone other than people that have taken the time to ask. I decided that I would change that today and share it all, mainly because it was as if it was catered to me and only me!

All of the pictures of the actual event are long gone with the death of a phone, but I still have the story! It's a pretty long story, so please bear with me!

I guess I should begin with the fact that Mitch and I had been seriously dating each other for a while. We had pretty much spent every single day together for 6 months, which by Mormon standards was the equivalent to having already been married for 3. We spent every day doing something new, something adventurous. Whether we were together in person, skyping, or talking over the phone, I don't think there was a day that went by in those 6 months that we didn't spend time growing with each other.

Fast forward to a random Saturday in July. Mitch was leaving for a month and a half with the military to help fight forest fires in Salmon as well as attend an annual training. I was pathetically sad that he was leaving due to the fact that we were practically inseparable, but what had made it worse was the fact that yesterday, my boyfriend had to farm the entire day and that I wasn't able to farm with him. He had somehow lost his phone on the farm throughout the day, so there wasn't a way for me to get a hold of him either. Usually the farm is pretty chaotic, but it sounded like it was even more so this particular Friday, so I didn't think I would be of any use. Anyhow, on this Saturday, I hadn't heard anything from my boyfriend other than a good morning text. I kept on trying to text him, but he wasn't responding. Finally, around 2:00 pm, I got a call from him saying that he was over at Katelyn's parents house helping them lay grass down for Kate and Jared's outdoor wedding that would take place in August. This was understandable, but I guess it was just one of those days where you realize the person you care about most is going to be gone for the next month and you haven't spent enough quality time with them, so I of course threw a slight tiff and essentially told him that I wanted to help as well and that it would only take him 20 minutes to come pick me up. He quickly got off the phone by saying something along the lines of, "I'm sorry, hun, but Kate's dad needs my help loading up some stuff. I'll come get you when I'm done. I promise."

Let's just skip to the part where I say that wasn't satisfying at all and I spent the rest of the afternoon a bit tiffed at my boyfriend. I spent the day lounging around the house. I don't think I even bothered to get ready, other than I threw on a pair of shorts and a button up shirt. I played on the computer for the most part until at 7:00 pm Mitch randomly showed up at my parent's house. He basically told me that they now needed my help laying down the grass. I was really frustrated that it had taken him 5 hours to realize that more man power would be useful and that if I had come at 2:00 we could have not only spent time together, but finished earlier as well. Still tiffed, I threw on some shoes and we set off.

When we got to Kate's parent's house, there was literally only a three foot strip of grass that hadn't been laid. Let's just say this wasn't helping my already poor mood. After it took all but 5 seconds for us to lay the remaining stuff down, Mitch, Jared, and I went inside.

Our friend, Kate, had been in a motorcycle accident only a few weeks before so she had been sitting inside patiently watching a movie while on bed rest. I visited with her a bit while Mitch and Jared cleaned up from the yard work. Once the boys were all cleaned, the four of us watched another movie. Sadly, I wasn't the only person with a temper because Katelyn and Jared started fighting as well to the point where Jared asked Mitch if he could go on a drive with him to help cool off once the credits to the movie started rolling. By this point, it was already 9:00 pm and I was exhausted from being moody all day. I somehow ended up falling asleep on the couch at Katelyn's house. An hour and some change later, Mitch was shaking me awake telling me that he had dropped off Jared and that it was getting late and he needed to bring me home. I sleepily obliged. Kate asked Mitch what Jared had said on their drive and Mitch said something along the lines of "Oh he was just feeling really tired and didn't think he could drive himself home tonight, so I took him home."

When Mitch had gotten me buckled up into the car and warmed up, I sleepily asked him if Jared had really been tired. Mitch replied with the fact that Jared had been upset and that was why he took him home. I made a remark along the lines of, "Wow, you are really good a little white lies. I wouldn't have been able to think of something so fast." Mitch practically had a heart attack at that point. He got so nervous and sweaty asking me if lying is bad, and if I would be mad at him if he ever told me a white lie. I couldn't understand why he was so defensive all of a sudden about white lies, especially when it was just a passing remark from an exhausted young woman!

Little did I know!

When Mitch and I finally pulled into my parent's driveway, I was still in sleep mode. I zombie-like walked to the front door and it wasn't until Mitch yanked me back that I was startled awake. Apparently, I had completely missed the cute little LEGO set sitting on the front porch.

I have a very extensive knowledge of LEGOs, even when I am half asleep. There was Gandalf's Firework Cart in LEGO form on my parent's front step. I noticed immediately that Frodo wasn't there though. I had recently bought Mitch a gift so the first thing that came to my mind was that he was "repaying the gift". I was very appreciative of it and picked it up, stating, "Oh, but Frodo is missing." I tucked it under my arm and sleepily hustled inside the front door.

My parents were sitting in the living room visiting and I wanted to talk to them about how Kate was doing after her accident. What was supposed to be a 5 minute conversation turned into me talking with my parents for an hour while Mitch casually butted in, "Let's go take that LEGO set downstairs..." or "Hey, I need to change. Can you find me a shirt that I can wear?" I just brushed him off saying that I was fine, that he was fine, and that he wouldn't get any dirtier waiting for just 5 minutes. Poor Mitch was having an internal heart attack!

Finally I showed my parent's the LEGO set. I think I even mentioned that it was so sweet of Mitch to buy it for me since I had only gotten him a small trinket the week before. My parents smiled and then they sort of dismissed me, which has never happened before. They were chatting all casually with me and then randomly were like, "Okay, you need to go downstairs now. We need to talk up here." Not wanting to interfere with whatever it was they might need to converse over, Mitch and I made our way downstairs.

My little sister and Mitch's little sister were lounging about downstairs so I casually stopped to talk to them. They were playing on Facebook and didn't seem too interested in what I had to say, so I lugged my little LEGO set just 20 steps further and there it was!

The Helm's Deep lego set was sitting on the table downstairs! It is a really amazing and large set, and I was immediately excited! I turned to Mitch who had the biggest smile on his face and all he said was, "I wonder where Frodo is!" Now there are two parts to the Helm's Deep lego set. The first is the picture above. The second is the picture below.

When I walked around the table I got a full view of not only Frodo sitting in that chair behind those goblets, but also a large, silver, diamond ring was in his little LEGO hands! I was in absolute shock. My heart stopped and I didn't even dare turn around for what seemed like ages because I knew exactly what was going to happen. Mitch got down on one knee, too the Frodo and the ring from my iron grasp, and proposed to me. I'm pretty sure that before he even started speaking, alligator tears started welling. He didn't ask "Will you Marry Me" either. Apparently I also went temporarily mute and deaf for I didn't hear him, but he asked me if I would be his Eternal Companion and marry him in the Idaho Falls Temple.

There was a lot of hugging and kissing before I finally said yes and un-clenched my fingers from my face. Mitch put the ring on my finger and I realized that the entire time our sisters had been hurriedly snapping pictures of us. Now, please recall that I not only didn't get dressed that day, but I also didn't do my hair, nor my makeup. I also helped lay down some grass AND I fell asleep in my clothes. I was all snotty and cry-y and looked like a complete mess, so there might be a reason as to why the pictures of his proposal mysteriously disappeared (; but the memory alone is enough for me.

I felt absolutely horrible once I found out the entire story! Not only had I been a Class-A-Wench to my fiance that entire morning, but I also postponed his proposal by an hour and a half by talking with my parents and my sisters!

Apparently, the day before, he had not been farming like he said he was. He had been in Boise, 5 hours away, picking out my ring. This is why he had a royal meltdown when I told him that he was good at little white lies. It all started to make sense finally. He had spent the morning with Katelyn and Jared, as well as a silver little ring burning a hole in his pocket, putting together the LEGO sets so that he could propose. Katelyn and Jared had staged fighting so that Mitch could have an excuse to leave with Jared alone, where they left to my parent's house and set up the LEGO's for the proposal. It was the sweetest thing, I just wish that I had been somewhat in the "know" so that I didn't almost ruin the day entirely!

We were engaged Saturday night, spent Sunday reminiscing, and then on Monday he left for a month and a half with the military. It was incredibly stressful, but I was so excited knowing that I would be with my husband forever to care. A month and a half is nothing compared to eternity!