Our fourth anniversary was last week, so in honor of that, I thought I’d share our engagement story!
He was 25 and I was 19, and we had been dating all of two months. I was volunteering at a girls camp in South Carolina, and on a weekend visit home to see my family at Ohio Wilderness Boys Camp (Where Andy was working at the time) he suggested a hike at a gorge close by.
This was not just any gorge, this place we went hiking that day. It was like something out of Narnia, where you find a hidden world untouched by others. There beneath the steep walls were waterfalls, caves, and large boulders covered in moss. It was like a fairyland.
We had been there before, but the place hadn’t lost its magic, so when he asked if I wanted to go hiking in the gorge, I said, “Sure!” Doing anything with him was fun.
I don’t remember what we talked about on the thirty minute drive there. I do remember how great it was to be together again. Long distance relationships are hard.
We were exploring a cave when it happened. Actually, we were just coming out of the cave when he suddenly got down on one knee in what had to be the only flat spot on the whole hillside.
I was so surprised. All I could think was, “He’s proposing! And here I am in a scruffy old sweatshirt. And my nose is running! Now is not the time to blow my nose!”
He had his heart in his eyes the way only Andy can do, and was looking at me with such love I could hardly hold his gaze.
He made a little speech about how he wanted me always in his life, and then – he popped the question.
I was not expecting it so soon! We had only dated two months and I knew there were still lots of things I wanted to learn about him. But I did know I wanted to marry him, and that I loved him already.
So I said yes. I think I exclaimed it.
We had already decided on a hands-off relationship, so since we wouldn’t grab each other in a hug or kiss we relieved our pent up emotions by running and leaping down the hill. I think Andy let put a couple of yodels.
And always we were smiling, smiling, so happy we thoughts our hearts would explode.