I Said Yes

**My hard drive crashed on my laptop so please bear with me as I try to do this on Josh's tablet...**

Six years ago on this very day, Josh asked me a question that changed both of our lives. That sounds dramatic, doesn't it? Well a life-changing question kind of is! 

I'm sure you can see where this is going.... :) 

But let me just tell you the story. Unfortunately it has to be sans pictures....those are stuck on the dead hard drive and I'm not sure we will ever see them again. Sad sad panda... Don't wanna talk about it :(

Anyways.... Back to the story. 

December 19, 2006 found me at Great Lakes Christian College. Josh was coming to visit me in Lansing from Kalamazoo, so I was pretty excited, but didn't really think anything too exciting was going to happen. 

He got there and told me we were going out for the night. Those were all the details he gave me. I'm not great with surprises...I'm really impatient and I started asking question after question. But he didn't tell me anything, he just started driving. 

After about 15 minutes he told me to open the glove box. I did and found an envelope full of cash. A lot of cash....Enough cash to be suspicious. I had no idea what was going on until he finally spelled it out for me...it was the rest of the money I needed to buy my parents car. I was so excited!! I had been trying to figure out a way to buy it but I didn't think I was going to be able to afford it. That in itself was pretty awesome, but he said that wasn't all the excitement for the night. Intrigued, I tried to ask more questions....but didn't get any answers.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, we arrived at our destination: Olive Garden. I was confused because there was one much closer to my school than the one he chose, but I thought maybe he just didn't know his way around and didn't realize there was a closer one. 

When we walked inside, Ryan and Michelle were at a table waiting for us. I thought it was a coincedence until Josh told me that was planned :) We had a nice dinner and then went our separate ways.  I  remember thinking that it was strange that we weren't doing anything else with them, but with Michelle in vet school at the time, I thought maybe that was all the free time she had and she needed to get back to studying. Her spare time was precious and I was just glad to have had the chance to see them both and catch up a little bit. 

After dinner we headed back to my school. Again, I thought that was strange. My school was very strict about guys and girls hanging out together in the same room... We weren't allowed in each others dorms and the only time anyone of the opposite sex was allowed in was for move in or move out days. There was a community hang out room, but it was always packed with everyone and a crowded room of strangers is not exactly Josh's forte ;)

We got back to campus and he said I should go get some of my piano books and we could go hang out in one of the practice rooms and he would listen to me play some Christmas tunes for a little bit before he had to leave. (In hindsight, that was probably illegal too...but no one noticed.) 

When we turned the corner in the hallway, I started to think that something was up. All of the rooms were empty with the doors wide open, except one. That one had a sign that said 'Room in Use', so I was confused why that was the one he insisted on going in. Well, it all made sense when I opened the door... 

Inside the small room, the lights were off but there was a string of white twinkle lights draped on the piano. Rose petals were everywhere, and there was a huge bouquet of even more roses sitting on the piano. It was beautiful. (Later I found out he enlisted the help of my then best friend to set this all up and arrange for an empty practice room while we were at dinner.)

The bench was pushed up against the wall with a bucket of water in front of it. He told me to sit and then he proceeded to take my shoes and socks off and wash my feet. 

The rest of the details are a little foggy as I finally realized exactly what was going on. (Even as I type this I feel the butterflies again!) He said a lot of really sweet things as he was washing my feet, about how much he loves me and how he will always love me and I will always be his princess (that used to be my nickname from him). And then he said the words that I will never forget. The words that changed everything.

"Jesus washed the feet of His disciples to show how much He loved and appreciated them, and that He will always be there for them and take care of them. I want to take care of you like that for the rest of my life. I love you so much. Stephanie, will you marry me?"

I was crying and I don't think I ever verbally said yes... But I think the look on my face and the fact that I grabbed him for a hug and didn't let go pretty much said it for me :) Then he put a ring on my finger and that was it. We were engaged!!!

It was perfect. It was more than I ever imagined and still to this day I am surprised and flattered that he thought of that and planned it all out for me. It made me feel so special and I definitely felt his love for me. 

After we had our moment and composed ourselves again, we walked back to my room to get my camera so I could properly document the night. Along the way we told everyone we saw what just happened and they all shared our excitement, even though they didn't really know Josh.

We took pictures and gathered everything up and brought it to my room and Josh got ready to go. Before he left we called my parents and his Mom to tell them the good news. They were all really happy for us, of course :)

After he left I went to hang out with my suitemates and probably told the story about a hundred times as more people kept joining us and wanted to hear all about it. Not to mention showing off my sparkly new ring!

All in all, it was a fabulous night and one we will never forget. I'm glad I have such vivid memories of it, and that I wrote it all out, especially now that my pictures might be gone...

So that's our story! And now here we are, six years later and happier than ever :) 

Still so glad he asked me...and so glad I said yes :)