Our Engage-aversary

Four years ago today, Trent and I got engaged!! It was an awesome day that still makes me smile to think about! It was just the two of us out there in the woods alone, newly engaged and on cloud nine! 

 

The proposal location

Soon after our engagement we each wrote our own version of that day from our point of view, so I thought I'd reshare them here today! If your up for some light reading...

Trent's Story

In all honesty, I had known for several months prior to our engagement date that I was going to propose. My mom had asked me back in May what I was thinking when it came to Kendra and I's relationship, and I told her that I was going to propose sometime in the fall after she had the chance to move to Omaha and settle in to her job. The date of September 18th came about because it was actually my late Grandma’s birthday. She would have liked that her birthday was the day we became engaged.

In August, Kendra and I went to the Adel Sweet Corn Festival, and I asked my mom to invite Kendra to a fake Birthday party for my uncle Jim and brother-in-law Russ on the 18th. Of course, Kendra said she would love to go. The week before the 18th, I had mentioned to Kendra that I would like to do some hiking at Dayton Oaks, a church camp that both my sister and I had attended as kids and I had actually worked at for a summer during college. Although Kendra had never really been hiking, she said she’d like to go. On September 17th, the forecast called for rain and a high of 55, really not ideal for hiking weather, so I gave Kendra the opportunity to skip the hiking (knowing she would still probably be willing to go if she knew I wanted to go) and she said she would. I packed up my backpack with some water, a camera, and of course, the ring.

We lucked out. When we arrived at Dayton Oaks, which is about three hours from Omaha, the rain had stopped. Wasting no time, we ventured off into the woods. The hiking wasn’t too bad, although some parts of the trail were pretty overgrown. Every once in a while the thought of what I was about to do would hit me and I would get a little bit excited. I didn’t really feel nervous at all… perhaps I was just pretty confident in what her answer would be! Finally, after thirty of forty minutes of hiking we came to the spot I had in mind called “The Top of the World”. The Top of the World is a point on the side of a hill where there aren’t many trees, so you can see the creek at the bottom of a ravine and across the valley to the hills on the other side (Very beautiful in my opinion). Since I had made Kendra carry the backpack (all part of my master plan), I told her I wanted to get the camera. With her back to me, I put the ring box in my back pocket and grabbed the camera. I had her go stand by the edge so I could take a picture.

The before picture!

I then had her come and stand by me and gave her a big hug. I told her how much I loved her and that I couldn’t imagine my life without her in it. I dropped to a knee and pulled the ring out of my pocket and asked “Will you marry me?”. She had such a happy and excited look on her face as she said yes and started crying. I got up and she was shaking. It was pretty emotional and very exciting for both of us.

The after!

After I had proposed we sat on the hill for a moment just talking and being excited together. I told her that the whole birthday party thing was just a rouse because I wanted her to be surprised (which she was). I had made plans to meet her parents and my parents in Boone for lunch so they could share in the excitement of our engagement with us. And we then went and told my sister and her family as well as Kendra’s family.

When we got back to Omaha, I gave Kendra roses (she’s the first girl to get roses from me) and I made us some pasta. As we ate, we tried to wind down from the excitement of the day, talking about what our future together will be like. As I sit here now, I don’t know exactly what my future holds, but I know it will be better with Kendra by my side.

Kendra's Story

I woke up on Saturday, September 18, 2010 and thought that I knew what was going on that day. I thought that I was going to be picked up by Trent at 8:30, we were going to drive to Dayton Oaks Camp, the camp that Trent spent a lot of time at growing up, to go hiking, and then we were going to go to his parents' house in Ankeny for a birthday party for his brother-in-law and uncle.

The day at least started off as I thought it would. Trent came and picked me up. It was a pretty gloomy and rainy day, but we weren't going to let that ruin our plans. And you can bet that Trent gave me enough chances to get out of going hiking, but I knew he really wanted to go and I was really excited about sharing my first real hiking experience with him. It was a pretty fun three hour drive there, just talking and singing with Trent. 

When we arrived at Dayton Oaks Camp, we got out of the car and went to the trunk to get the backpack out that had our water and the camera in it. I was kind of surprised when Trent held out the backpack for me to put on, but didn't think anything much of it because he pulled out an umbrella and said he was going to carry that. I thought that it would be better to carry the backpack on my back rather than have to carry an umbrella in my hand. So off we went.

We walked hand and hand down the path to get to the trail we were going to take. We passed different cabins as Trent told me about which ones he'd stayed in, what they were like on the inside, different maintenance he had done to them as a counselor at the camp, and a few memories he had of going to camp and staying in those cabins. We walked up to a circle around a campfire, and it was at that point Trent told me that that was the place where he gave his life to Christ. I was so happy and honored that I could be at that place with him and that he could share that part of his life with me. It was at that moment that I really realized how much this place meant to him and it crossed my mind that this could be where he asks me to be his wife. But, as Trent would tell you, I think about that he could propose to me pretty much no matter what we're doing, so the thought passed, and we started off onto the trail for our hike.

We walked down steep hills, around trees, and over creeks. I am very impressed with myself that I didn't slip and fall down a hill in the mud or anything! Trent told me about how he used to know the trails really well and how he and a friend of had even marked some of the trail that we were following. We hiked a while and ended up at a very beautiful creek. It sounded like the creek setting that you would have on a nature sounds alarm clock. After we left the creek we hiked up a really steep hill, and when we got to the top of the hill, I walked up to the ledge of the hill and couldn't believe, despite how wet and gloomy it was, how beautiful it was. We were on a very high ledge overlooking the creek we had just been at, as well as, trees as far as I could see across on the other side of the ravine. The place where we were at was called "The Top of the World." There was a sign nailed to a tree that said just that, so Trent told me to turn around so he could get the camera out of the backpack to take my picture (I didn't know at the time that that wasn't all he was grabbing out of the backpack).

I went and stood by the sign and Trent took my picture. I then went to try to grab the camera from him so I could get his picture by the sign, but he didn't hand it to me. Instead he put his arms out to hug me and told me to come over to him. He hugged me and told me he loved me and then he stepped back to look at me. It was then he told me that he knew for a long while that he wanted to marry me, and he might have said something else, but at that point I realized for sure what was happening and I think that I blacked out from the happiness for a second. Next thing I know he is grabbing something from his back pocket and getting down on one knee and the words "Will you marry me?" came from his mouth. And of course I said YES!! We hugged and I cried and I was so excited I was shaking. It was amazing. I then looked at the ring he had been holding and couldn't believe that it was mine! I put the ring on and couldn't stop smiling. I couldn't believe what had just happened, and that I was now engaged to the most wonderful man, the man of my dreams!

First picture as an engaged couple!

I went back down by the tree that I had just taken a picture by moments earlier and took the 'after' picture. I couldn't have hid my happiness if I tried. Trent and I then sat down and looked at the beautiful place we were in. I really wanted to just soak the whole thing in.

Trent then told me that the birthday party that I thought we were going to that evening was made up and that we were meeting the in-laws for lunch. (We were both getting in-laws!! lol) That was such a great surprise and I was so happy that we were going to see them and could share this great day with them.

It wasn't until we got to Boone for lunch that I really realized how special this day was. Trent's mom then shared that the 18th of September was her late mother's birthday. I was so incredibly honored that Trent and I could bring happiness to their family on a day that is usually a bit sad.

Engagement lunch with our parents!

After lunch, we had a fun time getting to go see our family members and share the good news with them. We went to Adel to surprise his sister and her family to tell them the great news. Trent's 3 year old niece filled us in on the fact that when Trent and I get married, I will be 'Aunt Kendra'. That was something that I hadn't thought about yet, but just another great thing that comes along with marrying Trent. We then drove to tell my grandparents, aunt and uncle, sister and cousins. It was great to share that news with them all!!

When we finally made it back to Omaha, Trent dropped me off at my apartment so I could shower and then I was going to go over to his apartment so he could "watch some of the Iowa game." But when I walked into his apartment, there were two dozen roses sitting on the counter, the apartment was romantically lit, there was music on, and he was making us supper. After a long and exciting day, it was great to sit with my now fiance and talk about the day as well as talk about what our future together will hold.

The whole day was just perfect. I was literally on "top of the world." I am so happy that Trent and I now have such an amazing memory together at a place that has meant so much to him throughout in his life. A place that was so important in shaping him into the man he is today. A man that I am lucky to be able to say will be my husband.