a proposal story

One year ago today, I was annoyed because I was eleven days away from moving to a brand new city for my boyfriend, who I thought was going to propose before the move but my mom had just informed me he hadn't even asked my dad yet, which he knew was kind of a big deal to me. I had just taken off my nail polish and didn't bother to repaint, despite having been keeping my nails pristine for three weeks because I knew the proposal was coming.

One year ago today, my parents were supposed to take me to my favorite sushi restaurant at 6 to celebrate my move and new job. My dad took a phone call and walked out the garage at 5:50 and I became extra annoyed because, dang it, I wasn't getting engaged like I thought, I had to move to a new city I didn't know anything about, and now we were going to be late? 
And at 6:05 pm on Tuesday, September 24, 2013, my dad came back around to the front door...accompanied by a strange man in a suit. And then I was annoyed and anxious because a stranger in a suit at your door is never a good thing.
But then I realized everyone was smiling. And my mom looked a little teary-eyed. And my dad had a brown envelope in his hand.
Dad handed me that envelope and said, "We aren't going to sushi tonight, and you need to read this letter from Drew."

And then I got so excited and nervous I started to have a panic attack. I read the letter, realized I was getting engaged, and shouted, "HOLY S*** BUT IT'S A TUESDAY!" followed by, "oh my gosh don't tell anyone I said that, I can't believe I just swore...you shouldn't swear when you're getting engaged...I am getting engaged right? Wait, so we aren't going to sushi...and he said go where we first met, so I guess we all have to go to the high school!"
My mom laughed and informed me that no, in fact, we were not all going to the high school, as this was my proposal and they already said yes to theirs. She asked if I wanted to change, and I ran to put on contacts and heels.
I know I was crazy excited because I look at that outfit and remember how much I didn't even like those shoes and wish I would've worn my favorite boots instead.

My nails might have been a wreck, but dang, I was having a good hair day!

So, as it turns out, the stranger in the suit was actually a driver whom Drew had hired for the night. His initial plan was to have me drive to each location and receive a letter there from an employee, but realized that was a terrible plan as my driving skills would at best be questionable at that level of emotional overload. He hired a driver, who had all the letters with him...which I didn't realize at first. Letter 1: Dear Kaitie, You're not going out with your parents tonight, you are going on a journey, a journey to the places that I hold dear in my heart, because they are places where we saw our love grow and led us to this night. After tonight, our lives will be changed forever. You are the love of my life, and I can't believe how blessed I am to have you in my life. Tonight is six years in the making. The first place I want you to go is the first place I ever saw you. The first place I ever met you. Hint: Te amo. Tell the driver where to take you, then when you get to each place, I'll give you the next hint. Have fun and don't keep me waiting too long. I'm waiting for you. I love you, Drew.
The first clue sent me to Pendleton High School, where we first met, in 3rd period Spanish taught by Mrs. Covar. I was unaware at this point that the driver had the clues, and that drivers open your door for you, so I slung my door wide open, and pretty much ran into the school, where I found our old vice principal, Mrs. Morton, and after a five second catch-up conversation on how I was doing and how my family was, I blurted  out, "Remember Drew?? Well we got back together and it's a long story but I'm in the middle of a scavenger hunt proposal and I think he hid my next clue in Mrs. Covar's classroom, so can you unlock it for me?"
So Mrs. Morton helped me spend about twenty minutes tearing that classroom apart, and when no clue appeared, I went to tell the driver it was going to take a little longer and could he please call Drew and apologize because I got so excited I left my phone at home. He laughed really hard and handed me the letter containing clue #2. I waved to Mrs. Morton to show her my driver had the clue, and then tore it open. As it turns out, Mrs. Covar was retired. So I tore the desks (including the teacher's desk) and cabinets and books all up in my search in some random teacher's classroom. Whoops. Letter #2 Kaitie, You're at our high school, the place where I saw you for the first time. It was the class I knew I wasn't going to enjoy, that class, but I saw the live of my life for the first time that day. You were sitting across the room, and you were the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. If I knew then I was about to meet the woman I would fall in love with, and spend the rest of my life with, I would have been convinced I was dreaming, and I would never have believed someone so beautiful would even give me the time of day. It is so amazing how God was working in that moment. How you went from California to New York, to Liberty, and finally Pendleton of all places; it was all leading you to this night. I cannot believe how amazing God is to let me know you, but he let me call you mine, and that is something I've dreamed about since that first time I saw you. I want you to go to the place of our first date. Hint: I hear they have "royal" popcorn! I love you, Drew
Clue #2 told me to go to where we had our first date, which was one of the movie theaters in our town (Regal Starlight...now you get the hint). I didn't know it was a date until a whole year after. We went to see Beowulf for extra credit for English. Did you know that when a 16 year old boy asks you to see a movie for school, picks you up in his car, and pays, it's a date, and not actually for school?? Yeah, me neither. At this point I still didn't fully grasp the part about how my driver had the clues, so I still jumped out of the car to go find a letter but the driver managed to stop me before I got to the ticket counter.
Dear Kaitie, I remember back to 11th grade, I shared English with you and we got extra credit for seeing the movie Beowulf. Somehow I was able to ask you to go with me. I was so nervous that day I changed shirts like three times and was terrified, it was the first date I had ever been on, and you were the most beautiful girl in school. I picked you up and we went to Regal Cinema. I can still remember the way your perfume filled up my car. You smelled amazing and I can remember it like it was yesterday. We got to the movies and took our seats. During the movie your hand touched mine, and somehow I built up the courage to hold your hand. It was such an amazing feeling. Your hand fits perfectly in mine, like it was made for mine. I want to hold your hand for the rest of my life. I want to get dressed up and take you on dates for the rest of my life. I still get that excited nervousness every time I pick you up for a dtate. I know that's God's way of telling me I'm with the person I'm going to never get tired of taking on dates. I want you to go to the place where I kissed you for the first time. Hint: you said I was a gentleman. I love you,  Drew. Clue #3 told me to go to where we had our first kiss. It was a whole year after our first "date" (how did I not know that was a date??) and it was our third date this time around. We had such a good time together, and got in the car to take me back to my house, and before turning the engine on, Drew looked at me very nervously and asked if he could kiss me. I said yes. It was the sweetest moment of my high school life. He asked again for the second kiss, at a stop sign right before the street my parents live on. Every time we stop at that sign to this day we kiss.
Dear Kaitie. It's been years since we actually went to the bowling alley, but I will always remember this place as the spot of our first kiss. It was 5 years ago and after a night of spending time with the most amazing girl evver, I looked into your eyes and asked you if I could kiss you. We were sitting in this very parking lot. I kissed your lips and it was better than I could ever imagine. I hadn't told you then, but I loved you then. We have been through so much since then and I cannot believe how much I love you now. I have no doubt that I'm going to spend the rest of m life with you. You're the first girl I've ever kissed and you're going to be the last. I also remember our last first kiss. In my room, not that long ago, I kissed your lips with you in my arms. It was so special, because I knew I had just kissed the woman God had brought into my life that I would soon vow to be my wife and spend the rest of my life loving and serving. I want you to go to the place where we went after our last first date. Hint: the ducks may be waiting. I love you, Drew. Clue #4 told me to go to where we had our most recent first date. He took me out to a really great dinner, and then we went to the Civic Center to walk around the duck pond, and talked there for hours and hours. When I got home, I told my mom I had just gone on my last first date. And she said, "I know."

"This is the SPOT!"

Letter #5 Dear Kaitie, This is the place we went after our last first date. We came here after an amazing dinner and we walked and I held your hand. I remember the flowery dress you were wearing, I remember your amazing scent, and I remember you looked more beautiful in that moment than I've ever seen you until that time. Two years had passed, and it was like no time had gone by. We were still the same people, but different, because we were both saved by an amazing Savior. Jesus saved me, then he saved you, and brought us together in His time, the perfect time. I will always remember you pulling me into the most amazing hug. That night was perfect. It's why I wanted to finish this night here. Come out to the shelter where we had our bible study. Where we learned what it means to be man and woman, husband and wife, in God's eyes. I'm waiting for you. Drew. The fifth letter was handed to me as soon as we parked at the civic center. I read it, started crying, and got out of the car and began to walk towards the gazebo I knew he would be waiting at. When it came into sight, I saw him standing below it, and I ran to Drew. 
He got down on one knee and gave the sweetest speech I've ever heard, and coincidentally the sweetest speech I've ever forgotten in its entirety, and said, "Kaitlin Rose Diffenderfer, will you marry me?" And I'm told I said yes but I'm fairly certain all I did was laugh. cry, and stick my hand out for the ring.

Then some guy wearing workout clothes started getting way too close to us and I kind of panicked again, but it turned out to be Drew's friend who was taking pictures the whole time and had been dressed like the runners who frequent the park and stayed distant so I wouldn't notice him.
We went back to my parents house (everyone had been so sneaky--Drew's car was already back there, he'd been waiting a few streets away for my dad to text and say we were gone so he could drop the car off and ride with his friend to the final destination) and I was greeted with the final surprise of the night. My parents had gone to my favorite sushi place and gotten all my favorite things off the menu, gone to Publix and had my favorite cake made, and had flowers and a lovely framed sign for us to put in our new house. Mom gave me a wedding planning binder she had picked up the day after Drew asked them. He had done that three weeks earlier, and the day after, my mom was so afraid she would let it slip, she and dad took off for an impromptu weekend getaway so she wouldn't see me and accidentally spill.

That night was one of the greatest nights of my entire life. I cannot believe how lucky I am that I married my high school sweetheart, who is the most thoughtful, generous, kind, strong, and faithful man around. 
And then we planned our wedding in precisely 100 days.
How did your man ask? Do you remember what you said? You can see our love story here.