I am ENGAGED!

I never thought this day would come.  All my friends were getting engaged, married, and having babies.  Here I was off to the side still in college with no big news to share when we would all get together.  At Christmas parties and get-togethers with my friends from high school, I always felt kind of left out.  They were all talking about their weddings, jobs, kids, etc. I had nothing to talk about, except that I was still in school and not close to graduating.  I just always sat there listening to their stories and secretly wishing I was in the same boat.  When a friend from church recently got engaged, I was UPSET. Major Upset. So upset I couldn't hardly speak to her.  I did not know I would be that way and it upset me greatly.  As always, I talked to my best friend, Jillian, who always gives me the BEST advice.  I expressed my feelings to her and she kept telling me, Your time is coming.  It was hard to accept, but finally I did.  Kip and I had been together for 7 YEARS!  Surely he would get me a ring soon, right?  We were close to being done with school (both within the next year).  I did not want to be the girl that FORCED her boyfriend to propose, so I just didn't say much about it.  I accepted the fact that we would one day get to share our story with everyone just as all the others had already done.  The rest of Fall went by so quickly.  Kip & I stayed busy with school, so my mind didn't have much time to wander.  On November 15th, we had our Thanksgiving Dinner at the daycare.  Kip came by after class and was going to stay and eat.  While we were getting stuff ready for the dinner, he told me Graison was sick.  I asked if he saw Jillian out somewhere and he said, "No, I talked to her on the phone." I said oh did she call you and he said, "No I called her".  He wouldn't tell me why he called.  I did not think much about it at first, other than I thought it was weird that he called Jillian.  The following Sunday, he told me that a guy he worked with wanted Kip to go to Kay's in the mall with him. (Why he told me that, I do not know-He is not the best secret keeper!) I immediately begin to think that he was getting me something very special on that day....something shiny that I have been wanting for  a while.  I didn't want to get my hopes up, but I couldn't help but think that is what he was doing.  He tried to play it off like he didn't buy anything that day...saying they didn't have anything. That got my mind to thinking that I was wrong...until Kip started planning for us to go to the Falls on December 13th....on November 20th. A little over 3 weeks before.....and Kip NEVER plans anything.  I knew something was up.  I was so excited I couldn't stand it and wanted to tell someone!!  I told Shelly at church and Holly at work.  I was afraid to talk to Jillian and my mom about it, because I did not want to put them in an awkward position since I knew that they both probably knew what was going on.  On December 4th, I was at Kip's house and he was playing Xbox.  He had his headset on talking to Kyle when I heard Kyle ask about the "big night at the falls." (Kip didn't know I could here Kyle)  I instantly knew what was going on.  I was so excited!!! I didn't say anything and played it off like I was messing with my phone and not paying any attention.  I was so anxious and nervous and excited and ready for Thursday I couldn't stand it.  Thursday finally rolled around and I was so nervous...thinking I had gotten my hopes up about the whole thing.  I couldn't hardly eat anything at all.  After doing some running around town when I got off work, I went to Kip's house.  We sat around watching TV for a while and then got ready to go to the Falls.  We met Clai, Jillian, and Graison there about 5:30 that night.  We rode the train, took Graison to see Santa, went to the "petting zoo" and saw the animals, and then walked around the Falls.  I was getting so nervous I didn't know what to do with myself.  When we finally made it around to the Falls, we took our annual picture in front of it. I just knew this was when he was going to get down on one knee. I was mistaken--He didn't get down on one knee. We took 2 pictures and he walked back to Jillian to look at them to make sure they looked ok.  I was so upset!!  He said that we needed to take another picture so we walked back to the fence in front of the Falls and he then got down on one knee. I was so ecstatic. I cried and couldn't say anything. He didn't either. A few minutes when by and he said, "Well..." I chuckled and said of course! It was so funny, because that is so Kip. He is not a man of many words and sounds just like something he would do! It was perfect!!  We are so excited and cannot wait to start planning our perfect day!  We want to wait until the first of the year to make any definite plans, but I have so many ideas in my head I don't know what to do with them all.  Wedding planning sounds so stressful, but fun! I cannot wait! :)