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83. The Surprise of a Lifetime
Brent and I were planning to spend the day celebrating our 9 year anniversary, little did I know what the day would bring and how memorable July 23, 2011 would always be. The surprise date began in LA, having lunch at a cute restaurant in Hollywood called Tender Greens, and then it was off to the next surprise.
Brent told me that we were going to Universal City Walk, which got me no closer to figuring out what we were doing. We finally arrived at iFly, an indoor skydiving place, where an instructor takes you into this enclosed area with a huge fan under you simulating skydiving. I was nervous about being in this glass area with a bunch of tourists staring at me, but it was a really fun idea and we now have a dvd for us to remember it by haha. Brent and I always joked about going skydiving when we’re 80 years old, and now we don’t have to anymore ;)
The next planned activity for the date was going to a shooting range in Artesia. I had mentioned it to him months ago that I think it’d be cool to just try it one time. Ironically, when I was back east for Krista’s wedding a few weeks ago, I ended up shooting guns for the first time. No wonder Brent wasn’t as excited about it when I told him I had shot guns in a backyard ;) The shooting range was an adventure for both of us. Walking in, it was obvious to everyone we were not gun nuts. We walked to the counter and said, “We don’t know anything about guns, what do you recommend?” We ended up shooting a 22 caliber and a 9mm glock (i think?!), and I shot the heck out of my target’s tummy. I guess I don’t have a killer shot haha. Driving back to OC, I joked with Brent saying how adventurous our date was so far. If someone didn’t know better, they’d think the date was designed for Brent instead of me. I guess I’ve always had a tomboy side to me.
I knew the last part of the date was dinner somewhere in Laguna Beach. We drove back to his place, changed, and Brent said he had one more surprise planned. As we entered Laguna Beach, he turned down a small side street leading to park overlooking the cliffs and beach called Crescent Bay Point Park. The day was beautiful, the skies were clear and the ocean surprisingly blue.
We walked around for a while, took some pictures, and he eventually gave me my gift and asked me to open it. I found inside the box one of those old school red view-master’s we all had as a child and he asked me to look through it. At this point, I started to freak out a little because I had a pretty good feeling what might be coming. Through the view-master I saw pictures from the beginning of our relationship up until this year and the last picture was him by himself standing at the very spot we were currently at, holding a flyer.
I looked up, somewhat confused and nervous, and he was standing there holding the same flyer as the picture - a flyer to the Harvest Crusade 2002 - the day he first asked me out to be his girlfriend. He got down on one knee, told me he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me, and asked me to marry him.
I don’t think words can express how I felt at that moment, but I’m sure anyone who’s been engaged can relate. The complete shock of the unexpected and the excitement of it all was overwhelming. Tears of joy and excitement rolled down my cheeks as I said yes to marrying my best friend. A couple said “Congratulations” about 10 seconds after it happened, and I couldn’t even look up or say anything because I was pretty much speechless!
Not to mention, we ate dinner at Splashes, a beautiful restaurant on the beach, as the sun set. He had planned to have both my parents and his family meet us afterwards for dessert, a perfect ending to an amazing day. Three days later, the shock and surprise of it all still has not worn off. I can’t believe I have a fiance!
I can only praise God for His faithfulness shown over and over in our relationship and in each of our lives. It is obvious that He has been leading us and has been a part of our relationship through the years because there’s no way a 14 and 16 year old knew what was in store for them 9 years ago. It is by His grace and love that He can bring two imperfect people together. In a nutshell, we love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).
