Oh, I ask for no more than two shoes on the floor next to mine (Love Story Part 3)

Courtship and Engagement

We knew very quickly we wanted to see where this was going. Within the next week, we were calling each other boyfriend and girlfriend and soon we were seeing each other everyday. We’ve actually lost track of when the last day we haven’t seen each other was.

That’s a benefit of both people being 28 and doing their own thing already.  We knew what we wanted, what we were looking for, and we enjoyed each other’s company. So we didn’t see a reason not to keep doing things that we liked with the person we suddenly found ourselves liking to be around.

And those things have been great fun! Mini-road trips! Pirate festivals! Civil War reenactments! Game nights! Indoor camping! (I still have the stars hanging from my ceiling.)

Note: The camping was not overnight!  (Mom, I know you’re reading this.)

Soon, we were doing all our normal errands and things together too. We work out together. Grocery shop (I cook, he cleans). Watching Jeopardy. Maybe that makes us sound old, but we enjoy it. And I usually win.

 

In July, Blake’s sister, Holly came to visit and stayed with me. Later that month, we headed home to Utah and Arizona together to get to know each other’s families and it was really just the perfect trip.

The 4th of July was a really good holiday, and Amanda was great about letting Holly stay with her.  On the 3rd the three of us hung out together until Amanda had to leave for class.  Holly and I were staying in DC, so we walked her to the metro.  Once Amanda was out of earshot, the first thing Holly said to me was, “that girl is so in love with you.”  I knew that if I had Holly on my side then the rest of the family was a lock, and with Holly enthusiastically saying how much she liked her, I was feeling good about things.  The trip home confirmed it.  Amanda’s pretty awesome, and the family loved her.

Once we knew our families approved, since my family loved Blake as much as I did and because he asked Dad and Dad said yes, we had a decision to make.

On September 5th, a Wednesday, Blake asked me to come with him to school so I could I help him get a reader card for the Library of Congress in the afternoon. My suspicions were raised, as Blake is quite a capable young man, but I’ll never turn down a trip to the LOC, my favorite building in the DC metro area.

Of course I could have gotten the card myself.  But I figured she wouldn’t say no and that at this point any unexpected trip to cool places would be seen with suspicion, so I came up with the excuse that I would want to study there some night when she was in class for the sheer novelty of saying that I studied there during law school.  By the way, I’m TOTALLY doing that anyway, because seriously...duh.

After class (I studied in the law library) and lunch, we got the reader card in the Madison building and headed over to the Jefferson building, the gorgeous, touristy one.. After looking around for a few minutes, we looked over the main reading room and then came out onto a landing over the a balcony overlooking the Great Hall. He hugged me, told me how much I meant to him, then pulled out the panda shaped ring box I'd authorized my sister to give him and asked "Will you marry me?"

"Yes! Yes I will!"

Then there was more hugging and kissing before he put the ring he'd picked out on my finger. 

It's perfect. He's perfect. And we're so excited!

My second choice was going to be either down by the Potomac or on Signer’s Island.  But, the LoC seemed like the obvious choice, with the added benefit of there being a much reduced chance of accidently kneeling in duck poop, so I went with it.  I didn’t think about it at the time, but in hindsight, I’m glad I picked a place with good air  conditioning.  I was a bit nervous. . .

The big day is December 18th! We can’t wait!

Here’s how you can tell I like her: I’m happy to go to Utah in winter.  That’s love.

Yes it is. I love you, Blake.

:D  I love you too!

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