I am still so ecstatic about my engagement yesterday. It came as a shock to me, obviously...that is how good engagements go isn't it?! I am convinced I only write in my blog now when big events happen. I probably should get better at that, but oh well! So, since David and I have been telling various versions (long story, shorter story, whole day, main event, etc.) we decided I should just write it ALL down for everyone to read. I think it is the most spectacular day in my life so far (DUH). So, with that being said, if you aren't one for sappy, romantic, mushy gushy stories...you should stop reading...now!
To start out, I have to explain to those who weren't aware of the weather in Mississippi on July 11, 2012.
It. Was. A. Flood.
A much needed rain for crops, yards, lakes etc., but it did not stop for majority of the day. I was scheduled to sing at Pinelake Starkville, so David tagged along because I wanted a riding buddy and because no one turns down an opportunity to go to Strangebrew on the way back home. Well, about a week before this Wednesday, David told me he was going to need to come down anyway and have meetings for his Electrical Engineering senior design project. I thought, WOW, what good timing! So, we packed up my car Wednesday around noon and headed down to Starkville.
If you know me, you know about Clifford...my big red Blazer who has seen some better days. Well, ole Clifford's gas gauge was showing me, as well as my mileage, that I had plenty of gas to get to Starkville to fill up. Everyone knows Tupelo's gas prices are higher than everywhere else. So, off we went, south bound to the best college town in the nation (not a biased opinion, it is truth). We go through torrential downpours the whole way and we finally reached Starkville! I got onto campus to grab lunch for me in the Union and we get to the stop sign by the post office and PUTT PUTT POOOOF, goes Clifford. Yes, real life. I was stunned, confused and immediately said, "oh no....did I SERIOUSLY run out of gas right here?!?" No gas light or anything...thanks Cliff! THANKFULLY, my precious friend Caysee Owens was at the intersection getting into her car, so I honked, we laughed and I yelled help. David, this whole time, is just staring in disbelief...I thought just because he was saying in his mind "Did she REALLY just do this?!". So, Cliff, being the trooper he is, cranks back up with a continual cough and we get to a parking spot...a metered parking spot...and neither of us have quarters. So off David goes into the Union to save the day, and me, from getting a ticket. Between his run and the fiasco it was getting quarters from Chick-fil-a, God decides to laugh and point at us by sending a torrential downpour (I am convinced Katie Beth Carruth had something to do with all of this). He gets back to my car, soaked, and all we can do is laugh. Caysee, my knight (wait, what do we call lady knights...are there lady knights?!...anyway, off subject) in shining armor, arrives to save our day. We hop into her car and ponder where to go for a gas can because, indeed, I had run out of gas. We get to the Chapel of Memories as David tries to search for his phone. He left it in my vehicle in the jumble of the situation and he wanted to go back and get it...I said he could wait but he insisted he needed it to talk to Brandon about meeting that afternoon. So our chauffeur, Caysee, turned the car around and he gets his phone. Not from my car...but from a puddle the size of Manhattan that was beside my car. And no, he has no life-proof case because he lives life on the edge! He gets in the car and doesn't seem flustered or anything by the fact that his iPhone 4S was facedown in a puddle, so I just left it alone hoping not to question this odd behavior. He said, "Well, it still works so I'm not worried." I just stared at Caysee in amazement and we were on our way to Walmart. After a $16.00 gas can and 5 gallons from Strangebrew, we were back to campus to feed Clifford. If you have seen the new gas cans (thanks, government safety issues), you know this was probably a pain. It was. Gas was going everywhere and David and I are laughing like maniacs under my umbrella while Caysee is still being our hero making sure Clifford started. I think we might have gotten 4 gallons in the tank and the other gallon remained either in the container (major design flaw) or on the ground into the puddle runoffs (sorry, environment, blame government and my lack of preparedness). FINALLY, we get the car going. I give Caysee 439,282 thank you's and go to my house to change out of my soggy clothes and into what I was going to sing in that night. After this whole fiasco, David and I are just laughing wondering why our day was so crazy....well...it got CRAZIER.
We head to campus again to complete our first goal, which was getting me lunch. It was about 3:00 then and I was so dang hungry (girl gotta eat). Well, I park a full-tanked Clifford at the closest door to the Union and we head on our into slightly less of a downpour. We get to the door and David said, "No, let's go this way!" I looked at him like he had gone mad, since HE was the main one in the rain all day, and shrugged with a "You're kidding right?!" comment. We get to the next set of doors and I start to veer and he grabs hold of me. This is where I just get completely confused. I said "Seriously, I am SO hungry, let's go in!" he said, "Well wait, let me just show you something." and he proceeds to show me how Lee Hall is getting renovated. Oh, okay, cool....GIVE ME NUGGETZ, said my big girl brain. He then starts leading me away from the Union and we are walking on one of the diagonal sidewalks to the Drill Field. Now I am running through a million different thoughts as to why this crazy man wants to go out into MORE rain on the Drill Field to look at a green fence.
Then, we stop. He tells me to look down, and there it is. A brick on the Walk of Honor that says "Jennifer will you marry me? David 2012". I just stood there with the silliest look on my face and he got down on one knee, in yet another puddle, held out the most GORGEOUS yellow gold and diamond ring, and asked me to marry him. I threw back my umbrella and gave him the biggest hug in the world while I simultaneously screamed like a little girl at a Bieber concert.
After about two minutes of this I looked at him and said, "Oh, YES!!!" Then I just stared at the ring, then him, then the brick for a few more minutes while continuously saying "Are you serious?!?" wile my hootie owl umbrella was thrown to the side without a care in the world. I was completely in shock and awe and I had no time to cry. I had the silliest smile stuck on my face for about 4 hours. My cheeks hurt so bad. David asked of I still wanted to eat and I looked at him and said, Uhhh, I am not hungry at all! I was full of all these crazy feelings and plans and who to call and text. We started walking down the sidewalk and I said, "OH NO! We need a picture of my brick!". After a short photo-op and people staring at us like we were crazy, we went to the Union to call our parents and family and bridesmaids/groomsmen. AH! Such an overwhelmingly good feeling. Besides the fact that David found out his phone, in fact, does not work. His speaker wouldn't work but who cares...WE WERE ENGAGED!!!!! So, that explains his crazy calmness about the phone in the puddle. He was more worried about the ring that had been in his pocket all morning! After a few hours of smiling, calling, texting and taking pictures of my hand, I went to church to practice for the night's worship service. It was SO fun sharing the news with our sweet Pinelake family and celebrating with our parents who came down to eat dinner with us. I was told at dinner just how sneaky he, my parents and his parents have been lately trying to keep everything secret. He did such a good job!
I am so, SO blessed to have David in my life. Having him as a husband is going to be an awesome experience that I cannot wait to have. I am so glad that he is joining my family, I am joining his, and we are going to make our own. Life is wonderful! God is good and I am blessed beyond measure! Let the planning and celebrating begin my friends!
Love you all and thanks for reading!
P.S. David's phone works now. It is amazing what a bag of rice and some prayers can do!
Living life in Letters,
Jennifer Landreth (Duke) :)
