Kevin suggested in early February that we take a fun little trip to Charleston before he had to start traveling a lot for work. I booked us a hotel the same day and we were set to go down on February 29 (leap day) and come back March 2.
In the weeks leading up to our trip, I talked to all of my close friends and told them that I thought he might propose, but I wasn't sure. I didn't want to psych myself out. I also overheard a strange conversation between Kevin and his brother Daniel. It was really vague but it made me think maybe something was going on. I heard Kevin say something about Charleston and then "yeah, what we talked about"...
The afternoon of February 29th was finally here! We packed up the car and headed out to Charleston. A few weird things happened on the way down and in retrospect, I now know he was checking the ring or preventing me from seeing calls and texts that were coming in, but at the time, I just thought Kevin was being weird! About 50 miles outside of Charleston, I realized that Kevin had forgotten his laptop at the house. I asked him to just make sure and he started cursing. I didn't know it at the time, but Kevin had brought the ring over in his laptop bag and for a split second, he thought he had forgotten it and the whole trip was ruined. I didn't know. I just thought he cared more about work than me and I was thinking, "Great! Here I think we might get engaged and all he cares about is doing work." I was really disappointed! I was still pouting when we got to the hotel. We checked in and went to bed.
 |
| Our hotel |
The next morning, Kevin was up at the crack of dawn. He said he couldn't sleep. I was exhausted, so I told him to go away and I went back to sleep. I didn't know it then, but he was so nervous about the proposal and just couldn't sleep and he used that time to plan out our day so he could surprise me! I finally got up and we had breakfast on the rooftop terrace and then got dressed and ready for the day.
 |
| The Carriage Ride Company |
Our first stop was a carriage tour. I had mentioned wanting to do one in the past and after going down to Charleston about 5 times, I had never been on one. Kevin was excited about it too and kept suggesting a private carriage for just the two of us. That was fine with me, I just thought the price was excessive and I didn't see the problem with riding with other people. It was rainy and there weren't may people waiting for carriages. We walked around the Market to discuss it and I had a fleeting thought that maybe he was going to propose on the carriage and I didn't want to dash his plans, so I gave in and told him he could do whatever he wanted. He booked the private tour and we had to wait an hour for the horse to be ready, so we went back to the Market to walk around an then went back to the barn to get on our carriage. The carriage ride was great! Kevin was acting a little weird again, but I was just sitting back and enjoying the ride and our tour guide. At one point, I looked over and Kevin looked like he was shaking. He said in a really weird voice, "Aren't you going to take pictures?" I do normally take pictures of everything, but I was enjoying myself and hadn't thought it was important. He was just acting so strange that I got my camera out and started snapping pictures of everything! I once again thought, it's going to happen...but it didn't. An hour later, we were back at the barn and there had been no proposal. That's when I started thinking that I was just crazy and we were just down there for a fun trip and I was just over-analyzing everything!
 |
| With our horse "Scout" after our carriage ride! |
We stopped in front of a church where the basket ladies were making baskets and selling them. I had wanted one that we saw in the Market, but they were just too expensive. These ladies had a really small one that held like two Hershey's kisses at most and was only $10. I still thought that was expensive, but she suggested that we could use it as a Christmas tree ornament and that was PERFECT! We bought that and she threw in a rose (made with the basket grass also). We headed back out on our route and stopped in a few open gardens at historic houses, just to walk around. Apparently, Kevin asked to hold the bag with the basket in it because he wanted to put the ring in the basket. I didn't know this and apparently ruined his plan because I said "no, I got it." However, I think if he really wanted it, he could have gotten it and for the record, I don't think it ruined anything!!! :)
 |
| One of the gardens we stopped in |
We finally made it down to the Battery and I was just taking pictures of some of the houses our carriage ride guide had pointed out. One of those houses was the "Washington" house. The story is that the house was built around 1770 and is the only pre Revolutionary War house on South Battery Street. Col. William Washington, cousin to President George Washington, met his bride-to-be here on his way to the bloody Eutaw Springs battle. He had no flag for his command and Miss Elliott (his future wife) made one using her mother's damask curtains in that house. The flag became one of the most cherished possessions of the Washington Light Infantry. After the war, when Col. Washington had won all of his battles, he came back to Charleston and married Miss Elliott. Our guide just wrapped a bow around it saying that if their love could last through the war, it could last a lifetime.
 |
| The side of the "Washington" house |
I had just taken a picture of the house and we crossed the street to the Battery. I think I must have been pouting again and just convincing myself that the engagement wasn't happening. I was standing up on a ledge and Kevin was on the ground, so we were about the same height. I had my arms around his neck and we were hugging. I suddenly realized his heart was beating just so fast! I commented on it. I think I said something like, "babe, your heart is beating so fast...what is wrong with you? Don't you dare go dying on me." I never in that moment wondered WHY his heart was beating so fast...if it was for a particular reason. Never even crossed my mind then. He started messing with something behind my back and I thought he was opening up his chapstick. I even thought, "REALLY??? This is a tender moment and you're worried about putting on chapstick." But I didn't say anything.
All of a sudden he was down on one knee with the ring and my waterworks began. I wasn't just crying, I was sobbing. I can barely remember him getting down on one knee. I definitely don't remember a thing he said. I was so overwhelmed just thinking, "This isn't supposed to be happening, he just told me at lunch it wasn't happening." It was so surreal, I couldn't wrap my head around it. I was completely surprised and overwhelmed! Apparently, according to Kevin, I wouldn't look at him, I just kept looking out at the water and I just kept crying harder and harder. He said he had to stop what he was saying and stand up and ask me if I was okay. I don't remember that, I just remember I was crying so hard that I couldn't see anything. I know he had a ring, but I couldn't see it. He thought the crying and me not looking at him meant I was saying "no". That wasn't the case! I can't remember him asking me if I would marry him and I can't remember saying "YES!" I was overwhelmed, people! But, the next thing I knew, the ring was on my finger! We were both so excited, but we both kept saying that it just happened so fast.
 |
| Red nose from crying, grass rose and my RING!!! |
Apparently Kevin wanted to drag it out so it would last longer, but my crying was just messing up everything! It was still rainy and cloudy and there was no one around. We had to wait until a little lady walked by and we told her we had just gotten engaged and asked if she would take our picture. She was really sweet and took a few for us. I was so excited! I wanted to scream "I'm ENGAGED." And, I almost did when a large carriage tour went by, but then I didn't want to be too distracting.
 |
| Thanks for taking our picture, little lady! We're ENGAGED!!! |
We called my mama first, then Daniel, and Kevin's parents, but other than my mama, no one would answer. Kevin's phone had died and we were calling from my phone, but no one would pick up. We wanted to scream our excitement and we had no one to tell. We ended up walking over to the sound and got some hot chocolate and coffee and just sat in the swings on the dock/pier and talked. We spotted a school of dolphins and spent awhile following them and trying to take pictures of them. That to me, with the rain, was a sign of good luck! We headed back to the hotel and the sun came out. I kept saying, "now all we need is a rainbow." That would have made it perfect.
 |
| Down at the waterfront |
We spent the remainder of the afternoon/evening contacting family members. I was exhausted. I don't know if it was just because of the range of emotions I had gone through during the day, but I had to take a nap. When I got up, Kevin had made us dinner reservations at Magnolias. I had wanted to dress up for dinner and even packed a pretty dress to wear at dinner (where I initially thought he would propose...I wanted to look good for it), but I just wasn't feeling like wearing it, so we just put on comfy clothes and went to dinner. It was an amazing dinner and we were able to keep our wine bottle so we'll remember it forever. We got back to the hotel and changed our facebook status to "engaged" just to make it official! We were both exhausted and so happy and fell asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillow!
 |
| Engagement Dinner at Magnolias |
Kevin really did surprise me! I later learned that he did want to propose on the carriage ride, but thought I would expect it, so he wanted to save it for when I wouldn't be thinking it was coming. He knows me TOO well! I would have been thrilled, but I don't know if he would have completely surprised me on the carriage ride. It's funny because I imagined how our engagement story would be and this is NOTHING like I thought it would be, but it's SO MUCH BETTER. This is OUR story and I love every single detail of it! I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with Kevin and he does deserve the credit I gave him at lunch....he did remember how sentimental I am and planned the perfect proposal in the most perfect location!
 |
| Down at the Battery the next day to take re-do pictures of the engagement in "pretty" clothes! |
No comments:
Post a Comment