This post has been a long time coming- sorry! Also, I unfortunately don't have any pictures to post. Kley was smart to bring a camera, but it was his mom's and I only have a few shots from the engagement that are currently at my in-law's house in a scrapbook, so I can't even scan them in. I'm just glad I have any pictures at all!
So, it was summer 2009, nearing the end. It was my first summer being the lead teacher at Kids West (summer day care for elementary kids). I loved the job, but it was a difficult summer with some kids (and a big growing experience for my teaching career), and it made me want to be engaged even more.
I was up in Orange City, IA (where Kley is from), for a wedding for his cousin the weekend of August 8, 2009. I didn't think it would be that weekend at all because of all the wedding festivities- it wasn't- but I was only seeing him one time, the next week, before heading back to Bethel. I had made it pretty clear that I wanted to be engaged before going back to Bethel- I wanted to get engaged at home. :)
There was only ONE opportunity left for him to propose. I was inwardly worried (more like panicking) that he didn't get it and wasn't going to do it. Thankfully I wasn't worried about IF he would propose, just WHEN.
So, on the timeline we are at August 8th after the wedding. (And, the week before was my last week at work, so I was done with my job for the summer!) We went back to his parent's, and we sat on the couch and I cried. (Going to a wedding doesn't help a girl's desire to be engaged!) Unfortunately, I was at fault for not trusting God and His timing and not trusting Kley that he would take care of it. I was being selfish and I wanted what I wanted and I wanted it now.
We said goodbye the next day and I cried again, because I cried every time we said goodbye. In my mind, I wasn't going to see him until the next Monday, a week away. Then comes August 10, 2009- the next day.
Monday, the 10th, was my first day off after my job ended, and I was pumped because the last few weeks had been stressful at work. There was a combination of kids, parents, and staff that were difficult for me to deal with, especially since this was my first experience being in a lead role before, so I was glad to be done with it. It was hugely shaping in the teacher I am today, but nonetheless, so glad it was over. Kley was at work that day (or so I thought). I called him around three with a computer question, not expecting him to answer because he was at work. He called me back at five, when his shift would have ended, so not make anything look suspicious. (Smart guy!) We talked for a bit and I said we would talk later that night.
On a side note, Kley had a terrible job that summer, and I am so thankful and grateful that he did it, because he used all of his earnings to buy my ring. What a man. :) He was working in a paint factory, with 11 hour shifts, monotonously putting spray paint cans from the conveyor belt into boxes. Can you imagine doing that for 11 hours straight?
Back to Monday. My good friend, Lauren, came over to go for a walk. We had been going on walks all summer, so this wasn't anything unusual. We usually walked around our houses, since we lived only one block apart (which was so awesome during our high school years), but tonight she suggested that we go to Raccoon River Park to walk. I said sure, not thinking anything of it. I took my grand old time finishing eating, going to the bathroom, getting ready to go, etc. I don't think we left for about 30 minutes, which is funny looking back on it that a whole plan was waiting to unravel before me.
We go to the park and start walking. We are only walking for about five minutes when Kley calls me again. I thought it was a little strange, because we had just talked two hours ago, and we always talked at night before we went to bed, so why was he calling now? I told him I was on a walk with Lauren and that I would call him back later, and then he started asking me what fun things we could do next Monday when he came. I told him that I would think about it and tell him later because I needed to go. He then told me that he thought he made a mistake and switched up the Monday, because he was here now, and then he stepped out from behind a bush.
I was totally shocked. I looked at him and asked what he was doing here, then I looked back at Lauren, who started walking away and saying she needed to go. I was so confused that I turned and followed Lauren for a minute, but Kley ran up to me, said hi, blindfolded me, and picked me up. (I obviously knew what was coming now!) He carried me over to this little peninsula by the lake (so we were alone and away from the walking path), to a place he had set up. He had made a tie blanket for me that we were sitting on, in light blue (my favorite color). He said he had some gifts to give me.
The first was a beautiful bouquet of flowers. The second was a travel guide to Hawaii (where we wanted to go on our honeymoon, but actually ended up going to Mexico.) The third was two bridal magazines. The fourth was two wedding planning guides. The fifth was a wrapped bottle of Diamond Vogel spray paint, telling me how much he loved me and how great the last two years had been and even though his job stunk it was totally worth it because it allowed him to buy this...gift six- the ring. :)
Then he got on one knee and asked me to marry him. It was definitely one of the best moments of my whole life.
We sat there, basking in what just happened, watched the sunset, and took pictures. Kley asked me if I wanted to go home, but I said not yet, that I wanted to make this moment last a little longer. When we went home, my whole family, Lauren and Stephen (her boyfriend, now husband), and Stephanie were all there waiting (which is why Kley wanted to go!). Then we told them how it all happened, were so excited, and called everyone else who wasn't there.
It was the best night and I was so so happy. I was so happy to be engaged, and to know without a doubt that this was who God wanted me to be with.
We were engaged! :)
There are a few background pieces, that I didn't find out until later, that I have to tell you to make the story even better.
1. On Saturday the 8th, before his cousin's wedding, we were visiting his grandparents. His phone rang while we were talking to them, and he answered it. I gave him the look of "Why on earth did you just answer that, we are with your grandparents," but he quick left the room. It turned out to be the ring guy, saying that the ring was ready to be picked up, which is why he had to answer and why he left the room. When he came back and I asked who it was (thinking that it better be good for him to answer it), he told me that it was the furniture company saying their couch was going to be delivered, because his mom was ordering a new couch for their basement at the time. I asked why he called him and not mom, and he said she gave them his cell number because she didn't have a cell phone (true at the time.) Good save, Kley! Ironically, when we got back to his parents, I saw the furniture order form sitting on the counter and I told Jana (his mom) that I had good news that the couch was coming! She just smiled and said that was great, while the whole time Kley was standing behind me shaking his hands and mouthing that it was the ring. :)
2. My whole crying episode was on the 8th, and we got engaged on the 10th. I asked Kley about that later, about how I was crying that it felt like we were never going to get engaged, while the whole time he knew it was only two days away! He said it was secretly great that he could tell me that everything would be okay and that it was coming soon, because it really was!
3. A few weeks before we were engaged, Kley was going to visit me for the weekend. He was supposed to get there at 4:30 so we could go pick up my sister together, but he didn't get there until 6. I called him several times, and was actually annoyed that he wasn't answering, and had to pick up my sister by myself. Kley told me that he was late because of traffic. Around 4, my parents left and said they were going to Lowe's (a home improvement store), and asked if I wanted to come with. Ironically, they were meeting Kley at Raccoon River Park so he could ask them to marry me! They told me they were going to Lowe's because I hate that store, and never wanted to go growing up. I even made up a theme song about how it was the "boringest" store on earth. So it worked out perfectly.
4. My good friend, Stephanie, helped Kley set up the day (while Lauren was obviously the one to get me there). She helped him set up the scene, get the flowers, and she hid in the bushes and was texting Kley when I was getting close. Way to go, Steph! :)
5. Kley proposed to me right beside the lake. While he was waiting for me to get there, he said he was freaked out by a guy scuba diving and just popped up out of the water out of nowhere and came up shore. Thankfully that didn't happen while he was proposing! He said the guy asked him what he was doing, he told him he was going to propose, and the guy said good luck and went back under the water. How funny!
