My Precious

So, here is our engagement story:

February 27, 2010

We had been talking about marriage for a few months at this point, and it was taking wayyyy too long in my opinion :) We had gone ring shopping and I picked out my favorite 5 (which were nothing alike by the way... but all simple, timeless, and perfect) and was just waiting for Dima to pick the one. Poor guy, he was so busy, and trying to make it a surprise, and I kept asking him if he'd chosen yet, or how far along he was. -- I may or may not have been a little antsy.

So this particular weekend Dima told me that our good friends Ryan and Kathy had extra tickets to a symphony and asked if we wanted to go. I was super excited, not only had it been forever since we'd seen them, but I had never seen a symphony before and LOVE string instruments!! So that morning he tells me that we will be leaving at 5, and we have to leave at 5 because it was going to be busy and we still had to pick up the tickets and yada yada ya. Which made sense. So I'm getting ready and putting on my make-up I looked at myself in the mirror all dressed up and I'm like "He's totally going to propose!!!" But then I was pushed it out of my mind thinking, "No, he's not going to until next month" (during a conversation earlier that month he asked me if I had to work a particular Saturday in March, and when I asked why he suspiciously said, "don't worry about it"... so I concluded that that was the day he was planning to propose.) I also didn't want to get my hopes up and then be disappointed because it was going to be a lovely evening anyway. But I decided to take my camera "Just in case" :) So Dima came right at 5, as promised, and once we were on our way I completely forgot about that idea in the bathroom. We had a great drive up with lots of laughing and joking, and Dima was playing up the symphony asking me if I'd ever been to one, and what I thought it would be like... so needless to say at this point I was thoroughly convinced that's where we were going. So the plan was to park up by the Capitol Building to meet our friends and then walk down to where the symphony what playing. We were running a few minutes late so Dima called Ryan only to find out that Ryan and Kathy were going to be another 20 minutes. I thought this was weird because a) they aren't usually late, and b) Dima made such a big deal about being on time and how close we'd be cutting it anyway. But, they did have 4 kids and I'm sure that can cause delays from time to time. So while we waited we went on a walk at Memory Grove park. It was the most beautiful park! absolutely picturesque, and I love walks so I was enjoying it. There were people jogging, kids playing soccer, and a girl taking Bridal pictures by a big sculpture. On our walk Dima was like, "let's see what's this way" and it was a path that went behind the girl taking her bridals, and since I used to work for a photographer and remember how annoying it was to wait for people while they walked behind your picture, or to photoshop them out, I was pretty against going that way. But he kept pushing saying that they wouldn't be able to see us behind the big statue, and to just come on. So I did. And there was a cute little bench there with a dozen red roses on them. My first thought though, was "See, those are the brides flowers, all her stuff's here, we aren't supposed to be back here"... but then Dima was kind of shaking and he said, "I think those might be for you". And that's when I knew. I knew that any second now he was going to ask me to be his. I gave him a huge hug and just kept saying "thank you thank you thank you!!" and then he laughed and said, "you haven't even looked at them yet" and all I could say was "I see them!!!" because I was so excited and anxious. But then in my head, I replayed what he just said (you haven't even looked at them yet) and thought, ohhh, I probably should, maybe something's in them... So I break away and wander over, and pick them up. There was just a note that said "for monique" though. So we sit down on the bench and talk a little bit, and then he got down on one knee, pulled out the ring and asked me to marry him. I was so excited all I could get out was a high-pitched, "uh-huh" as I was nodding my head, smiling so big it took up 2/3 of my face, and pulling him off his knee and into a hug. I didn't even look at the ring, I was just so excited that he asked me. So he put the ring on (he was still shaking and thought for a second it was too small, but he just didn't want to push too hard. :) It fit perfectly.) We sat there for a few minutes enjoying the experience that had just happened and then we took a few pictures because I just happened to have my camera with me :)

Well we were taking some pictures and the mom of the girl taking her bridals was standing on the side and so she could see us behind the statue and asked if we wanted her to take some pictures. She was so excited for us and it was nice to have her snap a few.

Well at this point I thought we were still meeting Ryan and Kathy for the symphony (Dima's a very good actor, and had me convinced). So I asked, "Oh, are they here? Do we need to go? Are we going to be late?" and he just smiled and said, no they'll call when they're here. So we just continued to sit on the bench and talk. Then he got a call said "5 minutes? sounds good" then asked if we should go. And so me, thinking we were now way behind schedule and still needed to pick up the tickets, started b-lining it out of there while Dima was dilly-dallying like we had no where to be. He was stopping at every tree to see in who's name it was dedicated. I was so confused, but they did say 5 mins, and we were just right there, so I slowed down and walked with him.

Then I see a horse-drawn carriage pull up, and my thought were "I'm pretty sure that's for me, but I don't want to make a big deal out of it and then have him be like, 'ya, that's really cool, well, here's ryan and kathy, should we go?'" so I didn't really say anything, but then it was for us. So we snuggled in and it took us for a turn around the park and then to downtown.

While we were on our ride Ryan called (he had helped with all the behind-the-scenes like putting the flowers on the bench, and then when Dima called to say that we were running late he told him where they were, etc.) and Dima jokingly said "ya, thanks for ditching out on us jerks" so that's when I knew there would be no symphony. But I perfectly ok with that. We got dropped off at temple square and he asked what I thought we were going to do now, and I guessed dinner. I was right. We went to The Roof, which is the restaurant right across the street from the temple, and you can see it right out the window.

We got there at the perfect time, we got to see the sun set, and all the lights slowly come on and by the time we left it was dark and the temple was completely lit up. It was gorgeous! and the atmosphere was so cool there. They had a pianist playing and a fancy buffet.. it was great.

Then we rushed back to my car (parked in a two hour parking spot.. oops. luckily no ticket) and drove back to Provo. I slept very well that night. :)