ENGAGED!! pt 1

We know you've all been waiting for it.... So here it is!

The Engagement Story


March 05, 2011

"You need to get Wednesday, March 9 off," he said to me.  "Get it off so we can go on a date for once."

"Okay, where are we going?"  I asked inquisitively.  We hardly ever go on dates because we are both so busy.  Without inquiring any more, I traded with a coworker to have Wednesday off.

"Where would you like to go?" he asked me.

I thought about it for about a millisecond and said, "I'd like to go to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building."

"No," was his response. "It's too expensive. How about Olive Garden?" He knows that I love Olive Garden and there's one very close to our school downtown in Salt Lake.  I was a little disappointed, but I didn't think about it much. Instead, I just went with his idea and was excited we were actually going to go out on a date.

March 06, 2011

Ivan and I went to my ward together. While in sacrament meeting, we sat by a member of the Relief Society.  She was sitting next to her "boyfriend" when I saw a giant rock on her left hand. I asked her if she was engaged and she responded that she was.  I was a little jealous because this couple had been dating for a shorter time than we had!

He quickly gave some excuses and changed the subject.

This is Ivan.  I'm interjecting at this point to say that I had been planning to propose for two weeks.  In fact, the Friday before I had it all planned out. I was waiting for the right time.  She almost ruined the surprise by asking too many questions.  Every time she asked about it I quickly changed the subject to keep her guessing.


March 09, 2011

We had a really busy morning with classes and I had a meeting with my LDS bishop (he's kind of like a pastor).   Ivan told me that our teacher, Dianna Killpack, had set him with an interview at a University of Utah clinic.  He showed me a paper of the address and the interviewer's phone number written by Dianna.  He was to go to the interview at the U from 3:30-4:30.

I had to make up a story for Jane so that she would let me go to prepare everything for the proposal.  At first, I told her I had to change my clothes.  She told me no because then she would have to change her clothes too, and she didn't want to travel back to her home to change. Then I was thinking about how I could get away for a while to prepare.  Then I went to talk with Dianna and cooked up a plan that she would write me a note saying that I had an interview at the U between 3:30-4:30. I was so grateful for Dianna.


After I gave the note to Jane, I ran to the place to set up the table for the proposal and called Louisa to go and pick her up.


After my meeting with the bishop, I waited for Ivan at the library where he was supposed to pick me up at 4:30. Pretty soon, I felt a cold hand on my arm.  I turned around and saw my roommate Louisa.  It was such a shock because she doesn't go to school here and I never see her anywhere besides at home!  She told me to come with her.  The first thing I asked her was, "Are we evicted?!"  She responded with a quick No and told me to come with her.

She put a blindfold on me and then she led me out to her car; we drove around a for a while. I had no idea where we were or where we were going.

In the meantime, while Louisa was driving Jane to the destination point, I was setting up the table with Angela, the manager of events at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. We were on the 9th floor in the Kirtland Room. Angela and I had to move all the tables from the last reception there to clear the room and set up a special table.


I thought everything out. I set up the camcorder to record everything.  I had Angela bring candles, flowers, and dinner for the two of us. Angela also made us a CD of romantic music to play in the background. Even though I knew Jane would say "Yes," I was so nervous.  When everything was ready I sent a text message to Louisa. 


Louisa brought me to a room in the 9th floor (at this point I was still blindfolded and didn't know where we were) and told me she needed to use the restroom. Then she went to go to the restroom.... Or so I thought.

Louisa lied to Jane and came to find me instead. We made a plan to take Jane to the table and to take off the blindfold. Louisa went out to Jane and took her to the Kirtland room and she sat down at the table and started to take off the blindfold.


When I opened my eyes, Ivan was there in front of me!  We were there in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building with a candlelit table set for two.  It was perfect!

BUT THAT'S NOT THE END OF THE STORY!!!