The Proposal

New Years Eve has always been a night to celebrate for Dane and I. NYE 2013 is when he first kissed me, and when we officially started dating exclusively. So each year on NYE, we celebrate our anniversary. It's always been the perfect way to ring in the new year! 

NYE 2014, Dane had bought tickets to a NYE party in downtown Saint Louis. I was very much looking forward to the party, until he told me it was Ninja themed. I remember telling him how dumb I would look in the dress I planned on wearing at a Ninja party. Haha! 

That day, I got home from work to find two dozen red roses on our dining table, and headed upstairs to curl my hair.  Before leaving for the evening, we sat down in our living room and exchanged our anniversary gifts. Dane opened mine first. It was an electric grill starter for the Big Green Egg I bought him for Christmas the year before. ​

Then he handed me my gift. It was a small box perfectly wrapped in gold wrapping paper and a big gold bow. He told me it was a two part gift, and that I was to open the box and only take what was on top. They were diamond earrings. He then took the box from me and told me that he had written me a letter, pulled out a piece of paper he had hidden behind a pillow on our couch, and started to read the sweetest letter I've ever heard. And at the end, he took a smaller box out of the bottom of my gift box, and got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. Did I cry? Of course I did. Duh. And naturally, I immediately had to call my Mom, Dad, and sister to share the great news!

He then told me that a driver was on its way to take us to a secret location and that I needed to wear a blindfold. No Ninja party! Woo! The driver showed up and about 30 minutes later we arrived at our location. I walked blindfolded while I held onto Dane until we reached the door. While the door opened, my blindfold came off, and we were standing in my parent's foyer with all of our friends and family.

You guys. Dane had not only planned the most sentimental engagement in the living room of the house we loved, but (with the help of my Mom), HE PLANNED THE PERFECT ENGAGEMENT PARTY TOO! I mean, at this point, I clearly hit the jackpot! 

-PS: Our 'driver' was my Dad. :)

The night was amazing! We celebrated the start of our next chapter while surrounded by everyone we loved, and brought in 2015. It was a night I will never forget!