Love Story: Engagement!!!

I am going to try to get the whole engagement story in one post but I guess we will see.

Easter Weekend always meant LTC (Leadership Training for Christ) I participated in LTC most of the time I was growing up and tried to stay involved through Highlands in Abilene and Pleasant Ridge. So, I drove into Arlington Friday night, met Josh and went straight over to the hotel LTC was at in Dallas.

My dad and my brother were also in town from Austin doing LTC with Westover. We had already planned for Dad to stay at Josh's apartment with me on Saturday night and come eat lunch with Josh's family Sunday afternoon.

Josh and I had planned to go out to dinner after the conference was over Saturday night. I was pretty sure we were going to get engaged. It was our year and a half anniversary AND exactly 8 months to when we had talked about having the wedding.
So, after LTC Saturday night we were both tired. Josh said we could just drive through some where and go back to his apartment for awhile before he went to his parents house to sleep. I absolutely would not go for that. So we started driving to dinner. He wouldn't tell me where we were going but he had directions written down. I looked at the directions and said "Oh, are we going to Cheesecake Factory?" He was obviously frustrated when he said yes, that was where we were headed. We got there and had an amazing dinner at one of my favorite places that I don't get to go to very often. After dinner we drove to his apartment to take my dad a piece of cheesecake we got for him, then Josh made me go back to the car while he got something from the apartment.

From there we drove a few minutes away to a park that we liked to go to. We walked around for awhile and then sat on a bench. Josh pulled out my "anniversary present". It was an amazing scrapbook filled with out story. It had pictures, funny stickers, letters we had given each other, cards, emails, the receipt from when Josh's car got towed when we were in Austin etc. The last 2 pages said "Jones is a good name, would you like to have it?" Then he asked if he could pray for me. He said a prayer that I am sure was beautiful but I don't remember any of it. When the prayer was over he got down on one knee and pulled a ring box out of his pocket. He said something that he had told me in a few letters "I love you. I'm in love with you. It's like I've always loved you, it just took me awhile to find you" and then asked me to marry him. I was crying, he was crying, I said yes and he put the ring on my finger.

Then I told him my secret- that Friday while I was at his apartment for the night I realized I forgot a shirt to sleep in and I was getting one out of his drawer and saw the ring box!! I can never wait to open a present so of course I looked inside. The ring was beautiful!!! I think he was totally shocked that I found the ring..he still likes to tell people that story.

After some hugs and kisses we went back to his apartment to tell my dad. On the way we call his parents (who knew he was asking) and my mom and sister. It turns out that early that day Josh and talked with my dad and asked for his blessing. Then, we drove all the way back to Dallas to tell my brother Sean and to ask my youth minister Rick if he would do the wedding.

The next day was Easter Sunday. I went to church at the LTC convention with my family and friends then my dad and I drove to Josh's grandmother's for lunch. His grandparents did not know we were engaged yet and when Josh told her them they were so excited!

After church Josh and I went back to his apartment to take a nap before church that night. Josh left early and I was going to come later. He had given an picture of us just after we got engaged to the guy doing the slide show for the LTC program that night. Unfortunately I slept in and barely made it in time - right as I walked in to the church Josh's dad was leaving to go wake me up. So, Terry the other youth minister was up making a presentation to the church about the LTC weekend. He was finished but Josh said "Wait Terry, there is one more announcement you forgot" Terry was totally confused and when he turned around the slide came up that said "Josh and Shiloh are engaged!" The whole auditorium started clapping and we were both mobbed by people hugging us. It was such a cool night.

I drove back to Abilene that night and Josh drove in later for my Pass the Key with Siggies. It was such a great weekend I will never forget.