Engagement: Parker & Heather (Part 2)

When Parker asked me if everyone could come to our house for dessert following his proposal to Heather, I screamed yes without any hesitation. 

And since the bride-to-be's favorite desserts are doughnuts, I knew what we had to pull off - a good ol' fashioned doughnut bar.

Start with everyone's favorite milk selections: chocolate, whole, and almond.

(Of course we served coffee and water, too. But no matter how old you are, nothing tastes better with a fresh doughnut than ice cold milk.)

My favorite party paper suppliers for this event were Target and Hobby Lobby.
I wanted everything to "look" like Heather's taste. I was excited about the paper supplies I found.

I saw this idea on Pinterest. I had no idea how cute they'd be in real life, though!
Diamond ring skewers to pick up the doughnut holes - Adorbs, right?

And the sweetest part...the doughnuts.
Heather's favorite place in Nashville is Fox's Donut Den in Green Hills. So of course Jon and I made a special trip.
They are the best!

Again, thank you Target for the adorable, feminine paper supplies!

The paper fans hanging on the wall are in the Martha Stewart party line at Joann Fabrics.
(They may or may not still be hanging in our kitchen because I like them so much.)

My first attempt at chalkboard art - Parker and Heather's love story (in Park's words).

I mean, what's a party these days without a banner strung across the mantle?
This one is a chalkboard banner, so I can supposedly wipe it off and use my chalk pens for another event.

(And special thanks for DJ Jon for creating the playlist for the evening.)

The Three Amigos! My three favorite people in the entire world (after Jon of course.)  :)

Heather and her parents. We really love them, too. And we are gonna dance at this wedding reception!

Parker and our super proud parents. Thanks for such a great night, Mom and Dad.

These people are my loves.
Every single day I thank The Lord that they are my family.
It goes without saying that each one of us can't wait to officially make Heather our sister.

Engagement: Parker & Heather (Part 1)

About a year ago, my younger brother (I can't really say "little" brother anymore) announced he was saving his money for a very important purchase...an engagement ring. 

At that point, he had been dating his then girlfriend for three years, so a proposal was definitely on the horizon. However, I don't think anyone can be fully prepared for a younger sibling to announce that he will be proposing in the near future. 

My response? 

I screamed. I laughed. I cried. The whole bit.

I was ecstatic!

It has been so fun to witness Parker go through the engagement process: ring shopping, proposal planning (and changing plans...several times...), and finally coming up with the perfect proposal plan. 

So, here we are... a year later. 

Parker and I met for lunch one day, then drove to the jeweler for him to pay for the most exciting purchase! (It was pretty cool that he purchased the ring from the same place Jon purchased mine. He worked with the same jeweler Jon used, and she was ecstatic when I arrived with him to make the purchase.)

Look at this smug face... He's saying, "That's right. I just bought some major bling."

I mean, yowza!

Fact: Parker's twin brother, Jordan, went with Parker to pick up the ring after the ring had been set.
I raced to meet them right after work.
Jordan confessed to me that he teared up four times at the jeweler!

I love their love. And I love how excited he is for his brother.

Parker did a fantastic job of planning the proposal. He even invited both sets of parents to be here in Nashville for the evening... and no one leaked the surprise, which was maybe the biggest surprise of it all!

After Parker popped the question (I'll let them tell that part of the story), they arrived at the restaurant to find both families awaiting their arrival.

Surprised? Yes, Heather was.

And the reaction was beautiful to witness.

(These photos were taken with my iPhone, so please forgive the blurriness.)

The whole evening felt surreal.

To finally inherit a sister- I couldn't be happier.

To watch my brother love a gal as much as he does- I couldn't beam brighter.

To see my family prepare to welcome Heather into our family- I couldn't be more excited.

To see Parker interact with his new in-laws and see how much they already love him- I couldn't smile bigger.

The evening was perfect.

Let the wedding planning begin!

our proposal story

Today is June 29, 2012. One year ago today, Jonathan asked me a very important question, placed the most stunning ring on my finger, and prayed us into new life together. I have decided to use our photos to share our engagement story...

I flew to Florida on Monday, June 27th. I spent the day with lounging by the pool with my parents. (I remember having a discussion with my dad about marrying Jon. He was asking about the timing of everything coming together. I told him I was just praying Jon would be able to propose in the next coming months. We would spend the next year saving money and perhaps we could marry the following summer.)

Jon and I knew we were going to be engaged in the near future. We had soaked our relationship in prayer, and he had already asked my parents for their blessing. Since they absolutely adore him, of course they consented. I was nannying full-time over the summer and Jon was working crazy hours at his two jobs in order to save for a wedding/ring. In no way, shape, or form did I think Jon had saved enough money for a ring by that time. I admired my hardworking man; I appreciated his devoted heart and his desire to purchase a beautiful ring for me using the cash he worked hard to earn. I visited Florida with the only intention of spending time with my love and my family.

Jon drove up to Bradenton from Fort Myers. We met my parents, his mama, and his sister at a local favorite, Peach's, for brunch on Tuesday. (At this time, my dad and his mama knew about the upcoming proposal. I, on the other hand, had NO idea.)

After brunch, Jon and I headed to Fort Myers. When we arrived, we cooked a delicious meal together. (Again, a favorite hobby of ours!) It was one of those fun-looking-but-I've-never-actually-made-it Publix recipes: Cowboy steak and shrimp with cheesy mashed potatoes and salad. It was soooo good! We enjoyed an evening "in" together. Afterall, at this point, our relationship was still long-distance and we soaked up every second we had together.

The next morning, Jon cooked me a gourmet breakfast: omelette, biscuits, grits, and my favorite- plantains! We packed the car and headed to the beach for the day. 

The day was perfect. The weather was beautiful. And I was with my love.

We spent the day soaking up the sun. Indulging in some ice-cream, had discussions of anything and everything under the sun, including music, weddings, whose city was a better location for us, babies, good baby names, awful baby names, the teeny-boppers flirting with our jet-ski man, etc... We had a blast just being together.

As soon as we returned to Jon's apartment, it began to rain, Not rain, but pour. Monsoon even, It came our of nowhere! Jon's demeanor immediately changed, and I wondered what was wrong. 

Jon had told me to bring a fun, "going out" dress with me. Believing our engagement was still a couple months out, I was thrilled at the thought of just a night out on the town.

As I prepared to get ready, Jon offered to steam my dress. When I told him it was hanging in the coset, he looked at me strangely. (I had not idea, but the FedEx had been delivered from Shane Co. just three days prior. My ring was in that closet and he feared my snooping eyes might have seen it. Of course, I saw nothing.)

The pouring began, and Jon's mood continued to get weirder. I ran to the car with a trash bag over my head so I didn't look like a wet rat at dinner. My purse was heavy from traveling, so I began to empty some of its contents and put them under the armrest. Jon looked scared when I opened the compartment, and I kept asking what was wrong. He sheepishly replied, "Nothing..." (Unknown to me, my ring box was in that very compartment! Again, I saw nothing.)

Jon began texting while driving. Because it was pouring rain, I was upset with him for diverting his attention off the road. He never texts while driving, and we never have our phones out when we're together in person. I became very agitated with him. (His original plan was to propose on the beach, but the rain was diverting him to Plan B- propose at the restaurant. His friends were headed to the beach to hide and photograph the proposal; he was texting them to say, "Change of plans." Poor guy. Just look at how nervous his face looks above!

Jon let me out at the front door and he parked the car. When I entered the restaurant, the host said, "Darcy, right this way." I liked the special treatment! Jon came in, and in the rush of things he forgot to remove his doo-rag! He was so embarassed. I slipped it into my purse and playfully went to tap him in the butt. He swerved to miss my hand. Now, I was mad. What was wrong with him???

Once we sat down and settled in, I grabbed his hands and asked that we just enjoy the night. I was still so unsure of the strange behavior, but we focused on one another and enjoyed a delicious meal. Okay, I like to take pictures of food. I'm a foodie. Lick your lips and enjoy...

Amidst the dinner, every one of the restaurant staff was extremely hospitable to us. I kept thinking, "This place has the greatest staff ever!" (They knew there was a proposal coming; they didn't know if he planned on proposing at the restaurant, though.)

Jon kept asking if I needed to use the restroom. I continued to reply, "No! If I did, I'll go when we get up to leave." Poor guy just wanted me to leave the table so they could hide the ring in the dessert. Stubborn-ness is not a virtue.

After the meal, I moved over to Jon's side of the booth. I held his hand and asked that he level with me. Why was my man acting so weird? What had been such an "off" night for us became a beautiful thing.

Jon expressed his love to me. He told me that for a while he had been experiencing this void. He had told his mom about it, he had been praying about it, and he was searching for the fulfillment of this void. The answer was me. Then, it went something like this:

J: "Do you know how much I love you?"
M: "Yes Jon, and I adore you!"
J: "Will you be my wife?"
M: "Jon, you know I want to be your wife!"
J: "No, will you marry me?"
M: "Jon, you know I want nothing more than to marry you! We are just waiting for the fund so you can buy a ring, and..."
J: "No, you don't understand...Will you marry me?" (Places the red, velvet Shane Co. box on table.)
M: Immediate tears, throw my hands on my head, shake my head, there are no real words.

I was so stunned, I couldn't even open the box. Jon and I opened it together, and I peeked in to see THE MOST stunning ring I had EVER seen!

M: "Ooooohhhhhh!!! I love this ring more than any read I've ever seen! Even more than the ones we tried on! Wait...this IS the ring I tried on and fell in love with!"

We had tried on rings when Jon visited Nashville before, just so he could see my taste. I tried on the most gorgeous ring in the store, in my eyes. The jeweler let me wear it around the store, and hard as I might, I fell in love. However, never in a million years did I think I would have a ring that nice. My baby worked HARD for me!

Everyone in the quiet, chic, classy restaurant congratulated us. The head chef brought out champagne, a ridiculously-sultry dessert, and asked to take photos for us. "Man, now I've got to go home and kiss my wife!" he yells after shooting some photos.

I am still in such shock. My man had been working soooo hard for me. He really wanted to buy me a nice ring, and it was important to him that he pay for it in cash. He wants the ring to always be a reminder, no matter the circumstances we're going through, that he's MY man, he WILL work hard for our family, and he is a PROVIDER. What a gift!

As we left Chops, the phone calls began. We started with our parents, which I was floored that they already knew it was coming and nobody leaked the surprise! Then our siblings, grandparents, and closest friends. Screaming, laughing, crying, and shaking...We drove to our prayer warriors' house, Dave and Linda Anderson (who also knew it was coming, actually Jon's entire small group knew it was coming, and no one slipped a word!!), and they prayed over us. We could think of no better way to begin our engagement that in the presence of God seeking His favor and will for us. Their living room became a holy place, and I'll never forget it.

The calls and texts continued on the drive home, and the night seemed like a dream.

Jon revealed another surprise...we were headed back to Bradenton the next day to enjoy a dinner/pool party with both our families at my parents' house. I'll never forget walking in my mom and dad's house as an "engaged woman", flashing my ring to all who would look and sharing our story a trillion times. It meant the world that our families could celebrate with us.

My wonderful fiance reveals yet another surprise...the next day, the two of us would do something I'd begged to do with him for years... We were headed to the most magical place on earth- Disney World!

We had the BEST day, and it really was magical. As vain as it is, I can't tell you how many times he caught me just staring at my ring. I got several compliments waiting to ride Space Mountain, The Haunted Mansion, and so on. I could have told our story (the shortened version, of course) a trillion times!

So what if I balled like a baby during the fireworks at the end of the night? I was overwhelmed with emotion, and the Disney fireworks will pull on anyone's heart strings! As I sat with my love's arms wrapped around me, I thanked God for this amazing man He gave to me.

The next day, Jon and I went to the b.e.a.utiful town of Naples. We window shopped the outdoor boutiques, ate gourmet ice-cream from my favorite shoppe-Kilwin's Fudgery, Jon bought me a beautiful dress (pictured below) at White House Black Market, and shared our story with the owner of a local art gallery.

We celebrated with Jon's friends and church family at Life Church, and enjoyed lunch out with close friends afterwards. This group of people really has God's anointed blessing on them, and it was an incredible worship experience.

Sidenote: I cannot express how truly amazing it is to know your parents love your fiance as much as you do, but it was pretty incredible to what my Paw-Paw's interaction with Jon. To have his approval for his only granddaughter's fiance meant the world.

 The trip wouldn't be complete without a movie date with our siblings! We piled in the car with Parker, Jordan, and Sarah and went to see Transformers 3D. We had such a great time, and again, meant the world to share time with our siblings during such an exciting week.

This is our proposal story. (Thanks for hanging in there, those of you who read the entire thing!) It truly was an INCREDIBLE week, and I was blown away by the love and care from Jon. Baby, you continue to blow me away!