Usually I blog because I need to write. Tonight is different than usual, however, because I need to write, but I can't find the words. This has been a recent problem the last couple days. I need to explain how happy I am, how much I love him, how excited I am to spend the rest of my life with him, but for the first time I can recall the wonderfully vast and beautiful English language can't put words to my feelings.
Thanksgiving day Steven told me that he had a surprise date for Saturday morning. I asked if there was any amount of begging that would eventually make him cave into telling me the surprise, and when he promised me there was no way, I gave up and waited patiently. The next day he told me we would be leaving at 5:45am for our date, and to dress nice and bring a coat. He also got
another secret phone call that he spoke completely in vague, neutral responses. I am a nosy person, and this was silently killing me! Later that night we were walking around the SanTan Mall in Gilbert Arizona when ducked into a ring store to look at more rings. This was the point where I confidently crossed off engagement for our Saturday morning date. One down and a thousand other possibilities still on the list.
Finally, Saturday morning came and we set off...to a gas station. We got a drink, and set off...to another gas station. I was left to wait patiently in the car while he went in, and as he got back I asked if it was even worth asking why we went to two. He said no, and I stopped begging. We started driving and about 15 minutes later he got another secret phone call. Good thing I trust Steven or I might've started believing him when his response to my questions about who was calling was always his "other girlfriend". We were running late, probably because we stopped at not one but
two gas stations, but we pulled into this golf resort around 6:20am. We rolled up next to this truck that, for lack of any better description, was the most redneck truck ever. I mean, I grew up in small town Idaho and this was even tipping the scales of redneck. We met the driver, a rather unique looking albeit nice guy, and climbed into this truck. Again, I'm glad I trust Steven or I would've been scared he'd hired his own grave digger and I was off to my death via a jacked up diesel hearse. The driver is making small talk with Steve about how he has been flying for 20 years with this company or that, but now he is the only person in the area that does ballooning...hold it!! Flying...ballooning..HOT AIR BALLOON! As I climbed in the truck earlier I noticed a familiar looking fan thing amidst all the covered stuff in the bed of the truck, but now I recognized what that was. It was the fan used to fill the balloon! I grabbed Steven's arm and his smile told me everything. I didn't know what to do with myself! I wanted to laugh and yell but I didn't want to creep the driver out, and I wanted to jump up and down, but I also didn't want to die in this truck that was currently off roading over the Arizona desert. We stopped to check the wind, and we were both sad to hear that it was too windy to fly from this area. Steven was upset at this, and I was just happy to be riding in a truck that was carrying a hot air balloon! We drove in the other direction hoping to find calmer winds, but we were warned we might not be flying that morning. Luckily, the next place we stopped was calm enough to fly, and we were told it would be ready to fly in 15 minutes.
Steven and I were still sitting in the truck about to get out and watch the balloon inflate when he hands me this little box with a bow on top. This was a fancy box that was small and shaped like a ring box. Don't ever give a girl a small, square box unless it has a ring in it. He just kinda handed it to me and said this is a sign of things to hopefully come. I honestly didn't know what to do with it, and I said that. "Steve, I don't know what to do with this." I know he is smart enough to not propose like this...I hope. He told me to open it and so I did. Inside was the prettiest, biggest, sweetest...Ring Pop! We have a running joke about getting a ring pop for a ring, and this also explained the gas station detours on the way. I laughed and loved that it was a green ring pop. I love how most of Steven's belongings are green. :)
After that laugh we got out and watched the balloon inflate. At one point Steven helped hold the it open and as the balloon pilot flipped on the burner right under Steve's arm, he jumped so high! His nerves must have been a little on edge ;)
I was giddy with excitement. I
love hot air balloons. It's a floating ball of color! How can you now love that?! Steve was kind enough to wake up with me at 5:30am on the 4th of July this year to go to the Hot Air Balloon festival with me, so he knows how much I love them. I remember the occasional sighting of a balloon as it would float over our farm fields in Idaho, and I distinctly remember one afternoon I was on a little old tractor racking hay for a neighbor when I just turned the tractor off and watched the balloon float across the valley. I love them, but not as much as I love Steve.
We climb in and slowly start rising in the air. For an hour we just floated just over 11 miles across the desert. At one point we were going 20mph, but my hair wasn't even blowing. The balloon is a part of the wind, so there is no wind chill, resistance or really any evidence that you are moving. It was the most peaceful 2,000 feet in the air ride. In the picture you can see the hot air balloon's shadow. Have I mentioned how great it was? It was great!!
As we were getting closer to where we were going to land Steve asked the pilot to take a picture or two. We took this one and continued flying. I didn't realize it, but that was supposed to be it, but Steve said he forgot what he was going to say! Everything went blank and he just quietly took the camera back. I was just happily floating along!
The pilot told us we would be landing in about 10 minutes when Steven asked him to take a couple more pictures, we took another couple and when he went to hand the camera back to Steven he asked the pilot to hang on to it for a second. What?! Oh, boy. That's when I knew something was happening. Steve was sweet and loving as he talked to me for a second and then, even though there wasn't a whole lot of room in the basket, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. Here is where my beloved English language fails me. I wish I could explain to him how happy and in love I am with him--especially at that moment, but there just aren't words for it. Nothing has ever felt so right, so peaceful and so easy as saying yes. Well...I guess I didn't say yes right at first. I told him it would be an awkward ride down to the ground if I said no, huh? Later he told me it would've been a quick trip actually because I would be, well, overboard! :)
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| This is my favorite picture. I remember thinking how wonderful it is to be in his arms. I love him :) |
That's the last thing I remember of the ride. I know we descended 2,000 feet, floated over a town and landed, but after saying yes, the next thing I remember is the pilot telling me to bend my knees to absorb the bump landing. We safely landed and had the traditional drink after. At the end of each balloon ride it is tradition to drink champagne (we had sparkling cider though). We took pictures while they packed up the balloon and headed back to our car. On the 20 minute drive to our car, Steve fell asleep. It is not a comfortable truck but I laughed as he completely crashed afterwards.
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| Nailed it. |
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| We had to do our most posh poses for this. |
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| He's the best man I've ever met. I love everything about him and us. |
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| He picked it out, and it is perfect. I love it, but mostly I just love him! |
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| He makes me happier than I have ever been before. |
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| We were taking this ourselves, so we missed me, but he's more important anyways! |
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| I love everything about it, but mostly I love that he picked it. |
Steve and I started off a little unorthodox, but the last 7 months have been the best I've ever had. I love the way he loves me, I love his eyes, his patience, his logical thinking (we counterbalance each other there!), his humor, his smell, the way he treats his little brothers and sister, the way he loves his mom and dad, how hard he works and how hard he plays. I love his spirituality and his mission. I love his flaws (which there are very few) and, most importantly, I trust him. I couldn't be happier to be by his side as his future wife.
Finally, Saturday morning came and we set off...to a gas station. We got a drink, and set off...to another gas station. I was left to wait patiently in the car while he went in, and as he got back I asked if it was even worth asking why we went to two. He said no, and I stopped begging. We started driving and about 15 minutes later he got another secret phone call. Good thing I trust Steven or I might've started believing him when his response to my questions about who was calling was always his "other girlfriend". We were running late, probably because we stopped at not one but two gas stations, but we pulled into this golf resort around 6:20am. We rolled up next to this truck that, for lack of any better description, was the most redneck truck ever. I mean, I grew up in small town Idaho and this was even tipping the scales of redneck. We met the driver, a rather unique looking albeit nice guy, and climbed into this truck. Again, I'm glad I trust Steven or I would've been scared he'd hired his own grave digger and I was off to my death via a jacked up diesel hearse. The driver is making small talk with Steve about how he has been flying for 20 years with this company or that, but now he is the only person in the area that does ballooning...hold it!! Flying...ballooning..HOT AIR BALLOON! As I climbed in the truck earlier I noticed a familiar looking fan thing amidst all the covered stuff in the bed of the truck, but now I recognized what that was. It was the fan used to fill the balloon! I grabbed Steven's arm and his smile told me everything. I didn't know what to do with myself! I wanted to laugh and yell but I didn't want to creep the driver out, and I wanted to jump up and down, but I also didn't want to die in this truck that was currently off roading over the Arizona desert. We stopped to check the wind, and we were both sad to hear that it was too windy to fly from this area. Steven was upset at this, and I was just happy to be riding in a truck that was carrying a hot air balloon! We drove in the other direction hoping to find calmer winds, but we were warned we might not be flying that morning. Luckily, the next place we stopped was calm enough to fly, and we were told it would be ready to fly in 15 minutes.
Steven and I were still sitting in the truck about to get out and watch the balloon inflate when he hands me this little box with a bow on top. This was a fancy box that was small and shaped like a ring box. Don't ever give a girl a small, square box unless it has a ring in it. He just kinda handed it to me and said this is a sign of things to hopefully come. I honestly didn't know what to do with it, and I said that. "Steve, I don't know what to do with this." I know he is smart enough to not propose like this...I hope. He told me to open it and so I did. Inside was the prettiest, biggest, sweetest...Ring Pop! We have a running joke about getting a ring pop for a ring, and this also explained the gas station detours on the way. I laughed and loved that it was a green ring pop. I love how most of Steven's belongings are green. :)
After that laugh we got out and watched the balloon inflate. At one point Steven helped hold the it open and as the balloon pilot flipped on the burner right under Steve's arm, he jumped so high! His nerves must have been a little on edge ;)
We climb in and slowly start rising in the air. For an hour we just floated just over 11 miles across the desert. At one point we were going 20mph, but my hair wasn't even blowing. The balloon is a part of the wind, so there is no wind chill, resistance or really any evidence that you are moving. It was the most peaceful 2,000 feet in the air ride. In the picture you can see the hot air balloon's shadow. Have I mentioned how great it was? It was great!!
