The Engagement Story

It all started on a spring afternoon at Quizno's . . . fast-forward nine months to a couple weeks ago and Jennifer and I are picking out our engagement ring. We find the ring at an Antique Jeweler in Salt Lake called Antoinette's. I forget the guys name, but he was great to work with - a stark contrast from most everywhere we went. We talked about putting it on lay-away until I could come up with enough funds to purchase it outright.
The next Monday I went in and got the ring keeping Jennifer under the impression that it was reserved with a down payment. It took me till Friday before I could get Jennifer to another Jeweler's shop to get her finger sized since the ring was a tad too big. I then scheduled to talk to her Father, David, about wanting to marry his daughter. As always he was the nicest guy and while talking to him he made me feel very welcome and comfortable. He gave me his approval and made me that much more excited to be a part of their family.
Then first thing the next day I went in to get the ring sized and appraised. It was going to be ready on Friday . . . so I figured that was the day. I planned an activity in the snow - making snowmen and shooting with her new Diana F+ camera for the first time. The weather didn't cooperate so we ended up changing plans to Saturday morning - January 23rd. There wasn't any snow in the valley so we went up Big Cottonwood where there was plenty of snow to spare. Parking near the entrance of the Dog Lake trail head we proceeded to attempt a Snow-Sam and a Snow-Jen.

The snow would have been great for riding, but wasn't packing well at all. So we ended up just making mini-snowmen, but it still did the trick. Snow-Jen was decked out with blue button eyes and a hat-scarf, while mine had red-sunshades and a Ute scarf. Mine also was strategically designed with his right 'stick-arm' reaching forward toward Snow-Jen. While Jennifer's back was turned changing cameras I placed the ring box on the outreached stick.

After a couple more shots she still hadn't noticed the box so I mentioned how it was funny that mine looked like it was giving hers something. That caught her attention and she went over to get the box. She paused and looked back at me, warning, "This isn't a mean joke is it?" I reassured her and then she picked up the box. All too giddy, she opened it . . . and . . . it was empty. She looked at me sternly and confused as I quickly showed her the ring in my hand. After some odd, but cute, noises came out of her with excitement I got down on one knee and properly proposed. She said yes, luckily, and then there we were - officially engaged to be married to each other for time and all eternity! June 16th will not come soon enough. . .