Wining, Dining and Proposing: An Engagement Story

If you are reading this then I am sure you have already heard, Joe and I are engaged! Amid all of the texts and calls we experienced that day I noticed a few common themes throughout the day:

"It's about freakin' time!"

Yes, yes, we know. After dating for 3.5 years I knew those jokes would be inevitable. And to be honest, the timing was perfect. Our first dating anniversary we were both seniors in college, on our second I was student teaching in Buffalo and he was in pilot training, and for our third anniversary Joe was still in training while I was still searching for a teaching job. So it made sense that after he got home from deployment that the "big question" would come up. I had a feeling it was coming. I should be a ninja spy or something.

Anywho, I have also been asked many times to recant the story of how it happened so grab a chair, a fizzy drink and relax because here goes:

The day of August 26 was beautiful, sunny and well, kind of perfect. Weather-wise I mean. It was the gorgeous California weather I had expected to see when we moved her nearly a year ago. (For reference look to my last entry here to see how my California dream was totally wrong.)

It was a strange start to the day because it had not yet reached 100 degrees by lunchtime. Usually when I take Bjorn out for his morning jaunt it is stifling already. I believe the high that day was supposed to be about 78 degrees. Joe had told me earlier that he wanted to go to a winery to have lunch because, he said, why not? It was at that moment I wondered if something "special" was going to happen.

We made it to V. Sattui Winery in Napa at high noon. We had never been to that particular winery but our friends and Yelp came to our aid. The place came strongly recommended so who were we to question good food?

The winery sits atop a lush landscape complete with flowers and green grass. And as Northern Californians know, green grass is hard to come by in the summer. We entered the deli section and got basic sandwiches,  cheese, meat and crackers. We snuck in our own wine even though  we are not supposed to. Shh! Actually I don't think they really cared.

After paying for our goodies Joe and I scouted out a nice area to eat. We spotted an empty picnic table and benches in one of the side gardens. It was actually pretty secluded so it made for a peaceful lunch. Plus the sound of the leaking pipe to our left created a nice ambiance. And it also made me miss thunderstorms but such is the life of a weather nerd.

So there we were: eating our picnic lunch, drinking wine from our redneck wine glasses (courtesy of Joe's mom), chatting about random things and remarking on the oddities of the birds that were trying to get close to our food. Right before we were about to leave Joe says he wants to ask me something. "Well," I think, "this could be really good or really bad." This is the same introduction he used when he told me he loved me so I figured it was something pretty darn good.

Redneck wine glasses: great for storing wine!

He reached into his pocket, got down on one knee (which is hard to do when you are sitting next to someone on a bench and the table is very close to you) and asked me if I would do him the honor of spending the rest of my life with him. I smiled and said "Of course I will!"

Joe had originally intended to use this to propose but decided against it. But still it makes a nice keepsake!

So, about the wedding plans. Yes, I have already got those questions! It's crazy to think about because there is literally so much to process. I think I have already checked out 30-some-odd books just about wedding planning. Back to the plans: we are thinking of getting married sometime in August of next year. As for location we are not quite sure.

So here's where I turn to you, dear readers. We would prefer to get married in the Southeast somewhere because that's where most of our friends and families live. So what do you think? Vote in the poll down below and share your opinion!

Until next time! :)

--Amanda