Kyle and I started dating on October 21st, 2007- 4 days after my 17th birthday. Exactly four years later the cheeseball proposed. It’s not a crazy story, but it’s a cute one.

I was a junior in college and Kyle was driving up to pick me up from my apartment for a date/birthday/anniversary night. I lived with 3 girls: Sarah, Megan, & Kelly. Sarah and I were closest and I was raiding her closet that afternoon. (Pause. It’s weird to use the word closest and closet in the same sentence.)

For some reason all my roommates were convinced that K was going to proposed. I had serious doubts but the pressure to wear the right outfit was suddenly very, very great. K and I had discussed marriage, but he knew I didn’t want to wear the ball & chain until I was done with undergrad. For that reason I (kind of) wrote off the idea of a proposal. Nevertheless, I settled on the Sarah’s pretty blue dress and packed an overnight bag (at K’s request).

He picked me up and said he had everything planned out. First stop was dinner.

Kyle wasn’t nervous and he wasn’t being weird so I tried to be cool. We had a delicious dinner and I had my first legal drink in a restaurant. It was a birthday martini and it was gross. K was really nice about it and told me I didn’t need to finish it if I didn’t like it. This was weird because he was being super nice to me. It also confirmed that he wouldn’t be proposing with a hidden ring at the bottom of the martini. Pressure was off and I put the idea to rest.

After dinner we ended up at Starbucks and K said he wasn’t sure where to go next. This frustrated me a little because he was supposed to plan the whole date. We finished our coffee and he said we needed to go or he’d have to use the restroom again. (Pause, again. Why this ultimatum made any sense is beyond me. Why would it be bad for him to use the restroom again? Why did we have to leave? Why were we leaving to just drive around if he potentially had to go to the bathroom? I have no idea, but it made perfect sense in the moment.)

We left Starbucks and pulled into an empty parking lot of what used to be Coldstone Creamery. The building was being transformed into a Menchies and it was under construction. I thought we had parked to decided on a game plan or look at movies that were playing. Kyle said he figured it was as good a time as any to give me my anniversary gift.

We were sitting in his truck and I thought he was reaching into the backseat for something but he pulled a little black box out of his left pocket and opened it.

The ring was g.o.r.g.e.o.u.s. Kyle said some very nice things. He said he brought me to where we’d had our first date (Coldstone) and ….

At that point I was so excited and overcome with emotions I tuned him out and still have NO IDEA WHAT HE SAID. I even asked him to repeat it later that night and he refused.

Anyway, I totally said yes and we called our parents and best friends and told them all the news. It was so much fun to tell everyone. My parents, his parents, our best friend Roman, and K’s sister Lori all knew he was planning to ask me.

– Kyle’s parents were at a bar with friends and when he told them I said “yes” they announced it to the entire bar.

– My parents were actually confused on the date and the weekend prior, when they didn’t get an excited call from me, they called Kyle and gently asked him if he was ok (thinking he’d been turned down). Obviously he hadn’t asked yet.

– My brother flipped out.

– I told my grandma that K asked me to marry him, but I forgot to say that I’d said yes. She had to double check before we hung up the phone.

So K had me pack a bag because he booked us a room at a fancy-schmancy hotel that evening. All in all, it was a fantastic evening. All my roommates were so proud of themselves for being correct. K and I set our wedding date that night, too.

I had no idea this engagement was coming. Yes, we’d talked about marriage and yes, I had no doubt I’d be with Kyle forever and yes, we’d been together for 4 years, but my hubby picked out the ring all by himself and never gave any indication that he’d been looking for one.

I think it’s also important to note that I gave him a pretty awesome travel mug with Beaker (the muppet) on it, as well as a mixed CD. Fiancee of the year, folks.

Did you know when the “big questions” was coming? Did you pick out the ring before hand? Maybe you asked him! Tell me about your engagement!

-Louise