Our Engagement Story

July 4th of this year will make me and Hendrik's 4 year dating anniversary.  Back in the Summer of 2016 we had talked more serious about marriage. Nothing too heavy as I felt no pressure to be married I was perfectly happy with where we were.  I knew we were both committed to the relationship and the end result for both of us was marriage to each other so I was content to let it happen in it's own time.  Around August he blatantly came out and pretty much said well if we ever get engaged you're going to have to give me some ring ideas because I don't know anything about it.  I said well I'm not going to pick out my ring I think that should be something you make the decision on but I'll send you some ideas of what I like and you can take it from there.

Here are some of the ideas that I had pinned that I sent to Hendrik.

A few days later he said that he only like a couple of the ideas I sent him and I said ok well you do what you think.  Not too long after that over dinner he said...well you never even told me your ring size. So I told him 7!  I obviously knew at this point that he was thinking heavily on the idea but I didn't ask questions or push.  He then talked to me about a jewelry maker so I got him a contact of the jeweler that Elizabeth used.  I think....something might be in the works!  A few weeks before we were leaving on our trip Hendrik asked me the EXACT day we were leaving...I had already told a couple of my closest friends and my mom that I really hoped he proposed while we were on vacation.  I thought it would be so memorable especially since we were going to really exotic places.  I also wasn't getting my hopes up because if Hendrik is anything it is in HIS OWN TIME!  So I all but forgot about the proposal as the days slipped by.  

Before I knew it we were standing in the departure terminal with my purse and the one back that I had packed.  I didn't think he would be carrying a ring all over the world in his pants pocket and I knew nothing slipped in the suit case so I thought well not this trip and off we went.  We went through our trip and I thought maybe I had misread the situation we had a couple snorkel trips planned that fell through both in Phuket and in Bali.  We both love snorkeling and that would have been the best idea.  On the day we were going surfing and I was going to train at Tiger Muay Thai I was unpacking the backpack to pack with our gear for the day and came across a small box buried in the bottom of the back pack.  I grabbed it out and it was a small present box not necessarily a ring box...my mind didn't grasp what I had and I turned to ask Hendrik what it was...he snatched it up and by that time I had sort of gathered what it was but didn't think too much about it and I for sure didn't bring it up to him...LOL  

The rest of our trip carried on as planned and we got down to the last day in Bali, October 23, 2016.  I did my hair and dressed in what clothes that I had left that were clean and cute.  We set out on our cultural day...See about our entire trip HERE and the details of that day's adventures HERE.  I sort of figured that if it was going to happen that of course it would be today on our last day.  We went on through our day and we made it to the last stop... the rice terraces. I was most excited about this stop on our tour today and it was absolutely breathtaking.

We asked the tour guide to come along with us and at first he declined but Hendrik said yes, we will pay for you to come and you can take pictures...I didn't think much of it as he had taken pictures for us in the monkey forest as well.  We hiked up and around the terraces and made it to a look out point with a small bench. We took pictures there and then stood and took pictures at the point.  I was ready to ask for my camera back and Hendrik said lets get a few more...I was like dang..how many pictures do we need but when I turned back around he was down on one knee with the ring box and he asked me to marry him.  I said yes of course and all I remember is our driver yelling...OMG!! Engagement and ring, ring, and then he asked to see my ring. LOL I was so distracted by him that I forgot to even kiss Hendrik until after we took EVEN MORE pictures LOL.  I was on cloud nine.  Of course through our hike it was drizzling rain so my cute hair was ruined by the day's humidity and rain!

Not only were we touring the most breathtaking place in Bali but I just got proposed to on vacation.  It was the best proposal I could have imagined.  We talked on the car ride back to the hotel and the remainder of the trip about how he got the ring past me, who all knew about it, and his original plans to propose during our snorkel trip.  I think the plan worked out just the way it was supposed to and I couldn't imagine it any other way.

Not only did Hendrik pull off the perfect proposal but he also gave me the perfect ring that he had custom made at a local jeweler in Winnsboro.  It was designed off the second example from above.  He did a fantastic job on all fronts!  Not only did we have the most amazing trip traveling around two several different countries but it ended on the highest note possible... coming home engaged!  Now we are only 2 weeks away from our wedding and then off to our honeymoon!

Stay tuned for wedding posts in the upcoming month!