I'M ENGAGED!! :) Last Saturday, September 18, Trent asked me if I would be his wife. I, of course, said YES!! The last four days have been filled with wedding planning, talking about our future, and reminding each other that this is real! It’s definitely exciting and both Trent and I are eager for everything to fall into place and the next 248 days to zip on by!! Monday afternoon we got our reception site booked and our date set. Sunday, May 29, 2010, the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend will the THE DAY! Everyone should start praying now for great weather that weekend =)
I will certainly share more about our wedding plans as time goes by and more and more details are set in place. My work days have definitely gotten busier, trying to fit in my work activities AND wedding planning!! =) As a little starter, I will leave you with what I wrote for our wedding website about the proposal day. I will get all of you the URL for the site as soon as it’s done so you can check out the whole site, including Trent's rendition of the day!
I will certainly share more about our wedding plans as time goes by and more and more details are set in place. My work days have definitely gotten busier, trying to fit in my work activities AND wedding planning!! =) As a little starter, I will leave you with what I wrote for our wedding website about the proposal day. I will get all of you the URL for the site as soon as it’s done so you can check out the whole site, including Trent's rendition of the day!
Have a great one!!
Kendra's Story
I woke up on Saturday, September 18, 2010 thought that I knew what was going on that day. I thought that I was going to be picked up by Trent at 8:30, we were going to drive to Dayton Oaks Camp the camp, that Trent spent a lot of time at growing up, to go hiking, and then we were going to go to his parents' house in Ankeny for a birthday party for his brother-in-law and his uncle.
The day at least started off as I thought it would. Trent came and picked me up. It was a pretty gloomy and rainy day, but we weren't going to let that ruin our plans. And you can bet that Trent gave me enough chances to get out of going hiking, but I knew he really wanted to go and I was really excited about sharing my first real hiking experience with him. It was a pretty fun three hour drive there, just talking and singing with Trent. We arrived at Dayton Oaks Camp, got out of the car and went to the trunk to get the backpack out that had our water and the camera in it. I was kind of surprised when Trent held out the backpack for me to put on, but didn't think anything much of it because he pulled out an umbrella and said he was going to carry that. I thought that would be better to carry the backpack on my back rather than have to carry an umbrella in my hand, so off we went.
We walked hand and hand down the path to get to the trail we were going to take. We passed different cabins as Trent told me about which ones he'd stayed in, what they were like on the inside, different maintenance he had done to them as a counselor at the camp, and a few memories he had of going to camp and staying in those cabins. We walked up to a circle around a campfire, and it was at that point Trent told me that that was the place where he devoted his life to Christ. I was so happy and honored that I could be at that place with him and that he could share that part of his life with me. It was at that moment that I really realized how much this place meant to him and it crossed my mind that this could be where he asks me to be his wife. But, as Trent would tell you, I think about that he could propose to me pretty much no matter what we're doing, so the thought passed, and we started off onto the trail for our hike.
We walked down steep hills, around trees, and over creeks. I am very impressed with myself that I didn't slip and fall down a hill in the mud or anything! Trent told me about how he used to know the trails really well and how he and a friend of had even marked some of the trail that we were following. We hiked a while and ended up at a very beautiful creek. It sounded like the creek setting that you would have on a nature sounds alarm clock. After we left the creek we hiked up a really steep hill, and when we got to the top of the hill, I walked up to the ledge of the hill and couldn't believe how beautiful it was. We were on a very high ledge overlooking the creek we had just been at, as well as, trees as far as I could see across on the other side of the ravine. The place where we were at was called "The Top of the World." There was a sign nailed to a tree, so Trent told me to turn around so he could get the camera out of the backpack to take my picture (I didn't know at the time that that was all he was grabbing out of the backpack). I went and stood by the sign and Trent took my picture. I then went to try to grab the camera from him so I could get his picture by the sign, but he didn't hand it to me. Instead he put his arms out to hug me and told me to come over to him. He hugged me and told me he loved me and then he stepped back to look at me. It was then he told me that he knew for a long while that he wanted to marry me, and he might have said something else, but at that point I realized for sure what was happening and I think that I blacked out from the happiness for a second. Next thing I know he is grabbing something from his back pocket and getting down on one knee and the words "Will you marry me?" came from his mouth. And of course I said YES!! We hugged and I cried and I was so excited I was shaking. It was amazing. I then looked at the ring he had been holding and couldn't believe how beautiful it was, and that it was mine! I put the ring on and couldn't stop smiling. I couldn't believe what had just happened, and that I was now engaged to the most wonderful man, the man of my dreams!
I went back down by the tree that I had just taken a picture by moments earlier and took the 'after' picture. I couldn't have hid my happiness if I tried. Trent and I then sat down and looked at the beautiful place we were in. I really wanted to just soak the whole thing in.
Trent then told me that the birthday party that I thought we were going to that evening was made up and that we were meeting the in-laws for lunch. (We were both getting in-laws!!) That was such a great surprise and I was so happy that we were going to see them and could share this great day with them.
It wasn't until we got to Boone for lunch that I really realized how special this day was. Trent's mom then shared that the 18th of September was her late mother's birthday. I was so incredibly honored that Trent and I could bring happiness to their family on a day that is usually a bit sad.
After lunch, we had a fun time getting to go see our family members and share the good news with them. We went to Adel to surprise his sister and her family to tell them the great news. Trent's 3 year old niece filled us in on the fact that when Trent and I get married, I will be Aunt Kendra. That was something that I hadn't thought about yet, but just another great thing that comes along with marrying Trent. We then drove to tell my grandparents, aunt and uncle, sister and cousins. It was great to share that news with them all!!
When we finally made it back to Omaha, Trent dropped me off at my apartment so I could shower and then I was going to go over to his apartment so he could "watch some of the Iowa game." But when I walked into his apartment, there were two dozen roses sitting on the counter, the apartment was romantically lit, there was music on, and he was making us supper. After a long and exciting day, it was great to sit with my now fiance and talk about the day as well as talk about what our future together will hold.
The whole day was just perfect. I was literally on "top of the world." I am so happy that Trent and I now have such an amazing memory together at a place that has meant so much to him throughout in his life. A place that was so important in shaping him into the man he is today. A man that I am lucky to be able to say is my future husband!
Kendra's Story
I woke up on Saturday, September 18, 2010 thought that I knew what was going on that day. I thought that I was going to be picked up by Trent at 8:30, we were going to drive to Dayton Oaks Camp the camp, that Trent spent a lot of time at growing up, to go hiking, and then we were going to go to his parents' house in Ankeny for a birthday party for his brother-in-law and his uncle.
The day at least started off as I thought it would. Trent came and picked me up. It was a pretty gloomy and rainy day, but we weren't going to let that ruin our plans. And you can bet that Trent gave me enough chances to get out of going hiking, but I knew he really wanted to go and I was really excited about sharing my first real hiking experience with him. It was a pretty fun three hour drive there, just talking and singing with Trent. We arrived at Dayton Oaks Camp, got out of the car and went to the trunk to get the backpack out that had our water and the camera in it. I was kind of surprised when Trent held out the backpack for me to put on, but didn't think anything much of it because he pulled out an umbrella and said he was going to carry that. I thought that would be better to carry the backpack on my back rather than have to carry an umbrella in my hand, so off we went.
We walked hand and hand down the path to get to the trail we were going to take. We passed different cabins as Trent told me about which ones he'd stayed in, what they were like on the inside, different maintenance he had done to them as a counselor at the camp, and a few memories he had of going to camp and staying in those cabins. We walked up to a circle around a campfire, and it was at that point Trent told me that that was the place where he devoted his life to Christ. I was so happy and honored that I could be at that place with him and that he could share that part of his life with me. It was at that moment that I really realized how much this place meant to him and it crossed my mind that this could be where he asks me to be his wife. But, as Trent would tell you, I think about that he could propose to me pretty much no matter what we're doing, so the thought passed, and we started off onto the trail for our hike.
We walked down steep hills, around trees, and over creeks. I am very impressed with myself that I didn't slip and fall down a hill in the mud or anything! Trent told me about how he used to know the trails really well and how he and a friend of had even marked some of the trail that we were following. We hiked a while and ended up at a very beautiful creek. It sounded like the creek setting that you would have on a nature sounds alarm clock. After we left the creek we hiked up a really steep hill, and when we got to the top of the hill, I walked up to the ledge of the hill and couldn't believe how beautiful it was. We were on a very high ledge overlooking the creek we had just been at, as well as, trees as far as I could see across on the other side of the ravine. The place where we were at was called "The Top of the World." There was a sign nailed to a tree, so Trent told me to turn around so he could get the camera out of the backpack to take my picture (I didn't know at the time that that was all he was grabbing out of the backpack). I went and stood by the sign and Trent took my picture. I then went to try to grab the camera from him so I could get his picture by the sign, but he didn't hand it to me. Instead he put his arms out to hug me and told me to come over to him. He hugged me and told me he loved me and then he stepped back to look at me. It was then he told me that he knew for a long while that he wanted to marry me, and he might have said something else, but at that point I realized for sure what was happening and I think that I blacked out from the happiness for a second. Next thing I know he is grabbing something from his back pocket and getting down on one knee and the words "Will you marry me?" came from his mouth. And of course I said YES!! We hugged and I cried and I was so excited I was shaking. It was amazing. I then looked at the ring he had been holding and couldn't believe how beautiful it was, and that it was mine! I put the ring on and couldn't stop smiling. I couldn't believe what had just happened, and that I was now engaged to the most wonderful man, the man of my dreams!
I went back down by the tree that I had just taken a picture by moments earlier and took the 'after' picture. I couldn't have hid my happiness if I tried. Trent and I then sat down and looked at the beautiful place we were in. I really wanted to just soak the whole thing in.
Trent then told me that the birthday party that I thought we were going to that evening was made up and that we were meeting the in-laws for lunch. (We were both getting in-laws!!) That was such a great surprise and I was so happy that we were going to see them and could share this great day with them.
It wasn't until we got to Boone for lunch that I really realized how special this day was. Trent's mom then shared that the 18th of September was her late mother's birthday. I was so incredibly honored that Trent and I could bring happiness to their family on a day that is usually a bit sad.
After lunch, we had a fun time getting to go see our family members and share the good news with them. We went to Adel to surprise his sister and her family to tell them the great news. Trent's 3 year old niece filled us in on the fact that when Trent and I get married, I will be Aunt Kendra. That was something that I hadn't thought about yet, but just another great thing that comes along with marrying Trent. We then drove to tell my grandparents, aunt and uncle, sister and cousins. It was great to share that news with them all!!
When we finally made it back to Omaha, Trent dropped me off at my apartment so I could shower and then I was going to go over to his apartment so he could "watch some of the Iowa game." But when I walked into his apartment, there were two dozen roses sitting on the counter, the apartment was romantically lit, there was music on, and he was making us supper. After a long and exciting day, it was great to sit with my now fiance and talk about the day as well as talk about what our future together will hold.
The whole day was just perfect. I was literally on "top of the world." I am so happy that Trent and I now have such an amazing memory together at a place that has meant so much to him throughout in his life. A place that was so important in shaping him into the man he is today. A man that I am lucky to be able to say is my future husband!
