I said YES!

Ryan and I are going through Merge at Watermark, which is a pre-marital class that you can do if you are seriously dating or engaged. They told us the first night that the most important decision you make in your life is to accept Christ as your Lord & Savior. The second most important decision you will make in your life is who you choose to marry. When Ryan asked me to be his bride, it was the easiest question I've ever been asked...

Before the proposal- I had no idea that Ryan went to my parent's house on Monday to chat with them and ask them if he could propose. I'm so glad they said yes! We had talked about rings only a few times and I told him that I loved the oval or pear shape, and my dream would be to have a yellow diamond. What I didn't know is that Ryan had been ring shopping for a couple weeks. He had designed my ring with Scott Polk and the ring came in just in time, 5pm on Friday. Ryan picked up the ring, dropped it off at this house, and then picked me up for my birthday dinner. We went to Tillman's in Bishop Arts and it was amazing. I had no clue what was coming the next day. When he left me that night his sister called him and informed him that the March of Dimes actually had a walk the next day at White Rock Lake where he wanted to propose. There were 40,000 people signed up to be there! Ryan spent the rest of the evening and early Saturday morning trying to figure out if he would even be able to take me to "our spot" or if he would have to come up with something else. Fortunately he got information of a parking lot near by that we would be able to get to. He still wondered what it would be like to propose with all that going on. Ryan had told me he wanted to take me for a birthday picnic at White Rock and that we'd be going after to a nicer birthday lunch for his mom so I could wear something cute if I wanted. His mom's birthday was the day before mine and we hadn't gotten to celebrate her yet so this made total sense to me. We have gone out to White Rock for picnics throughout our relationship so that wasn't out of the ordinary either. He also had told me that week that he had Sunday planned for us to go look at rings, so I had no idea that he already had one and was going to be proposing. 

Photo by Chris Landry

The proposal- Ryan picked me up and we went out to White Rock Lake around 9am. He brought my picnic basket that my Aunt Diane & Uncle Dale gave me for Christmas and Ryan knows how special it is to me. We sat down and he started taking breakfast out of the basket, I still had no clue. He then pulled out a bottle of champagne and said something about celebrating my 30th birthday. This was the first moment I thought, wait champagne? At 9am? He took out his phone and showed me a picture of this exact spot that he had taken last summer. He started telling me how this was the exact spot he first prayed about whether or not he should pursue me, and he knew the answer to that was yes. I already started tearing up. He then pulled out his journal I had bought him while we were in Haiti out of the basket. He said he wanted to read me some of what he had written these past nine months. He shared with me prayers he had prayed, scripture that he read that made him think of me, and moments when he knew he loved me and wanted to marry me. He talked about what biblically a marriage looks like (Ephesians 5:21-32) and that he wanted to love me the way Christ loved the church. He quoted this from Song of Solomon to me and I couldn't hold back my tears...

"How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh how beautiful...Like a lily among thorns is my darling among young women...you have stolen my heart, my bride, you have stolen my heart..." 

He got down on one knee and for the first time in our relationship told me he loved me. This was something he wanted to wait and say until he could promise us forever. He reached into the picnic basket and pulled out the ring box and opened it up. He asked me, "Will you be my bride?" 

Right as he got on one knee all the March of Dimes people must have stopped behind me, I was facing the lake with my back to everything going on, but you could hear them saying "look he is proposing", "they are getting engaged", "look!" As soon as I said yes and gave him a kiss you could hear probably 100 people start clapping and cheering. It was awesome. After a few moments of telling Ryan for the first time that I love him I realized our dear friend Chris Landry had been there the whole time capturing it all in pictures. He took some amazing shots and I can't wait to see all of them. 

Photo by Chris Landry

The ring- He got me the most beautiful oval yellow diamond I have ever seen. It has a halo and diamonds on the band. It's more than I ever could have dreamed of.

My nephew Garrett

After the proposal- We called our families and had some time to ourselves. Ryan said we needed to head up to my sister's house that he had talked to her about us going to see them. When we got there I was so surprised he had both of our families all there for a celebration lunch. It meant so much to me to get to have our families all sit around the table together and just hang out. So special. 

We then went to my friend Brittany's house for what I had thought was going to be a 30th birthday party. It was that and so much more! My friends had already bought "She said Yes" cakes for us and had pictures printed and framed, including one from the proposal in a frame for everyone to sign! They had food catered in and I was overwhelmed by all the sweet cards and gifts. I've never felt so loved in my life. 

I promise I'll stop taking pics with hand in the air :)

It truly has been overwhelming taking in how much the Lord has blessed me with an amazing family, and now family that I get to be apart of. Incredible friends that I don't know what I would do without. Ryan, the most godly man I know who wants to spend the rest of his life with me. He has lead me so well in every area of our relationship: physically, emotionally, spiritually. He has been consistent, honest, patient, forgiving, and always comes through. I can't think of a day where he hasn't made me feel cherished and cared for. He's been an example to me of seeing me the way Christ sees me, and I am a better Christ-follower because of him. He is truly my best friend. I love him so much and am so happy I finally get to tell him every day! I tear up even now writing this. God has been so good to me and I just pray that Ryan and I's relationship/marriage would always glorify Him. I pray that we love each other selflessly and continue to seek God first.

Thank you all for the sweet calls, text messages, facebook messages etc. Ryan and I have been overwhelmed by everyone's love and support. Thank you, thank you, thank you! 

~The future Mrs. Wall!