Proposing

From very early on in our relationship I have been ready to marry her. As I pondered and prayed as to whether I should be with her I felt that I received a witness that she and I could be happy together, from that point forward it has been about how she felt.

Ryann has had the idea that she would know her husband when she saw him. She never saw a beam of light shine down on me or anything like that and though she knew I was good and that I love her, she didn't know if there was someone else out there.

I had been feeling like she she was overcoming her fears and concerns recently and during the Sunday afternoon session of General Conference she gave me a note that said she wanted me to take her ring shopping. Okay I think things are ready to go forward.

Before the note I had taken my great grandmother's wedding ring into a jewelry shop to get cleaned and repaired. When I had gotten home after picking it up father saw me walking around with it and I told him I didn't know what to do with it. He suggested I put it in his safe. What a great idea. But everytime mom knew I was going to be with Ryann she would ask "do I need to go get something from the safe for you" when she asked on Sunday I said "no, but probably tomorrow"

On Sunday I also asked Ryann if she wanted to go kayaking on monday since we did not get to go on our t-shirt date.

Monday after school I went to parents and worked with dad in the goat pen while waiting for Ryann to come around, and after she arrived I got cleaned up while she worked with justin on homework.

Mom invited us to stay for dinner but we wanted to eat on the lake, so we declined. She then went and got the ring out for me and gave it to me. David and Denise asked how I was doing and gave me a bit of a hard time but Ryann did not even notice.

We grabbed Subway for dinner since we hadn't gotten a more romantic picnic packed and went to the lake. We checked out a canoe from the aquatic center and found out we only had 45 minutes before the aquatic center closed. We paddeled out on the lake and went into on of the coves for a while, and then returned the boat. We drove over to the overlook on the bluffs and went over to our picnic spot.
We sat on our picnic blanket and ate then I asked if we could do some questions from our Questions for LDS Couples book. She agreed, so we went through about six questions and watched to see the temple lights come on. During this whole time I had been playing with the ring behind her back even rubbing it on her shoulder, she didn't notice.

I suggested we have a prayer and she offered it. When she reached to hold my hand for prayer I got nervous since I was holding the ring, I slipped it on my finger and took her hand, she didn't notice. After prayer, as she started to pack up, I said "there is an important question that isn't in the book" she said "yeah there are a lot of things that could be in there." I got on one knee, she noticed. I said "Ryann Bowns, will you marry me?" Her eyes got big then she got a serious look on her face, then she said "yes."

She put the ring on. There was a hug and a kiss and then we went home to tell the good news to our family.