Of Course I Will

Over the past decade, many times I had hoped that one day things would work themselves out, and Wyet and I would end up together. For the past few years, I have been nothing but certain I would spend the rest of my life with him. Since the beginning of the year, I have known that this would be, by far, the best year of our lives. Regardless, I wasn't prepared and was hardly expecting what happened on April 11, 2015.

Saturday, April 11 was an ordinary weekend morning. Wyet woke up before me, as usual, and brewed us a pot of coffee. Rather than making us a home cooked breakfast as per usual, we went down to the local taco shop to indulge a little. Earlier in the week, Wyet had mentioned he wanted to go hiking so I was not surprised when he asked again if I still wanted to go. I love hiking and hadn't been since before winter so I was definitely ready for some fresh air.

As always, we packed a picnic lunch to take hiking with us. I made a few sandwiches and filled our nalgene bottles up with water while Wyet packed our backpacks. Needless to say, I threw on my best looking hiking outfit {compromising of a pair of mom jeans, hiking shoes and the grubbiest hat I own}, and we were off.

Wyet wanted to hike the Salt Creek Trail as he had just been on it the weekend before for a trail run. He wanted to show me how much the trail had changed since our last hike. We began our hike, and I must admit, it was amazing. We were finally getting outside and doing something. I felt like we had been cooped up in that little house for far too long. I was loving the sunshine and activeness.

Naturally, as time went on the hunger kicked in {and a hungry Carissa is never a good thing}. I began to get agitated and wanted to sit down and eat. Wyet kept insisting we go just a little bit farther - that there is a really nice spot to sit down just around the corner. This went on for close to an hour. Quickly, the hunger turned to hanger, and damnit I was ready to eat. After getting a little pouty {and snappy} Wyet finally found a place that he deemed worthy of our picnic area. Granted, it was beautiful. It was in a sunny patch right next to the creek with huge trees all around us. It was breathtaking.

As I pulled off my backpack to get our lunch, I asked Wyet if he remembered to pack a blanket. As he answered yes, I turned around to get it from him to find him not unpacking his lunch and relaxing, but rather down on one knee with that rare grin which he reserves just for me. Before I even had a chance to catch my breath he stuttered, "Will you? Will you marry me?"

As the tears streamed down my face, I was unable to speak. I grabbed Wyet and pulled him up onto his feet, and I hugged him like I haven't in years. That hug was an enormous release of emotion, passion and love. As I hugged him and cried he slid the most beautiful ring on my finger, and I remembered that I hadn't yet answered the easiest question of my life. Will I? Yes, yes of course I will.

Little did I know this was the beginning of the best hike to date! 

The last picture we were to ever take as "boyfriend & girlfiend"

Then, it happened!

Wyet always goes all out with every plan he makes! This was definitely no exception. He bought us this adorable picnic blanket for our engagement lunch. 

 

As happy as I am to marry him, he is just as happy to marry me!

This is a journal I gave Wyet 5 years ago. It has my thoughts on our relationship over the years and my plans for our future. It was so thoughtful of him to not only hang on to this for all these years, but to bring it to the spot he proposed to we could look back on our past and make plans for the future.

Wyet even brought a hammock so we could relax..

And pop champagne!

Once Wyet popped the cork, it flew! Afterwards, we hunted it down and saved it. {This was definitely a cork worth keeping.}

It truly was the perfect proposal. It was so well thought out, and it makes me smile to think of all the effort he put in to making this a day to remember.

Just like that, the love of my life became my fiance. 

And we spent the next few hours, swinging life away in our hammock and getting more giddy by the moment. To an unknowing passerby, it might look like the champagne was the culprit, but we both knew, we were crazy in love - and in that moment, I felt it more alive in us than ever.