Thursday, October 9, 2008

The Proposal: Or, A Night at the Mental Hospital


Yes, that’s right. No fancy dinner or temple square for us. We got engaged at the mental hospital. An unexpected location and an even more unexpected proposal.

To be fair, we weren’t actually inside the mental hospital. Months ago, Ryan took me on a creepy hike behind it. As we explored an abandoned isolation chamber, a stone amphitheatre, and the shadowy mountainside, I felt fear, excitement, and, by the end of the night, the first inklings that I was falling in love.

So I probably should have seen it coming when we went back the night of September 10. He said we were meeting up with some friends there. Ok sure. Why not? We were walking around a pretty pond, watching fish and looking for the others, when he pointed out something shiny in the bushes. A silver fortune cookie.

As soon as I saw it, I stopped. Several weeks earlier, I had bought a silver fortune cookie for us to pass notes back and forth. Now, it was sitting in the bushes with cotton stuffing sticking out the edges--the kind of stuffing you'd expect would be protecting something very expensive inside...

I opened it, the anticipation growing more and more. Ryan had always said he wanted to pick out his future wife's ring himself, but I was sure he hadn't bought one already. No, no, not for a couple more months probably. In the middle of all the protect-something-really-expensive stuffing, I found... a fortune. No sparkle. No shine.

Not what I expected, but then again, if you had asked me that morning, I hadn't been expecting a proposal either. When I turned back to face Ryan, he knelt down on one knee and the (un)expected actually happened. He proposed.

And I said yes.

8 comments:

Christie Elizabeth said...

LISA AND RYAN!
I love this blog, it just brightened my day. Lisa, I love your writing style, such a cute engagement story! And I love what y'all wrote about each other, it's so sweet. Y'all are so in love right now it kills me. And I can't wait to see y'all in a month!!!! Love you both! -Christie

More Bacon said...

Love it! I'm so happy for you guys!

It's Liz Seaver, by the way...

Kristen said...

Oh my gosh--Jason did the fortune cookie thing too! How funny! But I got to eat mine afterwards. Ha! So excited for you guys and can't wait to see you!

Sarah said...

So what's the deal here? You only have a blog if you are engaged and soon to be married? Singles aren't worthy of blogs or what? I'm really glad you have one though!

I just happened upon your blog and thought I would leave you some lovely comments as we have not gotten in touch despite some effort we have put forth over the past month or so. And I'm in blog mode in which I stay up too late and will be very tired for work tomorrow, and I vicariously live through other people's happy life experiences they share on their blogs as I stalk them. Actually, I do not check blogs all that much - but it's because they are addicting. Like Pringles. So i have to limit my exposure.

Anyhow, congratulations, I am very happy for you and hope Ryan loves you enough to make you a mr. pringles piNata just like your loving roomates did at glenhood. That is true and endearing love.

Sarah said...

by endearing i meant enduring

Kristi said...

We want to see the ring we knew he had when y'all came to visit us in Texas!!!!! He couldn't fool us!

Kristi and Dennis

Shannon said...

Yahoo for you your blog and for your engagement! That is such a great story. Nice job, Ryan. Can't wait to meet the man who snagged Lisa's heart. :)

Unknown said...

Congrats, you guys!

Lisa, I just stumbled on your blog from Shannon's... and I'm so glad I did! Eric is from Twin Falls (if you recall), where is Ryan from? If you guys have any announcements left, we'd love to receive one!

Eric and Elisa Allan
1279 Olde Henderson Sq.
Columbus, OH 43220

Congrats again!!!! Married life is the best!!!!