We're ENGAGED!!!!!

I will be the first to say that I always felt like it was taking too long for this moment to get here, but in that moment and the days that have followed, that thought seems to never have existed.  I have always felt that Steve and I were meant to find each other.  Why else would a 25 year old from North Dakota take a job in Madison, WI?  In our 5 years and some odd months, Steve and I have shared many wonderful moments, some devastating losses, and worked our way through a move that challenged us in ways that most couples will never know.  Through it all we are a better and stronger couple who have already shared an amazing life together, and the best is still yet to come!

So the story....

We spent a WONDERFUL weekend in Madison celebrating my birthday and catching up with so many great friends.  Going into the weekend I was hopeful that we would get engaged, as was the rest of my family, but I was trying to remain realistic to try and avoid potential disappointment.  Friday came and went, as did Saturday.  We spent hours with friends, ate at our favorite sushi restaurant, walked around Edgewood's campus, and even took Zoey for a walk on the trails we used to walk on so many of the nights we lived together in Madison.  All of a sudden it was Sunday morning and time to get ready to go home.  I had pretty much given up on the idea of an engagement and had even thought about texting my sister to let her know.

As we made our way out of town we stopped at Panera for breakfast and a latte, and then we were going to stop at Olin Park to get a picture of the skyline, and then stop to visit with our friends The Bigsby's before heading back to Minnesota.  When we got to the park it was right around 10am, a little overcast and  chilly, but still nice enough for a walk, and no one else was really around.  We made our way from the parking lot to the top of the hill; to my favorite spot and a spot that has always been so special to us.

I got the photo of the skyline that I wanted...

A nice photo of my family....

And an engagement ring!!!!

Steve started to say how it was 3 years ago at this time (it was actually almost 3 years to the date) that he asked me to leave Madison and while that he doesn't know if Madison is where we're meant to be, or end up, it will always hold a special place in our hearts.  He went on to say that when he asked me to leave Madison he also made me a promise, a promise that he would ask me to marry him.  At that moment he pulled the ring out of his pocket and asked "Will you marry me?"  Despite the fact that I had spent a week hoping this would happen, in the moment I was so surprised and elated.  Of course I said "YES!", and of course I cried too.

Since there was no one else in the park, I had to capture the moment myself.  We found a random electrical box or something where I could put my camera.  I set the timer, ran back in the shot, and captured these wonderful photos to always remember our engagement day by.

This one is my favorite....

And here's a photo of my ring for those of you who haven't had a chance to see it yet.  It's the ring I never knew I always wanted.

So that's the story of how the Hamfling's got engaged.  We're very happy and very excited to be planning our wedding and the rest of our lives together!  And I'm already trying to figure out the scrapbook pages for this story. :)