The PROPOSAL!

Ok so here's the story......before I forget the details!!
Mike and I had been together all day. Saturday (December 6th) we had met with the family @ Layton Park for family pictures. Mike was in them (knowing the plan was to be eventually engaged). Straight from the park we loaded up in my dad's truck and headed down to Spanish Fork where our Family Christmas party would be held. Brett and Becky were hosting at the Spanish Fork Fairgrounds! So...the party was @ 4 or 5 until 7 or so. After Mike and I watched a slideshow of family pictures, and sat on Santa's lap, we were back on the road, headed to see Grandpa Canova who was in a rehab facility on our way back to Salt Lake. We stayed with him maybe 20 minutes. Brinlee, Raigen, Hallie, and their parents joined us for the visit :) Now, from HERE, the plan was to go see the lights at temple square as a family (since it was on our way home, and that time of the year) so we headed into downtown SLC to find it BUSY BUSY BUSY. It's a popular time of year for temple square. So (not to my surprise) my dad opted to drive around the block and let us see the lights that way. My dad has never been one for crowds and hassle (and we'd done this exact thing in years past) so I didn't suspect a thing. Once we got a glimpse, we headed back to the freeway and were on our way home. Well, we stopped at Layton park so Mike could pick up his car (he had met us there earlier in the day for pictures). Of course, I got out of the truck so I could drive back to my house with Mike. By now its...oh...9:30pm. Originally, the idea was that Mike and I get engaged before the 6th because that way we could publically announce our engagement at the family party and be engaged for our family picture. But since that didn't work out I figured he was in no hurry now. As long as he puts a ring on my finger before the date we had chosen, then he was in good shape. So...anyway, my parents drive off, headed back to our humble abode in Clinton. And I presumed, Mike and I would follow. But he suggested we get some hot chocolate. I declined the offer, but he decided to get some anyway :) fine by me. If the man wants chocolate, let him have it. So we went to the Sinclair gas station in Layton, right there on gentile near the park and we both got hot chocolate. After leaving here, Mike said "To your house?", I said "Yep." and again thought we were on our way until he said we should drive through the lights there by the Layton City office buildings. They're fun lights, but pretty short to drive through, so...he parked the car, and we walked through the lights. All the while naming the figures to the movies we (guessed :)) they were out of. The dinosaur from meet the robinsons, Ariel from little mermaid, Whale from free willey, and so on :) At the end of the lights Mike said he was freezing, and so it seemed, and so we (walked very swiftly) back to his car. Well...this is where I got suspicious. We get back to where his car is parked, and he says to me, "Hey, don't they do lights down here somewhere?", (We're headed now down into the park on the north east (west?) side) into nothing but darkness. I KNEW THERE WERE NO LIGHTS DOWN HERE. and besides that, didn't he just say he was cold and wanted to call it a night? So, here we are walking into the dark unknown, and I said to him, "Is this the part where you kill me?!" he laughed, but only walked me further through the baseball fields and onto the infamous trail at Layton park. Before long one candle is flickering on the right side of the path. My heart sunk! I expected this day to come, and soon at that, but it was happening! That candle left our sight, and a little further, another came into view. At this point I'm sure I said something to the extend of "Oh my goodness" and kicked Mike. (a love kick ;)) When he tells the story he says I tried to run away at this part but I definitely did not. As we rounded the corner the big long bridge at the park came into view and it was BEAUTIFUL. Lined in floating candles on the top and bottom, it looked like a scene from a movie. As I took this in, and before we stepped onto the bride I had to give him a kiss!! So I did :) XOXO As I walked onto the bridge, my hand in his, I saw that it was covered in rose petals, and as we neared the middle (it's a long long bridge) I heard one of my very favorite songs playing, Little Wonders by Rob Thomas. Mike knows I love it! In the middle of the bridge blankets were layed out with a thermos of hot chocolate, which was good cause just before arriving on "the scene" Mike stole my hot chocolate and set in on the path, surely so my hands would be free. There was a heart on the blanket set in rose petals, there was gloves and a scarf for me because it was Cold out! But it was just a whirlwind moment. With my favorite love songs (that mike had put onto a CD titled "Mike's proposal songs"...catchy right?) playing all the while, Mike held me in his arms. Spoke to me from his heart about our life together, and how is life has a new purpose now, and has for a while. After buttering me up, he got on one knee, and asked me using my full name of course, to marry him!......you can guess what happened from there, I was absolutely ecstatic that this perfect man, this thoughtful, loving, SEXY man, wanted to marry ME. He wants to spend his life, and eternity, with ME! I knew it of course, because this was the plan, and we'd talked about this happening, and we'd been to look at rings, but this was happening now! I think I said, yes...several times. After a few tears and alot of hugs, and of course a Kiss for his bravery :), we sat on the blanket and enjoyed the atmosphere for maybe, half hour. It's only been 2 weeks or so, and I don't exactly remember how the conversation afterward went, but it was so ROMANTIC!! About 10:45 we decided it was time to get going so I could go show off my man and beautiful ring (that mike designed) to everyone! On our way out of the park we ran into the "clean-up crew" (I think intentionally) to Mike's sister Abbie, and my in-laws to be (steve and annette). I got a few hugs, and smiles :) and then Mike, and I really did get in the car and head to my house, we did our best to tell everybody quickly, so they could share in our excitement, and due to a phone call request from my sister Lindsay, we stopped at her house to show my ring to her and Brinlee. Brin was SO excited! She thought it was so pretty! ...it is! From here, it was to my house to show my parents, and all that good stuff. Anyway, we soon realized we didn't get pictures. It's too bad because it was quite the set up. The lighting was such back in the tree's that you couldn't see anything beyond what was lit by the candles, so it looked like we were all alone, that nothing else existed, that all that mattered was me and mike. It was such a neat effect (possibly one he hadn't even planned for) I'm not sure. Anyway, after it was all said and done, I realized Mike had been on the phone a lot during the day, and texting in the car. But i just didn't think much of it. It happens, ya know. And the hot chocolate run, and walking through the lights, they were all done to stall. Anyway, I am so in love with him. I really can not wait to spend the rest of forever with him at my side.

P.S. Come to find out, mike had pulled my dad aside at the rehab center and asked him to cut the temple square visit short, because he had something special to do tonight! ...how very sly. I LOVE YOU MIKE!

Love, Sierra (Coombs!)