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Sundays are normally our day together. For homemade buttermilk pancakes, working out, little excursions, and cozying up on the couch to catch up on missed tv shows. Sunday January 17th started just as it should, with pancakes. We had talked all week about making the hour drive up to the Wichita Mountains for a hike, since we’d been spending one too many winter weekends held up in our two bedroom apartment. I was itching to get out of the house but had to work for about an hour on editing images for a magazine cover that were due that evening. An hour turned into three and the afternoon began creeping by. I could tell Fred was getting impatient so I wrapped things up, because I knew if we didn’t leave now we wouldn’t go at all. And I’m so glad I did ;)

We got up to the mountains in enough time to have at least an hour to hike. We decided on a new trail and chatted happily along the way. About 30 minutes in I suggested it was about time we turn around. Fred mentioned he had hot spots on his foot. I inquired further with a perplexed look, “Hot spots?” I repeated back to him. He replied, “You know, uh umm…what’s the word…” Fred sometimes isn’t very proficient at English. And yes, it is his first language. I tried to assist him. “Callous? Corn? Wart?” “Uh no,” he replied. “My shoe’s rubbing.” “Oh, blister?” “Yea a blister,” he said as he slung the pack off his back (this won’t strike you as odd if you know Fred’s an eagle scout) and began riffling through it to find some moleskin. He handed me the mole skin so I could cut a piece for him and began rummaging through his pack some more. This is when I took note of the long pauses and strange looks he was giving me. I thought to myself, “Surely this isn’t it.” People, I’ve been waiting for this so long that I put it on the back burner of my brain awhile ago. Thinking about it for so long surely would have killed me. I looked back down to see Fred on one knee and an open box in his hand. Honestly I don’t really remember what he said (though I’m guessing it was “Will you marry me?”) because at this point I was jumping up and down yelling “SHUT UP!” Yes, this was my response. I have no idea WHY this was my response because I can’t think of a time that I’ve responded like that to anything. Then he slipped this on my finger! (The photo on the right was taken right after we got home from the hike, someone forgot to bring a camera!)

My second surprise of the evening was that our friends threw us an awesome engagement party!!! How cute is that banner? Thanks Melissa!

Coincidentally the day of our engagement was our 5 year and 9 month anniversary! Needless to say, we are both thrilled to spend the rest of lives together! I love you Frederick!