the night that changed my life forever

One year ago today I said "yes!" to a question that changed my life forever.

I don't think I've actually shared the story on here. If I have, whoops you can read it again. It's a good one I promise!

Finals week had just ended and I really excited to use two different Groupons I had. The first Groupon was for a manicure to treat myself for getting through finals week, and the second one was to the Tree Room, a fancy little restaurant up at Sundance. This was actually the restaurant Conner and I had first started talking about getting married. It's pretty pricey so we don't get to go often. Needless to say I was excited for a really nice four-course, dressed-up date night!

That night we ended up getting to Sundance before our reservations so we were sitting in the lodge outside the restaurant when Conner started acting all funny - a little distracted, not talking much, etc. Well he then starts to remind me of a conversation we had the last time we were there. We were talking about getting married and Conner had told me it would be a while before he could propose because buying a ring is really expensive and he had to save up. I had told him that I really didn't care about a ring because that's not the important part of getting married, the actual getting married part is what really counts. "You could get me a zip-tie for all I care" is what I had ended the conversation with. Of course, I wasn't really thinking about that part of the conversation as he was reaching into his pocket, my heart was starting to pound, and I could feel tears and a wave of emotion just on the surface...

He pulls out a ring box from his pocket and slowly opens it... inside... a zip-tie.

"I got you a zip-tie, that's what you said you wanted right?"

ha. ha. ha. soooo funny Conner

He made me wear it all through dinner, saying "now we are engaged right?" I knew he was joking and I was only slightly disappointed that he didn't actually propose. I figured he would do this kind of thing every time we went on a date until he was actually ready to propose. I was 100% sure he didn't have a real ring yet and I had a couple more months to wait.

Well we got done with a fabulous dinner and decided to walk around Sundance because it was so pretty with all the Christmas lights on the trees and snow everywhere. It was late so there was no one else outside as we walked around the grounds. We got to this little bridge over a small stream and it just kind of took my breath away. We were alone out there, with all the lights on the trees making the snow sparkle and there was that little stream, and we just stopped walking to be on the bridge. It was peaceful, and silent, just the two of us out there in the picture-perfect moment.

Conner told me he felt bad that he had fake proposed and that I had got my hopes up. I told him it was fine, I kind of expected him to do it a few times at least. He said he needed to confess that at one point he had enough money to buy a ring but he didn't anymore. Now I was kind of upset.

"You had enough money and you didn't buy one!? What in the world did you need to spend that much money on that you couldn't buy a ring!?" I had been waiting for a year to get engaged!

"Well I don't have enough money anymore because I had to buy this..." And he pulls out another ring box and drops to one knee. { Goes on to say some proposal words }

At first I didn't get it, I was expecting the box to be empty, or have another fake ring inside. But when I looked closer, there was an actual ring in there! I could see the diamond sparkling! So I just lost it. I was bawling. "Is this real? Is this really happening? Are you really asking me?" I just kept saying stuff like that over and over until Conner stood up and put the ring on my finger. I was shaking and crying and could hardly get words out. 

We said I love you and kissed and all that jazz and then I had to call my mom. By this point we had walked back to the car, Conner feeling self-conscious because I was still crying and he didn't want people in the parking lot to think he was beating me :) So I called and told my mom the news and she says to my Dad, "Riley said yes!" and I immediately look at Conner. 

"Did I even say yes?" "Umm, no. I've been waiting for like 15 minutes for you to say yes." "Oh! Yes, yes, yes!" Whoops. I got so caught up in the excitement of it all that I forgot to answer!

We spent the drive back to Provo calling family and friends and sharing the good news. Then we drove up to my house in Holladay to tell my siblings, because they were the only ones who didn't know! Noah and Emma were at the winter formal dance and so they weren't home. 

We sent them this picture. They didn't get it until they came home :)

The rest of the kids were home so I just showed them my ring without saying anything. Kate cried and hugged us, Henry's thought it was the greatest, but I think Wyatt had the best response... "Is that real?" he asked. When I told him it was he just smiled and said, "Awesome."

And it was awesome. It's been awesome ever since. I can't believe it's already been a year since we got engaged. And now we've been married 6.5 months. And we've been together for three years.

Life has been so great since this boy has been in it. I love him more than I can say. He makes me a better person and I can't imagine my life without him. Love you babe, here's to eternity!