SO...I was told the week leading up to that unforgettable Sunday that I should leave my schedule open because Ryan had a surprise for me:) Naturally the word engagement flashes in your head when you have been dating a while and you hear the word surprise...but we had talked about marriage and Ryan simply wanted to wait a FEW MORE YEARS! (Or so I thought!)
I arrived at Ryan's on Sunday, just as planned...only being informed to dress kind of nice...but wear shorts, and oh maybe to straighten my hair?! To say the least I hadn't the slightest idea of what he had planned. Oh and if I touched his backpack I think he said he'd break up with me!
So we drove...and drove...and drove...and at any familiar point along the way I was trying, unsuccessfully, to guess his big surprise. I got really excited when we passed by the county fair...only to see that it didn't open for another week or so!
We finally arrived at our "final" destination (this is what I was so cleverly lead to believe)...Key Stones Heights Airport! Sweet we're going flying!! To solidify that THIS was my surprise, Ryan said, "So this is your surprise!"
Just so ya'll don't think I am completely naive...Ryan has been saying how he really wants to get his pilots license...not to mention we had talked about marriage and it just wasn't happening right now...
Ryan arranged for a seaplane to pick us up at the airport and fly us around...me being the cleaver girl that, I am connected the dots and asked if Ryan's parent's lake house was around here...AND maybe we could land on the lake! Well the pilot said we were just going to go up for 30 minutes and come back...ok sounds great, I though:)
The pilot taught us that there are a few things you must do before taking off...while I can't remember what they are...I do remember that the acronym the pilot used to remember these steps was FARTS...haha.
We were squished in the excuse for a backseat...but the view was awesome and the headsets we got to wear were even cooler:) We decided we would search for Ryan's parent's (Clif and Jeanette...so I don't have to write parents anymore) lake house...it was coming up on Ryan's side of the plane and the pilot started to turn away from it BUT I caught a glimpse of it...all the porches were full of people! Weird I thought, and asked Ryan what all those people were doing at Clif and Jeanette's house (it was still under construction...soo a little weird). He replied "I don't know?" and some how convinced me that I was just seeing things:)
All of a sudden the pilot decided that it was ok for us to land...YES! I was super excited...never done this before! (Side note...landing a plane in the middle of a lake is a little eerie...but totally fun!) We landed and Ryan pulled out his secret backpack (the one I wasn't supposed to look in...You think that would have given it away but no...) Out from his backpack he grabbed a book he had made and handed it to me and told me to read it. Ok so I am a slow enough reader as it is...but now my brain is being flooded with "is this what I think it is...IT IS...no no no it can't be we talked about this...2 more years at least...well maybe he was just saying that and this IS what I think it is...noooo...YES"...
Needless to say it took me forever to read the book he wrote...but I finally finished it! It was the story of the 2 of us from when we met to now...awwww...I know it was awesome! By this time the plane is stopped in the shallow water where Clif and Jeanette's house is and the pilot is out turning the plane around so we can get out...then Ryan pulls something else out of his secret backpack...a little box! He opened it and it was EMPTY! Only kidding!! There was the most beautiful ring...and Ryan asked me to marry him!!!! Of course I said YES...I might have cried a little...ok ok I cried:) And just when I thought it couldn't get any better I looked at the house and there were soooo many people (I wasn't crazy after all)! We got out of the plane and our moms came running down from the house...shouting with glee! I was a little shaky...but a good kind of shaky:) We walked to the house and EVERYONE was there...my mom & fam...my dad and sister...my grandpa jack...and like all my friends...it was awesome!! I couldn't believe that all these people had managed to keep all this secret from me...sneaky sneaky! I showed off my gorgeous ring...chatted with friends and family...ate chocolate chip cookies...and hung out on the dock.
What an amazing day:) Thanks Ry! I love you!

*Short version:
surprise on Sunday...drive to airport...get on plane...fly around...land on lake...Ryan asked for my hand in marriage...I said YES...party at lake house with awaiting friends and fam!