Day Four and Five + proposal

SOO…I didn’t blog yesterday…but before I start there…you should know….I am a FIANCE!!! 

Anyway – I’ll start from the very beginning. We arrived in Paris yesterday around 1pm via train. The taxis were WAY WAY too expensive and we had to find an alternate way around. Enter the coolest transportation device ever known to man – the metro system….complete underground buses/trams that can take you anywhere you need to go. (Did I mention the finding the ticket and such was not NEARLY as easy in London?? where they speak ENGLISH??)

Once we overcame the language barrier, located a map, purchased tickets and hauled our luggage up over 200 stairs…(no exaggeration there)…we made it to our stop..only about 3 hours later did we make it to our hotel. Nate and I took over as tour guides this time around…and made it out to the Eiffel tower in time to see the light show, and get to the top of the tower to see the entire city. It was truly one of the most breathtaking views I have ever seen…I was in shock.

Okay, now as most of you know, I had pretty much talked myself out of a Paris proposal – especially because of all the hype it was getting from someone else – and Nate had assured me that I would not receive a cliché proposal. So – when we left the Eiffel tower I was SURE that there was NO WAY it was happening here.

Also – we were supposed to meet up with Jason Mannon from our surf class (he is over here for three months doing the backpacking thing). All day Nate said he felt so awful that we hadn’t been able to find internet connection to get in touch with him – and he was so worried he would be stranded with no place to stay. When we got back from the Eiffel tower around 1am we located a calling card to try to get in touch with him…only to find out that they calling card operator only spoke French and we had no clue how to use the free dialing….no sooner had we almost given up and who walks through the front door of the hotel? Jason. That’s right – he located the Itinerary that Nate had sent him (several months ago – because apparently this was all a part of the “master plan”) – got on the metro and rode to where he THOUGHt the hotel might be located – and started walking. Nate happened to be wearing his Trinity Softball shirt with the Christian saying on the back and when Jason saw that he thought it must be Nate….how completely random…..

Anyway – we sat up and talked until almost 2ish and then went to be knowing the next day would be a full one.

After breakfast at the hotel – we headed back to the metro to go out to the Garden of Versailles. Jason had been before and taken some awesome pictures – and it was the one place that Nate wanted to go see in person. We took the RER (another underground train) for about 30-40 minutes outside of Paris – and walked into the gardens….I really had no idea what to expect...but it was AMAZING…

As far as your eyes can see there are gardens! and shrub mazes! and fountains! and sculptures! We took pictures and walked around just taking it all in for several hours….The whole experience was just indescribable…

We went off by ourselves just looking at everything...and then out of nowhere I was holding hands with Nate and the next thing I knew he was kneeling on one knee….


Now I can tell you that I had thought about how this would happen now for oh…lets say about 3 years….but never could I have ever prepared myself for the thoughts and emotions that came flooding out all at one time….

All I could think about is “Is he kneeling?....Oh my gosh…WHAT is he DOING??....oh my gosh…are you KIDDING me?...is this really happening?? …oh goodness…please don’t throw up….is he proposing? Holy cow!” pretty much exactly like that…then my knees felt like jello…and I started crying…I think this is when I said “Are you serious…are you being serious right now? Oh my gosh! Yes!”

While all that was going through my head - I think I remember something about how much he loves me and he is ready to spend the rest of his life with me ….and will I marry him…but I couldn’t tell you exactly because the whole place was spinning….

Then once the tears stopped flowing a little bit..I got a glimpse of the ring…and holy cow…I was SPEACHLESS…..(and that in itself is nearly impossible to do)…really though - it is the most gorgeous ring…I couldn’t have hand picked a better one myself..I was SOO shocked…it’s SO huge and its SOO much more that I ever would have dreamed of or deserved….but apparently he loves me. :0)

As soon as I said yes, all these questions started rushing out..did you ask my dad? Did your family know this was going to happen? When did you plan this? Blablabla…

And to give you the shortened version…Jason and Nate had been talking (several months ago) about being in Europe at the same time and meeting up..Nate mentioned proposing and Jason said – oh I should come take pictures…and that is how he ended up in the picture…err…taking the picture …blablabla…

Anyway…he decided on the garden because its not crowded or dirty like the area surrounding the Eiffel tower and apparently a great place for photos… so after everything calmed down and I hugged all my soon-to-be-in-laws (that is still so weird) Jason took a few more pictures of my fiancé and I (that’s still weird too) – and we headed off to see the rest of Paris…well not after a diet coke and cheeseburger from McDonalds because I was had a headache and everyone was starving 

So we finished the rest of the day on a red city tour bus seeing everything from the Louvre and Mona Lisa, to Notre Dame and the Arc de Triumph…it was so amazing..

After a quick pizza dinner around 8 we headed back to the Eiffel tower to see the light show from the ground  The perfect ending to a perfect day….

So..there you have it…the shortened version…pictures are on facebook and webshots….so enjoy them and thanks for being excited with us  Love you all and I’ll blog again with you soon.

Oh yes – we are off to Germany tomorrow...well actaully it is after 3am here now and we are leaving at 6am....so today we are leaving – please pray for safe travels and no stress!! Love love love!