Engaged!!

Okay, so I’ve had enough people ask me about the details of the engagement that I figured I’d better tell the story. Plus it’s definitely worth sharing. Dustin did an excellent job pulling it off.

So it started off earlier in the week by Dustin suggesting that we go hiking if he got a day off on the long weekend, since we wouldn’t be camping. Of course I loved the idea.

Friday after work he informed me that unfortunately, he wasn’t getting a day off. So I went about planning my weekend and was to go help friends move cattle with my dad Saturday morning and had it all lined up.

Saturday morning, 6:20am, Dustin’s alarm goes off for work. I made a comment about how crappy it was he had to get up. Then he quite excitedly announced that he didn’t have to go to work today.

I was half asleep and groggy with my eyes still shut. I think the conversation went like this:

Dustin: I don’t have to work today!
Jody: What, but you said you did.
Dustin: I was pretending.
Jody: (after a pause) Are you serious?
Dustin: Yes
Jody: You aren’t being teasy?
Dustin: No. We get to spend the day together.
Jody: But I have to go riding.
Dustin: No you don’t
Jody: Yes I do, I told dad to catch me a horse in the morning.
Dustin: I called him and told him you weren’t coming.
Jody: WHEN?
Dustin: Last night.
Jody: Really? You aren’t just being teasy?
Dustin: No! I’m seroius
Jody: Oh yay!!!
Dustin: I figured we’d go hiking!
Jody: Oh yay!

So we had a bit of a sleep in (although I didn’t sleep well after that), hit Tim Hortons, hit a few garage and were on our way. I was surprised when Dustin didn't head west for our hike, but was happy to just be along for the ride, wherever he was taking us. Next thing I know, we were south of Calgary. He has an area out there that he likes to fish at so I figured that was where we were going. Then I realized he was taking me to my uncles land SW of Nanton. Which is my most favorite place on earth!

Once that secret was out of the bag, he said he felt bad that he was sick the last time we were there and didn’t get to go for a walk. And since I’d helped him out this spring while he’s been busy, he thought this would be a good way to thank me. So needless to say I was very excited!!

Looking up to the top of Old Stormy

So we hike up ‘Old Stormy’ hill that my family usually rides up each summer. We got to the top and just looked around, chatted, ate our peanut butter and jam sandwiches and just simply enjoyed the view.

I was a little cold so he sat behind me to cuddle and warm me up. He grabbed the camera and took a picture of both of us. It must not have turned out because he went to take another one (or so I thought). He actually was taking a video. The next thing I know he whispers ‘Will you marry me’ in my ear and pops the ring in front of me!! I was so shocked! And the video shows my surprised look. It took me a second to comprehend it, then it sunk in and the water works and the ugly cry started!!


He said I took a little longer to say yes than he would have liked, ha ha

I was amazed, shocked, excited, emotional, ecstatic and overwhelmed all at once. We just sat and held each other for a bit and took in the most amazing moment in the most amazing location!!

We snapped a few more shots then decided to head back down and hit the road. We knew we needed to tell our immediate family in person and needed to do it before it hit Facebook so we were on a mission.

As we were hiking down, I was asking him all sorts of questions, about the logistics of how he pulled it off. He said he had called my parents earlier in the week to ask them for their permission, which of course they gave him. A few days later, my dad called Dustin back and said that it wasn’t his business but if he didn’t have a plan as to where he was going to propose, up in the hills would be a special place for me. My dad knows that I’ve cried up there before and that’s as close the Maker as you can get. As soon as Dustin told me what my dad had said, emotion ran over me again and I said, ‘Aw, I now have 2 special men who’ll love me forever!’.

I also told Dustin that one time I was up there I thought to myself what an awesome spot that would be to be proposed to! And boy was I right!

Every few minutes it would hit me and I’d tear up. And still do. Every time I watch the video, I tear up. I can’t describe how happy I am! I can’t wait to officially start my life with him. He’s been well worth the wait!!

Tag your it

I have been tagged by my friend and avid blogger Robyn in her post today. It's a fun game of questions and answers.

Where were you five years ago?
- I was working for a oilfield consulting company and commuting to down town Calgary everyday
- I moved back in with my parents which, although was meant to be temporary, turned out to be for 3 years. I loved having them as roommates and miss sharing my day to day stuff with them.
- I had a waitressing job at a friends pub which was a lot of fun and made a lot of fun memories
- I did some major growing and learning from a fairly major heart break (and funny looking back on that time now - THANK GOD FOR UNANSWERED PRAYERS!!)
- My niece Sheya was born 5 years ago this year and has graced us with her presence ever since.

Where would you like to be five years from now?
- Married with a kid(s)
- Own our perfect acreage west of Didsbury on a river/creek
- Own several rental properties
- My airbrushing business being full time (or as much as I want)
- Continuing my goal to be healthy and in shape

What was on your to-do list today?
- Get through work (ha ha)
- Mow my lawn (depending on weather)
- Get my glasses adjusted
- Get groceries
- Figure out plans for this long weekend

What snacks do you enjoy?
- cereal
- ice cream
- popcorn
- craisens
- any candy or baking

What five things would you do if you were a billionaire?
- Have my dream home, land, holiday property
- Travel anywhere I want
- Contribute my time and money towards charities and groups that I'm passionate about
- Share my wealth with friends and family and splurge on myself
- Buy a Yogen Fruz franchise so I can have frozen yogurt anytime I want!! ha ha

And I’m tagging:

Anyone who is interested, especially fellow bloggers to post on their blogs!

Pinocchio

Spring has sprung
And the garage sales are on the riz
I wonder where all the deals is?

Ya, so like I said before, I’m not much of a poet. But….garage sale season is upon us. I love garage salein’. You always find the neatest things! And sometimes, when you are really lucky, you find that one specific thing that you’ve been needing (or wanting) and can get it for a steal of a deal! That’s what garage saleing is all about!!

On the other hand, you always seem to find something that you think is just AWESOME at the time and you just HAVE to have it…….only for it to be thrown in your ‘junk pile’ and end up in your garage sale next year. The old saying ‘one person’s junk is another person’s treasure’….isn’t always the case. Sometimes one person’s junk is EVERYONE’S junk. Ha ha

Anyway, I’m quite the Disney movie fan. I have quite a few in my collection, all of which are still in VHS form. Well I came across a box full of Disney movies for $1 each at a garage sale last week and just HAD to check them out. I happened to find 3 movies that I didn’t have in my collection that I was pretty excited about. I got The Fox and the Hound, Sword and the Stone, and Pinocchio.

I watched Pinocchio the very next day and had actually forgotten a lot of the story line. I was impressed with the moral of the story and thought I should share it with all of you who also don’t remember it all that well.

Well…..the Blue Fairy comes to bring Pinocchio to life. She tells him in order to become a real boy, he has to show that he’s a good boy by proving that he doesn’t give into temptation, tells the truth and shows bravery. When Pinocchio gets himself into trouble by giving into temptation, the Blue Fairy comes to help him. When she asks how he got into trouble, he lied and told her that monsters made him do it. Well, as we all know, his nose started growing as his lie grew.

When he ask the Fairy why his nose grew, she explain that a lie is as plain as the nose on your face and lies just keep growing and growing!

So there, there’s your moral story for the day!

Patience

I came across this write up in a local community paper. I just love it. I think I am naturally a pretty patient person in some aspects and I strive to improve my patence in other aspects of my life. I think there are many people out there that could stand to have more patience!! Maybe this will help:

Patience is quiet hope and trust that things will turn out right. You wait without complaining. You are tolerant and accepting of difficulties and mistakes. You picture the end in the beginning and persevere to meet your goals. Patience is a commitment to the future.

You are practicing patience when you....
- Calmly tolerate a delay or confusion
- Are willing to wait for things you want
- Set goals and persevere until they are met
- Do somethig now that will helpe you inthe future
- Accept things you cannot change with humour and grac
- Are tolerant when mistakes are made

Afirmation:
I am patient. I am gentle with others and myself when we make mistakes. I wait calmly. I trust that things will turn out right.

Hallmark says it best

Something I strive to do is to make sure that the people important to me know how I feel about them. Unfortunetly, my deep, meaningful poem writting skills need a little fine tuning. Unless you consider this a deep meaningfull poem:

Roses are Red

Violets are purple

You're as sweet

As Maple Surple!

Anyways, I am a fan of greeting cards. I am NOT a fan of how expensive they are, but if you can find just the right card that says exactly how you feel, it is definetly worth the money and the feeling of knowing you are sharing your feelings with that special someone you are celebrating.

I quite often find the most perfect cards that I buy and keep on hand for when that certain occasion arrises.

We recently celebrated my dad's 61st birthday and I found just the right card. I couldn't have said it any better and was very happy to get to tell my dad just how I felt. I think many of us 'little girls' would agree with this card:

First guy to ever love me.
First to sweep me off my feet
or plant those scratchy whisker kisses gently on my cheek.
First man to take me seriously.
First pal I ever had.
First guy I ever gave my heart to

My daddy will always be my friend, and will always have my heart!

Mush!

As much as I can, I try to expand my horizons and try new things. I've got quite a long list of things that I'd like to go and do and see, unfortunetly I need to work harder at getting them off my list rather then leaving them on the 'some day' list.

For several years, I've wanted to take in the local sled dog races hosted in Didsbury. Fortunetly, I was finally able to go and check it out this year and am so glad I did. It was very entertaining and interesting. I was surprised at the different mixes of dog breeds. I'd highly recommend anyone to go and check out the races next year.

Cowboy Knee boarding

We were very fortunate this year with gorgeous weather on family. We spent the day with Dustin's family at his parents house. We all made the trek down to their coulee and spent a few hours tobogganning down the hill. It was great fun and every one of us took a turn taking at least one trip down. I took more than my share of 'turns' and was a bit sore the next day, both from wipe outs and from hiking back up the hill so many times. Here's one video of me going down backwards.

We had the horse saddled up and was pulling the kids around on the sled. When all of a sudden, I had a great idea....getting pulled behind the horse and going over some sweet jumps!!! So Dustin and I each took a few turns. This definetly turned out to be my highlight of the day.