The story of our proposal isn't limited to just one "down on bended knee" moment. It actually began last year. One day in February, Matt and I were out having lunch. When we left, Matt said he wanted to make one quick stop. He pulled into a jewelry store parking lot. I was stunned! I looked over at him very wided eyed, saying "What? What? Huh? What are you doing??". He told me to calm down, that we were just looking. Still shocked that I was in an engagement ring store, I was just as embarrassed because I didn't dress for the day with the expectation of going into an engagement ring store.

So that started the search....the weekend trips to ring stores with very nice sales people asking when we were getting married, and us saying...well we don't really know yet. Matt got in touch with my cousins Courtney and Peter who are custom jewelers in Cincinnati, and unbeknownst to me, began to design the engagement ring of my dreams.

It's no secret that we already had some planning already in the works. But I was totally caught off guard on Christmas day when Matt said he wanted to take some pictures. At some point, I was posing awkwardly by a tree. I turned my back and then turned back around, and there was Matt, with Kyle behind him, on his knee with a gorgeous ring. He didn't say anything, just smiled. I started doing something that resembled half crying/half laughing. I kneeled down and hugged both of them. Best Christmas Ever.

Unfortunately there was no magical nervous moment when I proposed to Lucy.  This was something we had been discussing for quite some time.  We had been ring shopping together to find out what she liked.  Lucy's cousin is a fantactic jewelry maker, so I contacted her to make the ring.  She did a fantastic job and I couldn't have imagined it coming out so perfect.  My plan was to propose to her on our vacation to Santa Fe over New Years.  I contacted her sister Allison and told her my plan.  I asked if she would like to go on vacation with us so she could be there at the big moment.  They agreed.  Well, when I got the ring in the mail, I became anxious.  I thought I could make it to Santa Fe, and I could have in reality, but I didn't.  On Christmas Day, we were to go to Arlington to spend the day with Lucy's family.  I started thinking that she would want to show her ring off to them and if I waited until New Years, she wouldn't get a chance to.  So on Christams Day, after all of the presents were opened and we were dressed and ready to go, I took her out in the back yard to take some pictures, trying to be sneaky.  I kept trying to retake the picture telling her something wasn't right.  She got irritated and started to walk off, so as she turned away, I got down on one knee and said "I think this is what is missing", and gave her the ring.  To date, it is the second greatest day in my life.