Unless you live in TH or are one of the people who got a phone call to hear the happy news--clearly not Matthew Felts, you may be curious about how Corey finally asked me after 2.99 years (our anniversary is on Sept 3rd. He asked on August 29th).
Corey asked earlier in the week if I wanted to go hiking on Saturday. I figured since the most exercise I've gotten since moving day is standing to lecture during class time it would be a good idea. We generally have grand plans of getting up early, eating a healthy breakfast, and leaving the house by 9am. When we generally go hiking we end up rolling out of bed around 10, getting something delicious and unhealthy at Clabber Girl for brunch (a cheddar biscuit with sausage and egg for myself), and leaving for the park around 12. If plans pop up for later in the day (say around 6) we convince ourselves that we can't possibly go because it would be entirely too much trouble to work out the timing. We generally don't go hiking too often.
Well, plans did come up for later in the evening, but Corey was adamant about going. I was vaguely impressed by his commitment to not spending the Saturday morning on the couch.
The alarm went off at 8 and we were actually out of bed by 9. Not bad by our usual standards. We even had a healthy breakfast--V8 Fusion and oatmeal (only because it was the only breakfast food in the house). We decided to go to Turkey Run (about an hour from TH) and decided on the way to try a new trail.
We tried out trail 3 which is labeled as rugged. Accurate as it involves climbing through the river bed and climbing up crazy-ass ladders. It wasn't a hot day, but it definitely wasn't cold. Corey insisted on wearing a sweatshirt even though I was in a tank top. I didn't really think much of it. He's really freaking weird sometimes.
After managing not to get my feet wet while navigating "trails" of rocks through the stream and climbing up 1o2,384 sets of stairs, Corey asked if I wanted to head over to the trail we usually visit so we could walk through Gypsy Gulch (I call it Fern Gully because, well, it looks like a scene from the movie _Fern Gully_). I said "no" in so many words.
Here's Fern Gully. This is where Corey had planned for it to go down. At that point we have the following conversation:
C: "Well, it's pretty here, too."
T: "Yes, it is."
C: "You really don't want to go over to Fern Gully?"
T: "I just walked through a river. No."
C: "Well this place is nice. Nature is beautiful."
T: "?"
C: "Nature. It's beautiful."
T: "Sure."
C: "Like that drainage ditch. That is natural and beautiful."
T: "Why yes. That drainage ditch was put there by God, so it is clearly natural and beautiful."
C: "Other things occur in nature. Things like diamonds."
T: "?. Yes..."
C: "Yes, diamonds are found in nature."
T: "Okay. Do you want to mine for diamonds here in Turkey Run?"
And at that point he got down one one knee and asked if I would marry him. The box and ring were, of course, in the pocket of his sweatshirt that he refused to take off.
I don't remember too much more of the hike back because I was in shock (but no, I did not cry). Not so much shock that we were engaged (such things don't really come as much of a surprise when a couple has lived together for two years and have been dating for three. Not to mention if that couple owns a house...), but because of the ring.
For those who don't know (though if you're coming here from Facebook I don' know how you wouldn't), the ring was originally my grandmother's. Corey had two stones added to personalize it a bit. My grandmother and I are very close. To have something from her and also something specific to Corey and I means a lot. Not to mention, it is a bling-ass ring. (How often does one get to use the term bling ass?).
So there you have it. Yes, Corey rambled about nature and things existing in nature. Yes, we ate at Mario Bros Mexican Restaurant in Rockville, IN for our first meal as an engaged couple (a story for another entry). And yes, we ate at Outback with friends for dinner and finished the evening with _Inglorious Basterds_. The epitome of romance as far as I'm concerned. And in this case, I'm the only one who matters :)
