Saying "YES"

Typically my blog is used to keep everyone up-to-date on my work as a missionary, but last night my wonderful boyfriend (now fiancé), James, asked me to marry him! EVERYONE keeps asking me how he did it and for the story behind the ring, so here it goes...

James picked me up from my house around 6 pm and he was really paranoid about his shoe choice, which is weird because he always wears tennis shoes, but yesterday he wasn't. He decided that we needed to go back to his house to change his shoes, which I naturally thought was dumb. I don't care about his shoes, but I later found out he was just nervous, wanted his shoes to match, and if you know James, you know he can't match well. :)

We went to Scottsdale and ate at a pizza place which is where we had our first "official" date. After that we just walked around downtown Scottsdale, talked, ate ice cream, and laughed a lot. Around 8 pm James gets a text from Fr. Clements, our boss and Priest at the Newman center, saying that he needs James' help getting ready for a development meeting the next day. I was annoyed because Fr. Clements knew it was our date night, but who can say no to a Priest?!

We show up to the Newman center, which is under construction, and Fr. Clements tells us to go into the new Adoration chapel and he'll be in there in a minute. At the back of the room was a table with a picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe (she holds a special place in my heart) and a Rosary. James then said all these nice things and asked me to be his wife!

Asking me!

My pretty picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe!

My Rosary.
He said that every time I pray it,  I can remember the moment he asked me to be his wife. :)

After he proposed, he took me into the Church and Fr. Clements was up on the altar with the candles lit, ready for Mass. It was so beautiful and perfect. Fr. Clements said Mass just for the two of us, blessed my ring, picture, and Rosary. The proposal was beautiful and everything I could ever dream of wanting. 

Okay, so the ring! 

The ring is a turquoise, diamond, and gold Le Vian ring. He bought it in Scottsdale at a tiny jewelers that specializes in Le Vian. 

Why turquoise? Well, I have never wanted a traditional engagement ring. I've actually always just wanted a band, but James wanted something a little more traditional and special than that, so we compromised. Turquoise is one of my favorite stones, when Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego she was wearing a blue mantel with stars, and well, I'm Native American. HA. I wanted gold because most of my jewelry is silver and my ring should be more special. There's also little diamonds on the side, which fits what James wanted. Plus- there's only 1 of my ring in the whole world and it's on my finger!

Overall, I'm SOOO happy! James is perfect, my ring is perfect, and I know our life will be perfect with God at the center. 

Thank you to Father Clements for being so sneaky and awesome and to Milly, our photographer! Oh, and to James, for thinking I'm cool enough to be his future wife!