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| our engagement story |
by Christina Pekarek on Sunday, November 14, 2010 at 12:29pm.
Josh did such an amazing job at asking me to marry him. His proposal was way above and beyond anything I ever dreamed and a team of people helped him pull it off. I thought I would write up some of the details for everyone who has been so supportive…
Josh dropped me off to take the GRE that afternoon and when he picked me up, he told me he had a surprise. As we got closer, I realized he was taking me to get a massage! Wendy Reeves is a phenomenal masseuse and one of the kindest people you’ll ever meet. She played classical music and I liked one song in particular that’s actually famous for being played in weddings.
After the massage, I was completely relaxed and realized how different my life was from when I took the GRE five years ago. Years ago I was racked with anxiety and panic; this year I knew everything would be okay no matter what happened. Years ago I didn’t know healthy romantic love; this year Josh loves me better than I could have imagined.
Josh and I went home to get ready to go out. He was surprising me with a nice dinner. I asked him if I was dressed nice enough. He asked if I’d like to take pictures in what I was wearing. I thought, wait … is he … no … be patient.
Josh took me to Ti Amo in Laguna Beach. The setting was romantic and the food was delicious. We talked about getting married. What we were most excited about, what would be the most difficult, and where we would live. I thought maybe Josh would propose at the restaurant, but as we left I thought to myself… be patient. We went down to the coves for a little while. It’s so beautiful there with the cliffs and the stars and the waves crashing. Then we looked around for somewhere to have tea and dessert, but everything was closed.
Earlier in the evening Josh mentioned he had to pick something up at the church, so I reminded him. I was falling asleep in the car when we arrived. Josh said he would go in to grab some things and call me if there was too much for him to carry. Of course, he called me to meet him in the gym. I begrudgingly walked up the path not willing to put my shoes back on.
I gasped and covered my mouth as soon as I opened the gym door. It was completely dark except for hundreds of candles that lit a stunning pathway. I tiptoed forward whispering for Josh. Music we love like Sigur Ros, The Swell Season, and Mumford and Sons played. A magnificent arrangement of flowers and pictures were at the end of the path. As I took it all in, Josh walked up from the other end. He said he had been praying for his wife his whole life, praying that God would bring us together at just the right time and in just the right way. He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him! I said yes and he slipped the ring on my finger. I went back and forth between absolutely giddy and completely overwhelmed to the point of tears at the way my prayers had been answered.
I realized that someone was taking pictures. Shauna Couri had come to capture our engagement! Shauna and Josh have been friends for years and years. I’ll never forget the joy in her congratulations. She’s a professional photographer and you can see how talented she is at www.shaunacouri.com. We had some fun posing for pictures before heading out.
As we passed the nearby office, I realized people were waiting there in the dark. I marveled at all the preparation that must have gone into the evening. Zack Barker, Dillon Wells and his mom, Taylor Ishii, Jared Rich, David Hughes, Daniel Scotti, and Jackie Harake all helped to get Josh and I engaged. (Forgive me if I’ve left anyone out here). We can’t thank you enough! Your help was such an incredible blessing.
Josh had also asked my mom for her blessing during the week before Saturday. He had the ring for over a month, since a couple days after I admired it in the shop.
Thank you to everyone who has supported and prayed for us over the last year and a half. Thank you so much to everyone who helped with the engagement, for all the encouraging messages and being so happy for us. Now it feels like every day is my birthday and we’re working on setting a date…this is just the beginning.
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