The Proposal

Sunday March 6, 2011

March 6th is already a special day for our family. It's my big sister Stephanie's birthday! However, now this special day has so much more meaning...

Early Sunday morning, March 6th Brandon returned from deployment. Not going to sleep until 4 that morning made Sunday morning come really early. Brandon was up and off to "work" at 8 am. I woke up, not being able to go back to sleep due to excitement that he was finally home. I called Brandon's mom around 8:45 to talk and share my excitement, the gifts I had received, and just future mother-in-law chit chat. :) Walked into the kitchen to get some water and saw mom on the couch in her sweats and socks and tennis shoes watching tv and I'm like, "Where are you going?!" Got a response of, "Well, I was going to go tan before I started my day.." I was like, "Huh? Aren't you going to church?" She said, "Nahh.." Which made sense, Brandon just got home! About 15 minutes into the convo Brandon beeped in, I clicked over and told him that I was talking to his mom and I'd call him back, then he told me to click over and hang up and tell her I'd call her back. So, I clicked over and said, "Hey, it's Brandon, let me call you right back." Clicked back over and said, "RUDE, Brandon! I was talking to your mom." He said, "Oh well you can call her back. Hey, go into the kitchen." I said, "Um...ok?" So, I walked into the kitchen thinking if you want some food just tell me and I'll cook it for you. (If anyone knows Brandon you would know he is a bottomless pit and eats 8 times a day.) So then Brandon told me to look in the silverware drawer and then said, "Ohhhhh wait, I didn't put it in theeere! Go look in the drawer beside the fridge....Oh waiiiit, I didn't put it in there either!" (The whole time i'm like dead from no sleep thinking...seriously, what is he doing?! Haha!) So then he told me to look under the cutting board that mom keeps on the island. So I did and found a paper (typed in our wedding colors) that said this...

Directions:

Hello Amanda and welcome to your very own belated Christmas BFFE (Best Fiance Forever) scavenger hunt! Here are some rules that you must follow!

1. You must let your mom drive you from clue to clue to ensure that the excitement you're filled with doesn't cause you to get any speeding tickets!
2. You must follow each of your clues in exact detail to lead yourself to your next clue.
3. You musn't skip any clues to get to the final clue faster.

Well what the heck are you waiting for? There's fun to be had! Ready...GO!! Clue #1 lies in the hands of your driver...

While reading this first clue I totally teared up and Brandon said, "Why are you crying to big dummy?!" and I said, "Idk, because it's sweet and you said we weren't doing Christmas presents..."

So I got off the phone with Brandon and the ADHD kicked into high gear (4 hours of sleep or not) I ran into the bathroom thinking um what do I wear?! I don't have time to shower! Do I need to fix my hair and do my make up?! So...with mom yelling at me to get ready, I threw on some foundation, yoga pants, and my fleece jacket, brushed my teeth and ran into the kitchen. Mom was standing there with a rolled up clue in her hand wrapped in black wrapping paper ribbon and handed it to me...

Clue #1:

Clue number one will lead you to a place where our families were together and everyone had a smile on their face. The parade passed below and it wasn't too impressive, but it didn't matter because we were all together....so we made the best of it!!!

Hint: Check your mom's desk.

I immediately knew what and where he was talking about. When Brandon's mom came to visit we went downtown to see the Christmas Parade and sat in mom's office that's on Franklin St. We had the perfect view because we were on the second floor. So off to mom's office we went and yes mom drove...but I think we still could have gotten a speeding ticket ;)

We pulled up to her office and got out and I ran upstairs to her office. Sure enough sitting on her desk wrapped up in black ribbon was my second clue!

Clue #2:

Congratulations on finding the next clue!! I knew you could do it...I had faith in you!! The next clue, however, might take some thinking...as it rests in a place where we were eating and drinking...You introduced me to this delicious place, and everytime I bite into that sandwhich with the avocados...I get a biiig ol smile on my face!!

Hint: Your next clue is with the person behind the counter. If you reach this destination when the store is closed, ask your drive for assistance.

SUBMARINA! My favorite sub shop in town! The sandwhiches are soooo good. Brandon loves avocados so we go there a lot! So we got in there car and we're off to Submarina..



On the way to Submarina mom said, "Are we going to everywhere you guys have been?" and I said, "Oh gosh...idk!" and she said, "OH! What if we are going to Miami?!!! We should have brought fresh underwear!" Hahaha silly mom....

So we pulled up to Submarina to this...

As soon as I saw the clue on the door I said, "HEY! I'm glad no one got my clue before I did!!" Soooo, I jumped out of the car for my next clue!

Got the clue off the door that was taped on with black tape and got back in the car with mom. Obviously Submarina wasn't going to be open...It was 9:30 in the morning!

Clue #3:

Clue number three is a tricky little guy. We sat at a table down by the river, and with her new owner, Kona walked by! This clue might take some searching because it's not in plain view, but I know you'll find it babe, I have faith in you!!

Hint: Search every square inch of that table...high and low.

If it's pretty outside when we go to Submarina, we always take it to the riverwalk to eat it beside the river and have a picnic! The night before Brandon had mentioned how we were eating at the table and Kona walked by..I was confused as to why he would mention that moment, and mentioned that we ate at the pavillion and I was thinking...no we didn't but ok.

So off to the riverwalk I went! Because of our talk before, I thought that the clue was under the pavillion, so I was going nuts looking in the wrong place, see...

Then mom said, "Hey, let's go back to the car and look at the clue again." So freezing my butt off I went back to the car reread the clue and thought, ok...maybe he does remember the right table. So I got out of the car ran down the hill and found it!

Clue #4:

Clue number four is in a very familiar place, it's in a room where you rest your pretty face. It's being guarded right now, so be careful when you go to retrieve it...The guards name is Charlie, and he's protecting it with his life...you better believe it!!!

Charlie is the special teddy bear Brandon got me when I had my surgery in November. Everyday when I make my bed he sits on top right infront of my pillows. So I knew exactly where to find my next clue! We got in the car and we went back to the house. The whole time I was thinking hmm...I left my room a mess so Charlie is in my floor under a bunch of pillows? Pulled in the driveway and dad was standing in the driveway with Simba on the leash. We pull up and I open the door and i'm like, "Mom, turn off the car! What are you doing?! Let's go inside!" She's like, "Ok, ok..." So I get out...then dad gets in the car and I said, "What are you guys doing?!" And mom says, "Oh, we're talking Simba for a ride!" So i'm thinking, Yeah...because that's normal. Simba hates riding in the car! So i'm like whatever I want my next clue so I go inside and they close the garage door behind me and i'm like what the heck?! Brandons car wasn't there, neither was Michaels, and mom and dad were gone so I was there alone? Still didn't really care...I wanted my last clue! So I sat my stuff down on the table and went into my room. My bed was made and there sat Charlie with the last clue in his lap....

Clue #5:

Your fifth clue isn't going to take you very far. You actually won't even have to get in the car...It's where it says "Our Home" on the wall, I'm sure you know the place...So go get your present!!! I can't wait to see the look on your beautiful face!!!

I knew exactly where it was. In our living room above our tv mom has a quote on the wall that says Our Home. I walked into the living room...still alone and saw a little wooden box with a white ribbon sitting on the tv stand infront of the tv. I thought, Uhm, k? I'm alone...this can't be a ring. Brandon said he wasn't going to order a ring online and the scavenger hunt did say it was a Christmas scavenger hunt, so maybe it's earrings or something?! So I grab the box and look around and I saw Brandon's arm where he was trying to hide in the kitchen and I said, "Braaaaandon..." I opened the box to see this note stuck where the ring should go...

When I looked up Brandon was walking in and got on one knee and said, "Amanda Sheppard you are my best friend and I want to love you forever. Will you marry me?" I did a rediculous dance shaking my legs back and forth with excitement and said, "YES!" He slid the ring on my finger and I jumped in his arms. I knew it was coming, obviously...but never knew he was going to make it this special. I was in total shock when it all happened. It was perfect.

So, no...he didn't go to work, he was hiding in the neighborhood the whole time, he went and planted all of the clues that morning, mom had the ring in the house for a month in a half, and it was the best surprise and the most special thing anyone has ever done for me.

Since we announced that we were engaged before we were "technically" engaged EVERYONE was asking about the bling. I always thought...it's not about the ring. It's the fact that we are in love and going to spend the rest of our life together, right? Tthe ring is just a symbol. However, it is perfect and exactly what I wanted.

To make it even more special, the inside of the band has a verse that really hit home for us during our community group study we were doing while he was deployed. Not the entire verse...just 'Ephesians 5: 22-25'

Ephesians 5: 22-25 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.

It is a day that we will never forget.