The Engagement As Told By Grant...
There are advantages and disadvantages of having your girlfriend go to the jewelry store with you to look at rings. An advantage is you know exactly what she likes/wants but the disadvantage is she begins to anticipate when you are going to ask her. That is kind of where I ran into trouble. I picked up the ring from the jewelry store on Friday and still wasn’t sure how I was going to ask her. She had a feeling that I had purchased the ring but controlled herself not to search for it. By the time Monday rolled around I knew I had to think of something. We were watching TV at my apartment when I got up and went into my office. She was on her computer writing a paper so she thought nothing of it. I began to write 24 or so questions on post-it notes. After I finished I walked over and placed them on one of the doors in the shape of a question mark (as seen above). About 5 or 10 minutes later I heard her get up off the couch and walk towards the bathroom, where I figured she would see the question mark. I walked towards the doorway and realized that she did not see it. She eventually noticed it and began reading the questions. About six questions in she began crying but continued to read and answer them. The final post it note said to go look in the jewelry box in the other room (which contained a ring box but no ring). She said she couldn’t so I walked over to her and dropped to one knee and asked her to marry me. She obviously said yes or I wouldn’t be writing this. Before lies start spreading I will say that I did cry during this process but it is what it is and I’ll admit it.
The Engagement Story Told By Annie
So, it was about a month after Grant and I started dating that I knew, and he knew that we would spend the rest of our lives together... as best friends! In October of 2010 he told me that I should expect the engagement to occur BEFORE the end of 2010! So the waiting game began.... we went searching for rings (and I was a little picky... no solitares and it had to have a low height as I work with kids and I cannot be scratching them with a ring!) He knew what I loved. We found one at Jared's in Maple Grove and I really thought it was "the" ring... little did I know that in December (after waiting and wondering if each day could be the day) we happened to go into a local jewlery store. After looking at and trying on numerous rings, I fell in love with the most incredible ring! I told Grant that he was the one who had to decide and we left it at that... Well December 31st came and it went with no proposal... so it was on, he was going to make me wait this one out!
Now Grant cannot hold a secret from me... at ALL! So I knew on the day that he purchased the ring that he had it! No doubt in my mind that it was somewhere in his apartment... now in my mind I thought that I could have gone and hunted it out to see which one he chose, or I could find it and hide it on him... OR I could just wait. I decided to wait it out. I knew that Grant and I would be together forever and waiting another month would be no problem. On January 16th Grant and I were at my best friend's house taking care of her two children while she and her husband went on an overnight stay out of town - (it was their Christmas/Anniversary gift from us!!!!). We spent the day/night hanging out with Gabby and Aiden (the kids). During the middle of the night Grant would get up and help with Aiden and make sure Gabby was okay... believe me as a woman who loves children, all of this made me fall in love even more with him! That night Grant told me we were going to go to dinner on the 17th because we both had the day off of school/work. He chose Granite City Brewery (Our 1st Date Place!!!!)... I really thought "THIS IS IT!" That day could not have gone any slower! We left my best friend's house around 3pm. We had discussed going to dinner at 6pm so I knew I had a bit of time before I had to get ready. We went back to Grant's apartment so that I could write up a paper and he said he was going to clean.
I was sitting on the couch writing a paper and he was supposedly attacking the office. At 5:20pm I realized that I didn't have much time to get ready so I hurried and finished my paper and went into the bathroom to blow dry my hair. I started to do so and realized from the reflection in the mirror that there was something on the door. I turned around to look at it and there it was a question mark made out of post it notes! I said "What is this?!?!?" and Grant came out of the office... I should have known, but I wasn't even thinking this is how he would propose! Each post it had a question or a statement on it. Some of them asked "What's 2+2?", "What makes you, YOU?", "Will you always love me?", "Are you going to cry?" YUP I started to cry at this question - I knew it, and I got excited, giddy, and began to shake! The 2nd to last post it asked "Have you had enough yet?" and I said "getting there!" and then I looked at the last one and read it outloud.... "Well then, go look in the jewlery box" and I couldn't move! I looked at Grant and said, "I can't!!!" and he looked at me and said "Well fine then!" and this is where Grant got down on one knee said some really sweet things and asked me to be his wife... Here's where he started to cry! I of course said "YES"... I put the ring on my finger as he stood up. We hugged and kissed and cried together for awhile. Then I looked at him and told him that I wanted to tell someone, but the first person I wanted to tell was HIM! I wanted to share the best news in my life with my best friend, HIM! Yes, I do realize he was the one who just proposed... it just proved my point that he is my best friend! Then I realized that he was going to send me to an empty jewlery ring box in the jewlerly box.... What a funny man he is!
We ended up NOT going out to dinner that night. We attempted to call his parents but they didn't answer, so we drove over to my parents to tell them the news! We then started to share the news with the Bilski family! What a great night it was! I was ready to start planning a wedding! I cannot wait to be Grant's wife forever!
Now Grant cannot hold a secret from me... at ALL! So I knew on the day that he purchased the ring that he had it! No doubt in my mind that it was somewhere in his apartment... now in my mind I thought that I could have gone and hunted it out to see which one he chose, or I could find it and hide it on him... OR I could just wait. I decided to wait it out. I knew that Grant and I would be together forever and waiting another month would be no problem. On January 16th Grant and I were at my best friend's house taking care of her two children while she and her husband went on an overnight stay out of town - (it was their Christmas/Anniversary gift from us!!!!). We spent the day/night hanging out with Gabby and Aiden (the kids). During the middle of the night Grant would get up and help with Aiden and make sure Gabby was okay... believe me as a woman who loves children, all of this made me fall in love even more with him! That night Grant told me we were going to go to dinner on the 17th because we both had the day off of school/work. He chose Granite City Brewery (Our 1st Date Place!!!!)... I really thought "THIS IS IT!" That day could not have gone any slower! We left my best friend's house around 3pm. We had discussed going to dinner at 6pm so I knew I had a bit of time before I had to get ready. We went back to Grant's apartment so that I could write up a paper and he said he was going to clean.
I was sitting on the couch writing a paper and he was supposedly attacking the office. At 5:20pm I realized that I didn't have much time to get ready so I hurried and finished my paper and went into the bathroom to blow dry my hair. I started to do so and realized from the reflection in the mirror that there was something on the door. I turned around to look at it and there it was a question mark made out of post it notes! I said "What is this?!?!?" and Grant came out of the office... I should have known, but I wasn't even thinking this is how he would propose! Each post it had a question or a statement on it. Some of them asked "What's 2+2?", "What makes you, YOU?", "Will you always love me?", "Are you going to cry?" YUP I started to cry at this question - I knew it, and I got excited, giddy, and began to shake! The 2nd to last post it asked "Have you had enough yet?" and I said "getting there!" and then I looked at the last one and read it outloud.... "Well then, go look in the jewlery box" and I couldn't move! I looked at Grant and said, "I can't!!!" and he looked at me and said "Well fine then!" and this is where Grant got down on one knee said some really sweet things and asked me to be his wife... Here's where he started to cry! I of course said "YES"... I put the ring on my finger as he stood up. We hugged and kissed and cried together for awhile. Then I looked at him and told him that I wanted to tell someone, but the first person I wanted to tell was HIM! I wanted to share the best news in my life with my best friend, HIM! Yes, I do realize he was the one who just proposed... it just proved my point that he is my best friend! Then I realized that he was going to send me to an empty jewlery ring box in the jewlerly box.... What a funny man he is!
We ended up NOT going out to dinner that night. We attempted to call his parents but they didn't answer, so we drove over to my parents to tell them the news! We then started to share the news with the Bilski family! What a great night it was! I was ready to start planning a wedding! I cannot wait to be Grant's wife forever!