Our Engagement Story

Alas, I will finally post our story- hoorah! This is how I got engaged to my best friend...

Chase planned an entire week in California for us which Disneyland, a Beachtrip, lots of food, A josh groban and fireworks concert and A trip to the gardens..
Friday morning, July 5 2013, we decided would be a great day on our California trip to visit the Huntington Library and Gardens. A couple weeks before our trip I suggested to Chase we go to a botanical garden when we in california (since I'm flower obsessed). He very cleverly said he would see if they had any and proceeded to look up some gardens in SOCAL. He asked me if I thought Huntington sounded good and I agreed so we put that into our trip. Little did I know he had been planing on proposing there for several months.
Back to Friday- we headed out in the morning and Chase didn't rush me to be ready by a certain time which was fishy part one.. We grabbed some TOGO's and I told chase since it was so late we didn't have to go by the gardens, we could just hangout around town. He was very insistent on going...fishy part two. Chase likes flowers as much as the next guy but not as much as I do. 
We walked around the Gardens and I started thinking, "Hmmm..maybe it will be today" but then with the laid back pace at which we were walking I doubted it after a few minutes. We went and stood in the Japanese Gardens where Chase pointed out that we should try to go on the bridge. Remember this one? 

So we walked over and it was blocked off. He suggests we just jump over the posts...I refuse. So now Chase has to think of plan B and get our photographer Krista in on it without me knowing. Speaking of Krista, she was already taking pictures of us..

Not having a Plan B Chase panics a little ( let's be honest chase) and turns to me and says "hey, lets go find some rose gardens". 
Uhhh ok random man...
Krista was right behind us and I had no idea...

He pulled me into the clearing on our right which had no path. I asked "are we even allowed to go in here?"  In a frantic voice the reply " uhhhhh yeah! those people are doing it!" pointing to the random family taking pictures on the other side of the path. We start walking around the flowers. I mention how pretty it is and he agrees and gets quiet again. 

Walking along this area Chase is DEAD silent. Awkward and fishy part 3 people...He starts looking to our right. I ask " hey there, whatchaaa lookin at?" To which he replies "...........purple flowers".
Wow.someone is a terrible liar. 
More silence and I start getting suspicious. In the middle of the silence he asks "wouldn't it be cool if there were some peonies here? some white peonies?" ( my favorite flowers are peonies) 
"umm.....yeah that would be cool" I reply, thinking "uh, no dude. This is a rose garden. would would peonies be doing here...weirdo". 
I know...so loving. 
(in the picture below are the purple flowers he suggested he was looking at when really he was looking for our secret photographer...) 

So now I'm 95% positive this thing is about to go down when he takes me in between the rose rows, turns to me and says "I have a question for you".

Guys. My heart literally sank to my butt and I was like "OH CRAP THIS IS IT". 
He gets down on one knee and starts saying adorable things. One included was an inside joke about his "future wife" we made up on our second date. Who would have known I was the future wife in the joke...
He asks " will you marry me" to which I respond..."are you serious?"
....Ok this was definitely one of my moments. Duh he's serious Jovanna, what kind of a sick joke would this be....
so after he confirmed that, Yes, he was indeed serious, I said YES! 
They tell you the whole speech thing is a blur, and I always though "NAHHHHH I'll remember it word for word" but seriously, your brain is spinning so much you can't remember, he cant remember, NO ONE CAN FREAKIN REMEMBER but you do remember it was sweet. 

You also don't plan on sweating like a giant pig in the middle of the sahara desert but when it's hot outside and you're wearing black and the man of your dreams is holding a very large shiny object for you- You do sweat people, YOU DO. 

Chase started crying so I started crying.....crybabies in the house y'all. 

There were 4 people around us talking and 2 of them taking pictures. Overwhelming but my head was spinning from being engaged! It was perfect because it included my favorite things in the whole world- Flowers and Chase. 

Krista took pictures of us around the Gardens and made us feel so comfortable even though we were awkward as heck. For a link to her work click HERE!

Oh and before I forget...funny story. My bestfriend 7 years got engaged the same day I did! Chase had been planning this trip since my birthday and talked to steph and kenzie about how he should propose. The week before we left I talked to Trevor ( stephanie's now fiancé) and he told me he was proposing that saturday. I told chase and he internally freaked out (he told me later) because that's when he had ben planning to propose. He contacted krista to ask if she could take pictures on friday since he was moving the proposal date. On our way to the gardens I decide to text Trevor and ask how he decided to propose on Saturday to which he replies he had already proposed. WHAT! I was so excited for steph and I told chase. He then freaked out again without me knowing because he had changed dates and everything so we could have our own days and then trevor decided to propose early! Haha poor chase! but it was still BEYOND perfect and I don't mind sharing such a special day with such an amazing friend! 

I'm so glad that Chase knows me so well and planned the PERFECT proposal for me. He has been my bestfriend for over a year now. I'm looking forward to all the years I have ahead of me with my best friend,my other half, my fiancé. 

Santa Monica Pier: California Day 4

Our last day in California, so sad. I didn't want to leave but I'm glad we still had fun. We attempted to go to the beach that morning. Attempted being the key word people... because we didn't 
A- leave at 7 in the morning
B- go to something other than huntington beach 
C- go on a weekend that wasn't 4th of july 
We made those mistakes. We left after noon, it was packed and it was fourth of july weekend. MADNESS people, MADNESS. We sat in line for at least a half and hour and had to leave due to lack of parking. So all in all we drove around the area for 3 to 4 hours before we got home. 
Don't make these mistakes.
We did get to have Sushi with charles though! I'm not a huge sushi fan but Chase is, so we go. I tried sea urchin... NASTY. sorry charles.
Then, santa monica pier! I have always wanted to go there. It was a little cloudy but at least it was warm :) 

Blurry....Wish it wasn't 

We walked along the beach..people really build that whole concept up just so you know. "long walks on the beach" really means "I like to work out my calves". Sneaky beach dwellers, exercising all the time. 

The water was a little chilly 

So one of the main reasons we went to Santa Monica was for me to ride my first ferris wheel andddd cotton candy! I told you guys I love cotton candy. SO.MUCH. and I got the blue kind...aka THE BEST KIND.

So then we waited in line and I was freakin out a little bit. Like a tiny little butterfly having a rave in my stomach. 

And then we got on...HOLY MOLY ANCHOVY. So High up there. It wasn't so bad if I didn't look out too much..plus it was pretty. Don't look back into the dark ocean though...it looks like the end of the world. NOT PRETTY.

So cool- I did so many new things this trip and I was glad chase was there to help me freak out a lot less, and be patient with my lack of being exciting. The whole trip was one of the best weeks of my life. :) 

Huntington Gardens:California Day 3

Yes yes, it is true. This is the day I got ENGAGED! But, I apologize in advance that I will not be posting the proposal story on this post. I'm waiting for the pictures, and then you will get ALLL the details :) But I will tell you the joys of the day! Chase and I went to the Huntington Library and Gardens. I was so excited because if y'all know me you know I LOVE flowers. They are my favorite thing in the whole world. It was so fun walking around the gardens, I want to go back again because the place is so massive that we didn't get to see the half of it. 

 This was in the Japanese Gardens! So beautiful. This is where chase was GOING to propose butttt I was messing with my camera not paying attention and the bridge was closed. 

This was the bridge that chase was going to propose on IF I wasn't a pain, the bridge wasn't closed, and  there wasn't a random old guy standing next to us. Gorgeous, but the rose gardens are far more special to me :) 

Look at all these Koi fish! so cool. I touched this one....IT.WAS.AWESOME. Fish have hard faces..just so you know. Chase is the koi whisperer.

I love that he loves animals too...because if he didn't I would not have said yes that day;) And this......

Is where he did propose! I have always wanted to be proposed to in a room full of flowers- the only thing that changed was the lack of the 4 walls. It was beautiful and amazing and chase had Krista as our secret photographer. I can't wait to get the pictures back this weekend! Other than the fact that I was sweaty and lookin a hot mess....well I wish a hot mess..more like a dumpy mess- but I got engaged so who cares!

My ring. I was so obsessed staring at it that day. Actually, I must confess I STILL look at it all the time everyday. 

And the rest of the day was so wonderful. We got to spend the whole day together and enjoy being newly engaged. We had dinner at the cheesecake factory. Sat outside and it was warm and lovely 

And on the way to the the movie theater there were fireworks. PERFECT.

We saw Despicable Me 2 which was freakishly hilarious and then left the theater super tired, sluggish and freakishly happy. Could not have asked for a better day with my fiancé! 
PS check back here I will post a link to the proposal story with pictures! :)