Popping the Question

A few months ago I wrote a post entitled "Tying the Knot," but it wasn't about marriage at all...Sorry if I disappointed any of you back then, but don't worry, the title of this post won't disappoint!

About a week and a half a go I got engaged to the amazing and adorable Marian Randall (Don't worry this won't get mushier. I'm not into the whole public "brag about my girl" posts when it should really be said to her in private). She knew this was coming sometime soon, but she had no idea when. With some help from our friends, Alexiss and Leslie, it turned out fantastic.

On Wednesday nights Marian often has a girl's night while I am volunteering at the Dallas Temple. I called her as I usually do on my way to the Temple, and I played it off like everything was normal. A few hours later Marian got picked up by her friends to go shopping. One of them had a perfect (and true) cover story about needing to go get a children's book as a present. They "decided" to go to Half Price Books (a true gem of Texas)--which is where Marian and I had read children's books to each other on our first official date.

Before they got to the store I set out one of the books we read on the first date, The Stinky Cheeseman, my journal entries about her and our relationship, and a piece of paper with her name on it. Then I went and hid in another part of the store. Marian walked in and started checking out the children's books, and then BAM she saw the papers with her name on it and the arrow pointing to a chair. Still unsure of what exactly was going on, she began to read my journal entries, and I moved in closer so I could hear what was going on.

At one point I heard her ask, "Is he here? Where is he?" The last journal entry was for that day and it said to open the book to the marked page. On that page I had highlighted letters spelling out "Will you marry me?" Then (after a slight delay) I walked around the corner and got down on one knee and asked her to marry me. And she said yes!

We will be getting married in the Dallas Temple on July 1st for time and all eternity. You see, in my religion we believe that God intends for marriage to be an essential relationship in life and beyond. I am so happy--the happiest I have ever been. All of the dating and working and worrying I have done up to this point was definitely worth it. I am very excited to start our own life together this summer. Happiness is found in living the gospel of Jesus Christ in families.