I had to write and perform/narrate a creative writing piece for one of my Communication classes this week, and so I wrote about my brother and his fiancé’s sweet proposal story. I figured I should share it since I already wrote it all out.
The busiest week of my life was three weeks ago.
It all started on a Tuesday, driving to College Station.
I was headed there to witness my brother’s (Ryan) proposal to his girlfriend (Jessie).
My view of the proposal was…different than you may imagine.
I was in a tree.
Hiding.
With a camera.
Sounds creepy, I know…but it’s not.
See, Ryan had asked me to photograph the moment.
The entire thing was a complete surprise to Jessie.
She had no idea we were even in College Station.
There is a reason she didn’t think we would be in College Station.
And this fits into all of the wedding madness of this week.
That Friday my mom was getting married back where we live
Four hours away from College Station.
So, it’s logical that we have to be at my mom’s wedding.
But, back to the proposal.
I get to College Station Tuesday night,
Wednesday is “Proposal Day”
My brother and I spend the morning chopping down limbs of a tree.
I needed to get the perfect angle.
He found the perfect place on a nature trail where they go running a lot.
The tea-light candles were set up perfectly along the bridge.
We laid out pictures and letters they had written each other on a bench.
It was PERFECT.
And it was about 2:30 in the afternoon.
A key part of this story is that Jessie is student teaching, and this was her first week.
So, we knew she would get out of school anywhere from 3-5.
I was hoping more along the lines of 3…
But that’s not what happened.
Another important part to know is that my brother’s friend Andy plays violin.
And that Jessie loves the violin.
So, Ryan asked Andy to play the violin while he proposed.
So, my brother goes to wait outside the school to surprise Jessie and “go on a walk”
So she thought.
While Ryan is waiting at the school,
Andy and I are waiting in the middle of the woods on this nature trail.
FOR ALMOST 3 HOURS.
But we’ll get to that moment when they get here later.
Where is the engagement ring?
Hidden under a leaf.
Weird, right?
It was a great thought, so Ryan could get down on his knee at the predetermined location and
BAM.
the ring would be right there.
One problem.
We had been there about 2 hours and things were going fine.
However, we didn’t plan on a runner coming through the woods
WITH A DOG
Who would find the ring box and think it was a chew toy.
I WISH I WAS KIDDING.
But I’m completely serious.
I see the dog running around with the white box in his mouth.
I almost passed out.
Thankfully, the dog dropped the box, and no harm was done
Except my rising blood pressure, that is.
Fast forward to when Ryan and Jessie finally get there.
He walks up to the bench and she is frozen…she knows something big is about to happen.
I’m hiding in the woods like a paparazzi and the violinist is behind me.
I can’t hear anything that is said, but I see the action.
He gets down on his knee.
Her eyes get big.
She opens her mouth and puts her hand on her cheek.
He puts the ring on her finger.
They kiss.
It’s beautiful.
Then, we come out of the woods when Ryan calls for us
Jessie was so surprised, and it was perfect.
I drove back to Bridgeport after we ate dinner
And I stayed up until 4am editing the pictures and video I shot.
That was the first of “relationship/wedding week 2012”
Thursday evening I had a bachelorette party for my friend Joy.
Friday morning my mom got married.
Friday night I had Joy and Brad’s rehearsal dinner.
Saturday was Joy and Brad’s wedding, which I was a bridesmaid in.
Sunday morning the sermon was on marriage.
Busiest week of my life.
Exhausting, yet lovely.
Rachel Durban 