Engagements & Things

(I wrote this Friday, December 24.. the night after Ben proposed)
Well, it's official boys and girls.. I'm getting MARRIED!! To the most wonderful man I've ever known (besides my dad). Last night was incredible. Ben and I went and did baptisms for the dead at the temple, and afterward we walked around the grounds for a little bit before sitting on the front steps. We started talking about the day last year when we sat in the exact same spot. Ben was waiting for his family to get to the temple so they could go do sealings for the dead, and I was just hanging out on the grounds because Danielle was at a doctor appointment at the hospital across the street. Ben texted me and amidst the small talk he told me where he was, and then I told him I was there too! So I went and found him, and we sat on those steps and talked until Danielle was done with her appointment. After we talked about that day, Ben started listing all the reasons why he loves me. He said some of the sweetest things I'd ever had anyone say to me. I told him that he was making me cry, and then he said, "Well, I'm going to make you cry some more." And then he got down on his knees in front of me and pulled a little box out of his pocket. I started going into hysterics. He opened the box and asked the question, to which I of course said "yes!" And yes, I did cry. A lot. I can't think of any better time or place to get THE ring. Both of us still overflowing with the spirit from doing baptisms, and on the steps of one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. Ben is going to be mine, for time and all eternity. And I'm so happy! When we pulled up to my apartment, Danielle called me. They were at Chili's and had locked the keys in the Yukon. I just happened to have a spare to the car, so it was Jessica to the rescue! I didn't want to leave Ben, but he needed to go home and get to bed because he's sick. So I grabbed the spare from my room, and headed over to Chili's. I got there, and my parents and Kyler and Semaya were across the parking lot at a clothes store. I met them halfway across the parking lot and we were just chatting, when someone asked me what I was going to do the rest of the night. I said I was probably going to go home and laugh and cry and scream and jump around. Haha. When I was asked why, I held up my left hand. When Danielle realized what I was showing them, she punched my arm a couple times and kept saying "oh my gosh!" and then she calmed down a little and grabbed my hand and told me that the ring was so pretty. I got lots of hugs and congratulations. [: If it's that way with my parents, I can only imagine how much attention I'll be getting the next few weeks. Haha. It seems like everyone in the whole world is getting engaged. Natalie got engaged yesterday too! And so did my friend Jacki Kimball. The funny thing, is that a couple of weeks ago Natalie and I were talking about how cool it would be if we both got engaged on the same day... and it totally happened! She texted me mid-morning yesterday telling me she got her ring! There are going to be SO MANY weddings this spring. Ben's brother Brandon is getting married in June, Natalie is getting married late May or early June, and I'm getting married May 21. It's so insane! But so super cool! My mom doesn't know yet.. I'm going up there tonight to surprise her for Christmas and to tell her and the kids about my ring.. :D And Ben and I aren't going to say anything to his family.. we're gonna see how long it takes them to figure it out :P And then, once everyone in our close family knows, we'll go public and put it on Facebook and all that jazz. This is crazy. I'm getting MARRIED!! I've always dreamed about it, but I can't believe it's happening! It's a whole different ball game now.. [: