Will You...

I know some of you have been patiently waiting for this... Patrick reminded me the other day, while in the midst of wedding planning... that I have a prior responsibility... the blog... so I'm sorry if you feel neglected... really, I am.

This is going to be a long one... so get ready... here is our proposal story...

Patrick made plans to come down and visit me last weekend.  He was going to be in between semesters at school so it seemed like the perfect time for him to make the trip.  He would drive down on Saturday, then he was going to visit with a friend from the Shoals and Auburn, before having dinner with my parents.  After I got off work on Saturday, I would head out to their house to spend the night.

Sunday morning the forecast was rainy and cold!  We went to church at FBA, then went to lunch with his friends Dustin and Laura.  We ate at Mary Mac's Tea Room... an old Atlanta favorite!  Sunday afternoon we went back to my parent's house... we watched football and relaxed... it was a great day!

Monday we planned to go to the Georgia Aquarium, then go by my work to introduce Patrick to some people, then I told him I would go geo-caching with him... because he had been really wanting to do it lately... and I wanted to be nice.  


(Geo-caching is basically a scavenger hunt using a GPS with coordinates... for more info go here)

We got a little later start than we meant to that morning... but we made it to the Aquarium about 11:30am.  We had a great time looking at all the different exhibits.  I was a little bummed because some of my favorites were not on display.  They are building a new habitat... so the animals had to be moved as a protective measure.  Anywho... we grabbed a quick bite at the Aquarium before we finished the tour.  Then I wanted to go back at watch the otters a little more... they are my favorite!  We also decided to stay and watch them feed the pirannas... not a good move... but that is another story.  While we were waiting, Patrick mentioned that we should probably go look for the geo-cache before we went to visit work.  He said it would be better to go before it got dark and cold... I reluctantly agreed.  I didn't really want to go anyway... but I knew he had been looking forward to it.

Off we went to Piedmont Park... he said he thought I would enjoy the geo-caching because it was a Georgia/Auburn theme.  Piedmont Park is where the two schools played their first football game, way back in 1892.  By the time we reached the park, the weather had taken a turn for the worst.  The temperature had dropped and it was very very windy... not to mention the fact that my GPS was having problems finding the satellites.  I tried to mask my frustration over the whole thing... but I don't think it worked... I'm pretty sure Patrick could tell I was not happy.

The GPS finally found a satellite and we got the directions... when we got to the spot, we looked around for a few minutes with no luck.  I asked Patrick when the last people found it, because "if it was in the summer and they hid it on the ground it would now be covered with leaves..."  He suggested we look in the tree... I still saw nothing... then all of a sudden, he says, "Do you see that?"  Sure enough, it was a little cannister hanging from a branch... we pulled it down and opened and there was another clue... 

He asked if I wanted to keep going... I said, "sure, we already found one... maybe our luck is turning around."  Off we go to the next coordinates... we end up at a big old tree.  Patrick suggests that since the last one was in the branches this one might be hiding in the roots of the old tree.  So we go around the tree looking in each of the cubbies... and I found it!  The second cannister... we open it and get the clue... now off to our final stop.

The final coordinates brought us to a fire pit type thing right in front of the Atlanta skyline.  Patrick suggested I look on the bottom side and he would check the top (it was kind of on a hill).  So I started kicking around the leaves and looking in any little crevases I could find... then Patrick says, "I think I found it."  He came down the the bottom of the hill and helped me up to the top (it had been raining so it was slippery and muddy).  When we got to the top there was a round black box...

He said, "Do you think this is it?"  I wasn't so sure so I gave the box a little tap with my foot.  He said, "Why don't you pick it up and see what's in it."  I, somewhat reluctantly, picked up the box and opened it.  When I did, I saw red and black & orange and blue M&M's.

When I looked a little closer I saw that they said "Will You... Marry Me?"  I was in total shock!!  Patrick said, "Do you see what they say?"  All I could do is cover my mouth and shake my head... "Do you see anything else in there?"  I did... I saw a gold band peeking out from underneath the candy... 

Patrick then took the box... got down on his knee and said "Elizabeth Leigh Nobles, will you marry me?"  Still in shock... and crying at this point... it took me a minute to compose myself... but of course I said YES!!!!!

By this time the wind had stopped... and I stopped feeling the cold... it was so special!!!  I was totally surprised, which is big for me... I always ask way too many questions and figure everything out!

We are so excited!!!