As a first year employee at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, we are only given five personal days off from work. This year, Brady and I decided to take a fall vacation to his home state of South Dakota. He wanted to watch his parents coach volleyball and football, and he wanted to watch his three siblings play these respective sports, as well.
We flew to South Dakota early on Thursday, September 20th. (Side note: Brady and I have a thing for panda bears. We have two stuffed animal pandas. One is a pillow pet that folds out into a pillow. With our flight leaving so early, I suggested he bring John Smith, the panda pillow pet, to sleep on the flight. Much to my surprise, I noticed on the plane that he had packed both stuffed animals, John Smith and Pocahontas, the stuffed panda he gave to me on our one month anniversary. He said that he could not bring one without the other, something that made perfect sense to sentimental me.) We ate lunch in Sioux Falls and stopped for coffee at Caribou (mmm, Mint Conditions). That afternoon, we visited his sisters at school. We went to his brother's scrimmage that night. Nothing was out of the ordinary. On Friday, we spent the morning in Sioux Falls with his grandparents, Grandpa Denny and Grandma Sandy Benson, and I met Brady's Uncle Jeff and Aunt Christy for the first time at lunch. We spent the afternoon shopping around town before heading back to the metropolis that is Chester, South Dakota.
Brady lives on a farm, one thing he misses most about home. His brother and sister have two bottle calves, Rib eye and T-Bone, that kept escaping through the fence, and Brady's dad asked him to fix it that afternoon. I felt as though we had not stopped since leaving Charleston, and I wanted to relax inside and work on Brady's gift for our one year anniversary, which was on September 24th. Brady said he would come inside later; take me down to a cornfield, which I was begging for him to do (if I'm going to the middle of nowhere South Dakota, I wanted to take pictures in a cornfield, okay?!); and possibly see if he could find me a ride on a combine.
After an hour or so of doing our own thing, Brady came up to the house and told me to put on some shoes. Their family friend was combining, and he wanted to take me. As we were driving down the gravel road on the Scout, Brady asked if we could stop by Uncle Joe's to see the lake. It was on the way, and with South Dakota in a severe drought, I understood that he wanted to see Uncle Joe's land and to see how low the lake was. When we drove up to the lake, I noticed John Smith, Pocahontas (yes, the pandas), and some ears of corn on the dock. I started to get suspicious. Brady took my hand and asked if I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. The rest of the proposal is much of a blur, with me burying myself into Brady in shock. He had to make me stand to even show me the most beautiful ring in the world. Supposedly, he did actually get down on one knee (there are pictures to prove it), but I do not remember saying "yes." He knew the answer, anyway.
I told Brady that I wanted someone hiding to capture the moment. The next thing I remember is him having me look to my right, where I saw Coach Fods with a camera in his hands. I immediately turned red and knew just how awful those pictures were probably going to be, with me hiding my face in every picture. He snapped a few "official" pictures of us by the lake. Brady showed me how to twist the kernels off the ears of corn, and then, we headed back to his house.
The actual moment. It's proof he did fall to one knee. And, you can see Pocahontas on the dock. :)
That night was the Homecoming football game at the school, where his dad is the head coach. When we reached the house, I had to get ready quickly to head to the school. I called my mom, dad, and sister. When I walked into the school gym, after hugs from his mom and sisters, everyone wanted to see the bling. Apparently, everyone in the town of Chester, South Dakota, knew about the impending proposal, except for me and his nine-year-old brother. How rude. :) My mom had even mailed the ring to the school (with insurance, of course). It was the perfect night celebrating with Brady, his family, his friends, and his town.
The bedazzler. Isn't it gorgeous?! I would not change a thing about it! (Didn't he do a phenomenal job?!)
The rest of the trip was amazing. My new sparkly accessory on my left hand was the perfect souvenir!
I knew his family wanted to have professional family pictures taken before we even flew to SD. I made sure Brady was prepared and packed a black shirt and jeans. Brady made sure I packed a matching outfit, even though I felt a little awkward about being a part of his family pictures. I guess, now, it all makes sense, seeing as I am going to be a Benson, one day. :)
Family pictures! We are cute, and you know it!
HE STOLE MY HEART, SO I'M STEALING HIS NAME.
Hay Reh (Be-to-be)
No comments:
Post a Comment