the story . . .

So life has been busy as usual and it's been 3 weeks now since my last post . . . my ENGAGEMENT!! As promised here is the story of how the day played out.

Ben nonchalantly asked early in the week if we could spend the whole day together Saturday before the semester took off for him and work got crazy for me and we wouldn't have time for all day adventures. He played it off REALLY well, he suggested that I come up with something to do and he would too and whoever had the better idea or planned something we really felt like doing that weekend we would go with that. Clever. SO, engagement was the last thing on my mind. I knew it would come eventually but I didn't even know if he even had the ring yet, other things said earlier made me think he didn't have it yet. Clever again.

Well Saturday roled around and we decided to go to the mountains again to hike, shoot (guns), and have a picnic. Sounded like a great idea to me. The one thing Ben did say he would pull together was the picnic lunch. Romantic. Still not crossing my mind. I was in clueless mode, something I do on occassion which does not come as a surprise to those who know me well.

We took the jeep up to the mountains where we had in INCREDIBLE view and INCREDIBLE weather. It was 75 degrees at high altitude on January 17th!! What country do I live in?? MY mindset was a nice leisure day in the mountains soaking in the sun, hiking, eating, playing things low key. BEN on the other hand had been up, WIDE AWAKE since 5 a.m. reeling with how the day would play out. He went to Bart and Amy's (a couple we hang out w/ a lot) house around 7:00 a.m. to pull together the picnic lunch. Amy added a little feminine touch . . . heart shaped rice krispy treats for desert.

Not wanting to act TOO eager he let me sleep in being that it was Saturday and picked me up at 10:30. I did notice when I wasn't completely ready at his arrival that he was abnormally anxious to leave and start our day. I asked, "What's the rush, it's Saturday we've got the whole day." No clue. So we made it up to the mountains and the sun was baking us. When we got there I suggested relaxing for awhile before our hike to just enjoy the sun. Looking back now I think, "What outdoorsman wants to SUNBATHE when we could be hiking, shooting guns, or better YET PROPOSING!?!?!" So he played along and appeased me for about 5 minutes. He was so restless I suggested he go get his Bible and share what he'd been reading about that morning that was so good. When he called that morning he "mentioned" that he'd been reading something really good in Ephesians and wanted to share it later. No biggie, we share Scripture all the time. Still clueless.

So he goes back to the jeep to get his Bible (about 100 yards away) and is gone for probably 10 + minutes. During this time I was happily soaking in rays enjoying the rest. The thought had crossed my mind he'd been gone awhile but I figured he's a hunter if some animal or crazy man found him he knew what to do and he packed enough artillery in the jeep to take care of any problems. Finally he came back to me almost dead asleep.

He graciously asked if I would sit up while he read so he wasn't hovering over me. I kindly commented that the Spirit could speak to me laying down and he could lay on his stomach next to me and we could BOTH relax, how great was THAT idea? Perfect in my mind. Terrible in his. No man can KNEEL and propose to a woman that is LAYING down. He kept persisting so I finally caved and sat up. His passage that morning was from Ephesians 5, "Husbands love your wives, wives submit to your husbands . . ." Sweet, still nothing registering. Sometimes we read "relational" passages and share them so I was still clueless. The next part, however, tipped me off. He made a REALLY smooth cross reference transition to Psalm 34 the first couple of verses that say in essence, "and we will worship the Lord together all the rest of our days . . ." TOO smooth.

A switch went on and I started processing like crazy. This couldn't be it, could it be, is he really going to propose, this is too smooth it's not normal, he's got to propose, does he have the ring? What is he saying? I don't even know anymore. He started talking after that stumbling a little over his words. He's nervous, he MUST be proposing. I wasn't ready for this, but I am. I don't even look good. I thought it was a relaxed Saturday in the mountains with no major pictures. Then he said, "Anita I love you and I will love you for the rest of my life." That flowed into some other sweet monologue that led to him pulling a white box out if his pocket, kneeling down and asking me to marry him.

My response? Tears of course. I'm an Eller. I said something along the lines of yes I love you too. I can't remember b/c I was still processing that it was all actually happening. We were both standing by then. We stood so he could put the ring on my finger and hugged. After that he said, "Hey look at that" pointing to "his" Bible. The Bible he read from was new and had my new name engraved on it, "Anita Mosier." How amazing is THAT I ask? THIS is the man of my dreams. This is the man I am going to marry in Alaska on Saturday June 27th.