She said Yes!

It was our first day at College of the Ozarks. We were both freshmen, and totally out of our comfort zones. Dylan and I were placed in the same welcome week group, or as C of O calls it "Character Camp Family". Dylan, myself and eight other incoming students were placed together to spend the first week of college making friends with each other and allowing two students who have been at C of O to show us around and teach us a few things about college. As the semester continued our group began to go their separate ways, but Dylan and I continued to be friends and grow together.

When I wanted to figure out how to propose to Haygn I had some trouble thinking of a good way. Then one day Haygn entered into a contest for free pictures for dating couples from a professional photographer. After she won the pictures I contacted the photographer and asked him if I could propose during the photo shoot that way it would be unexpected and he could get the pictures of my proposal. When he said that I could, all that was left to figure out was the timing and location. On the day of the shoot we went to three different locations around the College of the Ozarks campus where I planned on proposing at the last shoot. During the photo shoots, Haygn's mom had the ring in her pocket so that she could hand it to me at the last shoot when Haygn wasn't looking. Then when it came time for the last shoot I put the ring in the box in my back pocket and I got Haygn to look away. When she turned around I was on one knee asking her to be my wife.

I decided to enter a Valentines photo contest on Facebook. There were three winners, and to my surprise I won a free couples session. So I book my session for April. The day finally comes, I have all of mine and Dylan's outfits picked out AND IT'S POURING DOWN RAIN. My heart sank a little as all I could think about is how frizzy my hair was going to be. I needed a back up plan, I quickly start picking out ideas of where we can get our pictures without being in the rain. We arrive at College of the Ozarks for our pictures, we moved building to building to take a few pictures out of the rain. Our last stop was the Mill. The wheel is uncovered so I decide what the heck, let's take a few pictures in the rain by the Mill wheel. We get down there completely soaked head to toe. I turned around and saw Dylan on one knee with a ring. I was completely in shock. Flashes of everything I dreamed of as a little girl in this moment were flooding back to me and how this was not the perfect proposal. This wasn't the perfect moment. Stuck in the rain was not at all what I imagined. Then before Dylan could get the rest of the question out, I was smiling, and and realizing how perfect the moment really was. It was never this perfect in my head. For everyone who knows Dylan and I really well, knows that a proposal in the rain just goes right along with our adventurous, free to roam personalities. Little do most people know we were on a road trip one hour after being engaged which is never anything I would have imagined as a little girl. The Lord really blessed me with Dylan and I am so excited to be his wife!