The Question

I am getting eager to start posting about what is more currently happening in me and Brandon's life but I feel like I can't get to that without sharing how he "popped the question" and sharing a little bit about the wedding day as well. So, sorry for any that might be anxiously waiting for me to get current with this blog, but I felt there were just a couple more posts to write first. So, this is the story leading up to our engagement:
Thanksgiving was a whirlwind of meeting family members and spending time with them. It was a ton of fun but also a lot to take in. I loved meeting everyone and seeing how Brandon's family celebrated the holiday with their extended families. But also by the end of the day we were both anxious to have a little one on one time since that time was hard to come by in the normal hustle and bustle of everyday life. Brandon decided to take me to Peterman's Sports Park, which is basically just a small park down the river from the Idaho Falls LDS temple. It was actually decent weather that night with our coats on and we wandered all around the park, enjoying the different scenery that the park has to offer. At the very end of our walk through the park Brandon and I walked down a bridge where you can stop and look down river and have a clear view of the Idaho Falls temple shining brightly in the darkness. We stopped to take in the view and suddenly we began talking about OUR future and in that moment it seemed that both of us just knew that we wanted our future to be together. It was a wonderful moment I will never forget! The feeling was incredible! As we ended our conversation and walked back to the car Brandon asked me if I wanted to go ring shopping the next day. Of course I said yes! When we got in the car Brandon paused a second before starting the car. I looked at him and he said "Um, so I have to admit something... I almost proposed back there without a ring." "I would have been fine with that" I said. He seemed a little bummed that he hadn't and we drove away. I won't go into all the details of ring shopping but it was fun and scary at the same time. That night we sat down with his mom and the conversation went quickly to possible wedding dates. We decided on a couple weekends that might work but I had to check those dates with my immediate family to see what would work for those that would have to travel. That week, despite the fact that we were not yet engaged we talked to family members and decided that March 24th was going to be our day.
That week Brandon asked me if I wanted to have dinner with my sister Angie and her family since we hadn't been able to spend time with them during Thanksgiving. I said that would be really fun so we arranged a time to have dinner my sister Angie and brother-in-law Ben during the week. Brandon also mentioned that he thought it would be fun to take another walk at the park after dinner with Angie and Ben on Sunday and I admit I was a little suspicious that he might propose, knowing that he had almost done so earlier that week in that exact park. However, I was a little confused and slightly disappointed when Brandon talked to me about going ring shopping that Saturday.
When Sunday finally rolled around I was hoping and wondering if Brandon would propose but I wasn't sure if he would knowing we had just looked at more rings the day before.  That night we ended up having to meet at my sister's house for dinner. When I opened the door to see Brandon standing on the doorstep with a dozen roses I was surprised and admittedly thought "Yay, maybe he will propose tonight!" but I decided not to think about because I didn't want to be disappointed if he didn't. After dinner I felt a glimmer of hope again that he would propose when I realized that the first week of December had greeted us with some very cold weather (and that night in particular was in the negatives) and yet Brandon still wanted to go for our walk. I thought to myself as we walked out the door "He better be proposing tonight, otherwise he is crazy for wanting to go on a walk in this weather."A few seconds later I was talking myself out of the idea that he was proposing because I didn't want to get my hopes up, so I decided to put the thought out of my mind and enjoy the walk despite the freezing cold weather.
 As we got out of the car and started walking down the bridge a view caught my eye that I was fascinated with and I got distracted for a second. Then as I looked forward again I noticed something a few feet away. There was a stream of moonlight that lit up a B heart J and I could also make out "Always and Forever" below that. (That last phrase had a special meaning for us because each time we would say "I love you" to each other the other would respond with "always and forever.") But I could also tell there was some smaller writing on the top of the log that I couldn't see in the darkness. I bent down to read it and as I got close I could see the following written at the top: "December 4, 2011 Engaged." Suddenly it dawned on me that he really was proposing (as that was the date).
I jumped up and spun around with an excited "Really?" He was already on one knee. I'm pretty sure he chuckled at my reaction and then said "Jennifer Banner, will you marry me?" "YES, OF COURSE!" I practically shouted out of pure joy and excitement. He stood up and put the ring on my finger and kissed me. It was another amazing moment I hope to never forget!
I was so excited to see that ring on my finger that despite the fact that it was below freezing I wouldn't put my glove on. As we walked back to the car Brandon told me that his parents were waiting for us at the end of the bridge to take a picture. When we got to their car they told us that the camera wouldn't turn on because it was too cold and the battery wasn't able to function. At first I was a little disappointed, but it didn't take long for me to decide it was actually pretty funny that we had gone on that walk in below freezing temperatures so that Brandon could propose in our special spot. Of course it was totally worth it! I returned to my sister's house and we announced we were engaged and showed her the ring. Since Brandon and I both had to work in Idaho Falls the next day he was going to stay in his room at home and I had arranged to stay in one his parents spare rooms. So, on our way to their house we called several close family members and friends to tell them the news. When we got to Brandon's house we stayed up for a few hours with his parents, excitedly talking about wedding plans and laughing about the fact that it had been cold enough to freeze the camera battery. So far, no amount of joy I had experienced previously could match what I felt that day and I wondered in the back of my mind if the happiness and joy could ever be matched by another day. Of course I should have known that March 24th was going to surpass even that much joy!