There's Only One Way to Say, These 3 Words: I Love You

Warning: totally, completely cheese-laden post full of gushy musings, and romantic reflections. If you aren't a romantic, stop reading, or have a bucket beside you. You have been warned. 

 

It started as a normal Tuesday. I was not really looking forward to work, seeing as I had not that much sleep. I even got up 10 minutes early to see Carlos at work, since he works overnights on Mondays--and I was going to take him some oatmeal cookies that I made! I stumbled upon this little treat when I opened my door! Instead of looking at what it was , I waited a little bit, got ready, and picked up all the treats. I actually didn't notice the note until I picked up the stuffed animals. How cute!



The note read (paraphrased):
Bet you didn't expect this. We are always talking about running away, so let's do it today. Bring walking shoes, a camera (duh Iphone), and get ready to celebrate a day of love! 

Well, at first. I thought, this is IT. This is the day he's going to finally propose! Mind you, Valentine's was two weeks ago...so I wasn't expecting much. But, I didn't want to get my hopes up (if he was in fact, tricking me). So, I thought, relax. It's just going to be a fun day. Don't expect anything.

How could you not expect anything with this kind of surprise waiting for you? I now have a herd of stuffed animals thanks to Carlos. The one in the bottom left hand corner was the original one that I got last Valentine's day. Upon finding these, my heart was filled with joy. I was all sorts of nervous.









I was ready to go--except for the fact that it was Tuesday, and I just had to go to work. Carlos told me to tell Don (my supervisor) that I was sick, and as the rule breaker I am, I quickly Skyped my boss and told him I was ill. (psh yeah right) Then I thought, well, what the heck, it's one day. Just one day, it won't kill me to miss it!

Carlos later told me he was afraid I might bail out on him and go to work. I thought he was insane. Why would I ever refuse a day with Carlos and go to work instead? Maybe in an alternate universe.

I was rearing and ready to go! Carlos told me that we were headed to IHOP. Since it was the 28th, IHOP had a promotion where they were giving away free stacks! Um, how could I not go! It was free food! I could never pass up and opportunity for free food. So our first stop was IHOP. I've never been with Carlos, so it was an adventure in itself.

Us in front of Ihop. If only I had any idea what this day would hold! Inside we met Miss Uintah Basin--she was also missing her eyebrows. She was possibly one of the scariest people I've ever seen.

Anyways...yay IHOP.

Carlos really loved his pancakes. Doesn't he just look simply dashing with his blue shirt and yellow tie?

I was really enjoying my pancakes. So much, that we joked it look like blood.

As a fan of Walking Dead, I wanted to be super bad A and I pretended I was killing my "zombie-style" pancakes. And they got it. I murdered them good.

 

Some lady came around and gave us chocolates for donating to a little girl who didn't have an immune system. Carlos took the opportunity to tell me how that disease worked--go him. My lil' microbiologist.

After IHOP, we hopped in the car. We began our trek north. Carlos keep looking at his handy dandy mapquest map (don't we all love that it gives great directions?). He should have asked me to tell him how to get there--guess that would have ruined the surprise.

I forgot to mention that it was snowing the whole time we were driving up to SLC. We got to the zoo, there was no one there.

This was Carlos' reaction to the fact that we would have to walk around the zoo while it was snowing. (and that I have been to the zoo before--I guess he didn't realize that I used to volunteer at the zoo when I was a lil' teenager) He no happy.

Me on the other hand, I was happy that I got to skip work, and spend time with the man that I love, and go to the zoo! I love the zoo.

The snakes.

It was really neat because it seemed like a lot of the animals were really active when we were there. It may have been because we were the only ones there and that it was a cold day, so the animals were trying to keep warm.

The porcupines. Imagine getting hit by those quills!

The tigers were probably the best part of the zoo that day. The had this awesome exhibit (Asian inspired) that was a bit racist--there was an old bike as part of an exhibit--which implied that Asians ride bikes. Carlos and I talked at length about that...

Such a beautiful creature.

He was rolling around in the snow. Gosh, I just wanted to rub his belly. And then get mauled to death.

Stupid turkeys. So ugly. I would have shot it if a zoo keeper wasn't watching. Happy thanksgiving!

The monkeys were also very active. This one reminds me of the capuchin that we used to have. Yes, we had a money. JGOI. (just get over it)

Cute lil' chipmunk.

These orangutans were so beautiful.

They must have been bored because they were really interested in us.

Like really interested. They got up close and personal with us. It was one of the coolest things that I've gotten to see. It was so cool to see how alike they are to us.

It was a mom and dad orangutan. Aren't they just beautiful?

They really liked us!

He was so huge!

The giraffes were silly. Such big, awkward creatures.

Hur, hur. Hi giraffe. I think he like Carlos. The best part? He pooped right in front of us. The poops were a lot smaller than we expected...

Carlos really wanted to touch one of these guys.

This was the female tigress. What a beast. She kept pacing back and forth.

The Utah Hogle Zoo! Even though it was snowing, we had a great time there.

Us being happy that we got to skip a day of life. Then Carlos told me we were going to the SLC temple to do baptisms. We had to get back to Provo because I needed to meet with my GMAT tutor. I was disheartened because I didn't really see him proposing before then. I thought, what a waste of a day! I guess he's throwing me off!

It was snowing like the Dickens when we got out of the temple. Carlos wasn't too happy waiting for me. Can you tell by the look on his face? He just wanted to eat.

He thought we would eat outside, but, the weather got the best of him, and we had to eat in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building (with all of the fancy LDS restaurants). We were pretty cool with our sack lunch.


Us in front of the temple. We had just done baptisms, and we were loving life. It was such a calm, peaceful feeling to be in the temple with the one that you love.

Carlos made this deelish sandwich. I seriously could not get enough of it! I don't know what it was about that sandwich, but I was loving it. He also brought along Triscuits and an apple. It was a simple meal, but so very yummy!

By then, I had pretty much given up on Carlos proposing. We had to head back to good old Provo because I was meeting with Emily to help me with the GMAT. I wasn't particularly thrilled because our day seemed like it was going to end. Carlos got my hopes up though because he told me that "The best was yet to come". I was feeling a bit tired from all of the activities that we had done, and I was grateful for a break. I was only gone for an hour, so I quickly went back to my apartment and fixed my post-temple hair. Carlos told me we were going to re-visit the places that we've had some good memories.

Up at the Y. Where he first asked me to be his official girlfriend.

At the bell tower, where we had our first kiss.

Aren't we a couple of goofballs?

The Y! It was such a beautiful day! Snow, sunshine, it was so fantastic.

I pretended to have a seizure here. Because I did it once when Carlos and I went up to campus. He thought I was very silly.

I am.

Hheelp. Me. Iiim havggging a seizuure.

Where we had some good discussions by Heritage Halls.

Where we had our first Valentine's together. Doesn't Carlos look fly in those sunglasses?

Freak. We've still not gone to the top of the JFSB! I remember that we wanted to go there on our first date. No luck this time.

Look at that view we were missing!

My favorite drinking fountain at BYU. It purifies the water.

Where we sat for our first date. I was wearing a onesie and it was a beautiful day outside.

Then, he blindfolded me and took me somewhere. (Before he had to fill up on gas, and then we argued about where to get gas) ooops.

At first I had no idea where we were going, but as the road began to curve, and I heard Carlos say, "shoot I missed it", I knew we were headed up to Sundance.

We ate at the Tree Room. Can you say classy? It was so good. So yummy. We felt really out of place because everyone there was so sophisticated and cool.

I got this steak that was to die for. Carlos got duck (I think he wished that he got the steak too).

Before dinner, I got to show him around my favorite place (and where I might want to get my engagements done). It was so beautiful. It was just right.

Got me some raspberry lemonade. There simply wasn't enough raspberry for my lemonade!

We got there a little early and I was able to take Carlos on a mini tour of Sundance. We got to sit in the library (which was the waiting room for the Tree Room) and I thought that I saw a box-like (ring like) thing in his pocket. I was so relieved. I thought, this is it, he is going to propose!

(I later found out that he didn't even have the ring on him--it was just his phone) 

Carlos' duck. Yummy. Not as good as my steak though.

Gah it was so beautiful! 

He then blindfolded me. This is when I began to get nervous. Was he going to ask me? Was he going to do it? Ohmmmmgeeee!

But, I still had no idea.

We finally stopped. Guess where we were, The Draper temple. Oh yes.

Why else would we be infront of the temple? To have a good ol' time?

Carlos pulled out some wine glasses (we are pretty much obsessed. Then, he said he wanted to get out and go over to the temple.
Mind you, it was freeeeeezing. 

We got down, and my heart was pounding. Was this it? Was this where Carlos was going to finally propose? The wind was blowing and our hair was whipping back and forth. (Well, only mine). Carlos pulled out this book, and it had a story of two people and the story of their lives. I was kind of glad that it was so cold, because I was going to bawl my eyes out. The moment was perfect. 

Then, I finished the book, my eyes were glistening with tears, and I looked to the man that I love. He positioned me right in front of the doors of the temple. He looked at me, and it seemed like everything around us stopped. It was just me and Carlos. It seemed to be very fast and very slow all at the same time. 

He got down on one knee. 

He asked me to marry him. 

I nearly tackled him. 

I was crying, he was laughing. 

It was perfect. 

Our hands were freezing. Our cheeks were cold. But I had the most, absolutely, wonderful man that I can call my fiance. And not to mention a bomb ring. 

This is what your room looks like after you've spend a whole entire day with the man you love. It looks like some one exploded. I hardly had time to even clean this up when I got back. I was too excited, too nervous, too giddy to even think about cleaning. I shoved everything off my bed and on the floor, and I snuggled up with my stuffed animals, and my newly diamond graced hand, and fell fast asleep.

This is my ring. Not a picture from pinterest, but my very own ring. I still can't believe it's mine, and Carlos is my very own.

He's my fiance. Fiance. It sounds so crazy to say. Just wait until he's my husband.

Ps, isn't this carpet just great? Carlos loves it. I took it at work. Because Carlos was bothering me about putting one up on Facebook.

So, Carlos and I. Me and Carlos. 

We haven't picked a date. 

We haven't picked a temple. 

We've got lots to do--and so little time. 

But I'm going to be Mrs. Carlos Grandela. 

And we are going to be doing this together. Forever. 

Forever in my book is just right for me.