How we told other people about our engagement!

How we told other people the news of our engagement:

a. We got back to the house and I went upstairs to tell my parents who were sound asleep, Nick was headed to bed because he was tired. I got up there and they were snoring and sooo asleep I whispered “Mom, Dad” but I couldn’t bare wake them up. (How does one wake up someone gently from sleep?) So I left a note for whoever was the first one awake to come wake me up. Aunt Bessie was the first awake and woke me up at 7ish am. I waited until I heard my mom’s voice to leave my room and told her Nick already gave me my birthday present. I was wearing his overly large Kutless sweatshirt with the sleeves covering my entire hands. My mom grabbed my hand looked at my finger –covered it from Bessie’s view and yanked me upstairs to where my father was still asleep. The three of us sat on their bed as I told them how it happened and how I tried to wake them up, but couldn’t bare to wake them.

b. After talking to my parents for probably 30-45 mins, I went down to show poor aunt Bessie. She loved it and was very excited.

c. When we got back from our little walk I called Mel’s cell phone 7 times, but never got ahold of her. Since I was awake so early, I called her about 4 more times before she finally saw all the missed calls and called me back. I told her and she was very excited. I told her not to tell all the other girls in the house though so she had to keep a huge secret for a day and a half!

d. Then I called Carrie and asked her if I could come over. It was 8:30 in the morning and she thought that was a bit ridiculous and maybe I could come over when her parents got up. On my way over there I stopped in at Earl’s to show him. He wasn’t home, but as his wife was opening the door he pulled in the driveway. I ran to the car and had my hand in front of his window before he even had a chance to turn the car off. (The night before I had gone for ice cream and told him I had hoped he would propose soon, that morning he said WOW I didn’t think it would be that soon!!) Carrie had no idea why I wanted to come over, so I showed up at her house and showed her my hand. She was very excited. I showed Linda her step mom too.

e. From there I headed back home for about noon when Nick decided to wake up. We told my brother at that point. I think I simply just told Michael that Nick asked me to marry him and I said yes – to which he replied congratulations.

f. Mandy showed up at my house to give me Red Gerber Daisys for my birthday. As she was standing in the door I shoved my hand right in her face and she was like “For real???” I said yep!!!! Again very exciting… Nick was standing in the background, not quite sure what to do, I stepped back and he came over, put his arm around me and she said congrats to him too. Her mom was out in the car so I ran out to show her too.

g. Nick got ready and then we headed to Gospel Text. I was looking forward to this very much because for the last several times I had gone in to visit – they asked if I was engaged. So Nick and I walked in hand in hand, with my left hand out in the open for them to see. Jane came to the door and was talking the pleasantries, a few minutes in her eyes slipped quickly down to my hand where she finally saw it. It was killing me!!! So my hand now up with Jane looking it, Helen and Penny who were by the counter realized Jane was looking at my hand and squealed and came over to look too! I thought Helen was going to cry! Chris came over to see it too. Linda was on lunch so I asked Nick if we could drive down the street to her apartment. We went there, she was very surprised. We talked at the door and then I finally reminded her it was my birthday and showed her my present.

h. We went to Walmart to pick out a shirt for Nick to wear to church the next day, and then home for Mom and Dad and the 2 of us to head over to Stephs. We got there and mom and dad buzzed up – not letting on that Nick and I were there too. We walked down the hall, Nick holding my left hand to keep it a secret because we had a plan for this one. She kindof eyed our hands and had a quizzical look in her eye but asked nothing. We sat down on her couch and I worked up the courage to start this silly story about how the night before dad pulled out a record with a song on it. The word to the song went something like this: Daddy, I met a boy named Ray and he asked if I could come out and play….. Daddy I met a boy named (I changed it to Nick for the purpose of the story) Nick, and he asked if I would marry him and I said yes. She listened intently then grabbed my hand and said “I wondered when you two walked down the hall looking all sneaky.” While there I called both Mark and Terry leaving messages for both.

i. Helen brought over Pink Gerber Daisies as a congratulation for Nick and I.

j. That night we had planned to have an Austin family birthday party Michael and I as well as Dana’s new boyfriend (his birthday was in April) so that she would have an excuse to bring him home to meet the family. So once everyone where there, my mom went around the circle and introduced everyone to Michael. When she got to me she said this is Brittney and this is Nick her fiancé!! It went right over there head, so she did it again this time very much exaggerating when she got to us!!!! Then they realized and the congrats came again!!

k. The last most significant moment was when I showed up to Jaspreets house before all the girls were to hang out for Mandy’s Bachelorette/my birthday party/my predicted engagement party. I hid my hand till all of the girls were there, and once they were I used it as I would normally – expecting someone to look or see it. I even opened a birthday gift using that hand up in the air as much as possible for them all to see. Finally after about 15 minutes we were about ready to go, when I put my hand in Karen’s face, she thought I was about to give her a high five then she saw the ring. None of them could believe it – yet were all like “we predicted this was going to happen how did we forget?” It was very funny!!!!

l. The next morning at church we got there only a few minutes before the service began but still everyone in the lobby knew with in seconds of us walking in the door. I can’t remember it happened so fast, someone, I want to guess an Ancheta looked and saw, then screamed!! Then everyone was looking, my hand was the center of attention and I was on the outside of the circle. The squealing was so loud it caused Pastor Andrew to come out of his office to see what was going on. The Ostropolec family was scattered throughout the foyer, and I think Matt and Amy saw it first, and as I was hugging someone else, Meg had heard the screaming from the sanctuary and came quickly to the foyer. I held my hand out as I was hugging the person (sad I don’t even remember who) for her to see. She was one of the people I was most excited to show the ring too. So by the time the service started and the announcement was made most people already knew!! They still were very excited and clapped as we stood up even if Pastor Marc goofed up when he asked when the date was going to be for the wedding – which would be the first of many engagements for our church.

m. Nick called his parents to let them know sometime on Saturday I think, but they already knew he was going to proposed, he was just calling to let them know I said yes.
n. I got back to school and Nick I and went to my house first. Mel met us at the door and grabbed my hand and congratulated me in person with a big huge hug. (She had found out from the other girls in the house that I was hoping he would propose that weekend – somehow I thought she knew that was my hope, but she didn’t. She was really mad at first because I had asked/wanted her and Kevin to come home with us that weekend so she would be there for it, but they decided to come before she knew my hopes). We told the rest of the girls and then headed over to Nicks house.

o. The only person home was Kevin, and we showed him and asked if Mel had told him. She had not, we were all impressed and I was sooo proud!

p. After that I went home and stopped in to see Anna Wilkinson, she was outside taking pictures of Gainey. She asked me how my birthday was and I said “it was this good” and showed her my hand. I literally thought she was going to faint. She stopped breathing and took a step backwards. It was funny and a great reaction. Probably my favourite.

q. The 2 of us headed up to my old floor to tell those girls. We got to Kaitlin McCarrells room who had also gotten engaged that weekend about 5 hours before me, and asked if I could see her ring. She said she heard I’d gotten engaged too, and I said yes and showed her my ring. Her reply was; “Wait, really I was making that up!!!! It was hilarious.

r. In the middle of the night after Mel and Kevin’s wedding we decided to sleep at Nicks house instead of driving all the way back to Michigan, and at about 1:30 am his parents met us in the kitchen and looked at the ring on my hand for the first time.