A dream come true

When I met Noah, I knew that there was something very special about our connection and I had a feeling that I'd be with him forever. Well I'd say around the one year mark was the time that I thought we were ready to take our relationship to the next level. After two vacations, one to San Diego and another to Aspen and a lot of memories made, I thought he'd propose. Well come to find out he's been planning to propose since about the one year mark of our relationship, but he wanted to wait for the absolute perfect time. His proposal to me was better than I could have ever imagined, an absolute dream come true.

San Diego 2013

It all goes back to the San Diego trip when Noah and I first said "I love you." This was the trip that he was moving to Troy, New York, we had been together for about a year at this point. We went to San Diego first to spend some quality time together before we started the long distance segment of our relationship. This trip was so special because we were going to spread my grandma Rusti's ashes in La Jolla, California, it was nice spending the time with my grandpa, Noah, my Mom, my Dad, and my Sister and I. Before we left for this trip, Noah and I were cleaning out his apartment getting ready for his move when I found a "Zales" bag, right when I found it, I ran out of the room to avoid ruining the surprise. I was almost certain that Noah was going to be proposing on that San Diego trip. It turns out it wasn't an engagement ring, but a promise ring which also meant so much to me, especially before he moved all the way across the country, he wanted me to know that even though we'd be so far apart that he was committed to me. Now that it's after the fact, Noah confessed that he was thinking of using that ring as an engagement ring and proposing to me, but changed his mind at the last minute because he didn't get the "feeling" that a proposal should bring. There were a few other times that I was just certain that Noah was going to pop "the question," but alas, no proposal.

So how did it happen, you ask? Well let me tell you :)

Noah completely butchered Valentine's day, no card, no flowers, no nothing. I didn't really mind, because long distance made stuff like that more difficult. Noah kept telling me over and over that he'd make it up to me, I took his word for it and didn't think about it again. At the end of February of 2015, Noah found out he was going to be doing a new job with the Air Force Research Labs and had to travel to Rome, New York to talk to the people in charge of the project. The meeting went really well, but Noah told me they'd have to go back for some preliminary training during spring break (March 23rd- March 27th) to ensure that everything was all set for when the project would actually begin. He made it clear to me that the weekend before their spring break trip (March 21st and 22nd), both him and his office mate would be slammed getting things ready for the trip. Friday, March 20th comes around and Noah is pretty MIA, I don't ask him to Skype, because I understand he's super busy, but that friday night before we went to bed, he made it a point to  tell me that Saturday, the 21st of March is going to be "bday '15" (Bridget Day 2015.) I go to bed thinking nothing of it, that we'd probably just end up watching the new iZombie show over Skype that we've been talking about. I wake up the next morning not feeling too hot, because I've had a cold almost the whole week before so I texted Noah and show him all the tissues on my floor I'd used the night before. He responds asking how I'm feeling and hopes that my day isn't ruined by the cold. I get up and go into the kitchen where my Dad has prepared a tray with eggs, oatmeal and a cup of tea with a note folded up, he then sets the tray up in my bedroom without a word of why he's made me breakfast. I start to read the note that's on the tray and it reads...

Good Morning My Twinkle,

I hope you slept amazing and are ready for a very special day. Believe it or not, today is actually Valentine’s Day! I promised I would make up for missing the original Valentine ’s Day and I always keep my promises. Later tonight, you and I will have a romantic candle lit dinner together over skype. Before dinner, I want you to get some pampering so Layah will be picking you up for lunch around 12. From there you will be going to get your nails done. Finally, in preparation for our romantic skype dinner together, Layah will take you to pick out a nice dress/outfit. Find something you really like because you’ll also be wearing it to our romantic in person date when I get back in town in May. No ifs ands or buts! Maybe you can even wear it for Elijah’s wedding. Anyways, we will be having dinner around 7pm your time so you’ll have time to do your hair and makeup (if you want to). I want to treat this as if we are actually together going out for dinner tonight. Therefore, I will also be dressing up in a nice button up with slacks and dress shoes. I will even put gel in my hair and style it. Finally, don’t worry about paying for anything, I’ve made arrangements for Layah to take care of it all. Just enjoy your day and don’t lift a finger. When you’re ready, breakfast is waiting for you in the kitchen. I love you so very much!

Love,

Squirtles

... about halfway through the note I start to cry and text Noah, "what on earth?!?!" I then check the "find my friends" app that we have on our phones that we got a while back when I went to visit my best friend Olga in New York City, to make sure he wasn't actually in Albuquerque. (It turns out Noah bought an iPod and put it in his office and left his iPad in his apartment so he could broadcast where I thought he'd be each day.) He tells me that he's glad I got the note and hopes that I enjoy my breakfast. Being the inquisitive person I am I ask question after question, what I've done to deserve such an amazing day of pampering, what's gotten into him, etc. He tells me that he loves me so much and that he just wanted to spoil me because he forgot valentines day. I decide to get myself together as his sister will be picking me up in a few hours for lunch. I do my hair and get ready when I hear the doorbell ring. I open the door and there's a beautiful flower arrangement with an adorable teddy bear attached, I send a picture of it to Noah and ask, "Who are you?!?" I was so touched. After the fact I found out Noah's best friend Gabe was the one who ran to the door to drop the flowers off, and Noah was in the car with him, sneaky! Layah arrives an hour after the flowers and she's holding a gopro, I ask her what it's for and she tells me Noah wants her to record the day so he can feel like he's with us. We head out the door to the nail salon and enjoy an awesome pedicure together. I tell Layah I don't think I want to get my fingernails done, but she tells me again and again that I have to, so I do. After the mani and pedi, we head to lunch at Noah and my favorite restaurant Ghengis Grill. We enjoy a delicious meal together and then head to the mall to get the outfit that I would be wearing during my Skype date later that night with Noah.

The beautiful flowers and the note :) 

I'm not the best shopper, I usually avoid shopping at all costs and when I do need something, I usually go to the store, get what I need and leave. Layah wanted me to find an awesome dress that I'd feel my best in, so we tried a few different stores and I picked a cute flowy black and white dress. Layah seemed a little surprised that it didn't take me long at all to find a dress and decided after the mall we'd get frozen yogurt. We ate our frozen yogurt and all I could think was this was the best day ever. After we finished our delicious treat we went back to my house and right when we walk in the door, my mom is in the kitchen starting to bake a cake. I thought it was a little weird, but didn't think too much of it. Layah and I have tea and cookies and then around 5:30 I decide to get ready for the Skype date with Noah that would be happening at seven.

A little before seven, I receive a few texts from Noah telling me how excited he is for our Skype date and that he's almost ready. While I'm getting ready my head is spinning, is he here in town?! No he can't be, Noah wouldn't come in town without telling me. I call him at seven and he asks me if I'm ready, "Yep, I sure am. Where should I set my computer up? Should I start making dinner?" He tells me, "Babe have you seen the meteor shower yet today?" (Noah and I watched a show called Gilmore Girls during one of my surgery recoveries and there was a scene in the show when Logan, who's living in London, calls Rory, who lives in New York and tells her that there's a meteor shower and to hurry up and get to the roof. As she gets to the roof, there he is waiting with a beautiful dinner.) Right at that moment when Noah tells me about the meteor shower I know he's on the roof. "No way." I think, I run up the spiral staircase and there he is. I run into his arms and of course cry and begin to shake. He tells me, "I'd much rather have dinner with you in person." We hug for a few minutes when he pulls away from me and begins to get down on one knee. I am shocked at this point, I'm still reeling from the fact that he's actually in Albuquerque right in front of me. "Bridget, will you spend the rest of your life with me?" "Yes!!!!" I say and he puts the beautiful rose gold ring on my finger.

The proposal 

Right after the proposal

The bling ;)

I still can't believe it. I've been wanting Noah to propose to me for about two years now, but the long distance made things pretty complicated. I am so glad that he waited to do it when he did and that he surprised me. We told all our friends and family the next few days and then he headed back to Troy three days later. It's been really difficult being so far away from my fiancé, but in no time at all we'll be living together and starting our new lives in Troy, New York.

If you made it all the way down here, you deserve a big pat on the back. I apologize for this being so long, but wanted to make sure I got the details in. Thank you so much for reading :)

Lots of love
<3 B