He put a ring on it

Yes yes yes... I'M ENGAGED!!! to Brigham Tyler Heaps. We're getting married on the 28th of December, 2010 in the Salt Lake Temple. We're extremely busy with planning but so so excited!!

Saturday felt like any other normal day, yet I was unexplainably happy all day. I had been expecting a ring for over a week and... nothing. I would ask Brig every night, "So... what are we doing tonight?" His reply every time, "Wouldn't you like to know!" So of course I think it's happening that night, but nothing would ever come. So at about 4 p.m. Brig came over to my parent's house and we were watching TV (Spongebob of course, sooo grateful that we have similar tastes :).) We watched a few episodes, but I became bored and wanted to go do something! Being with Brig is always an adventure so I assumed he could think of a plan to do something fun, but he didn't really want to leave quite yet. I had a hunch that tonight was the night, but I didn't want to get my hopes up, so I brushed it off.

Finally, at about 5:30 6ish, he randomly says, "Ok we need to go." of course I ask where, of course he doesn't tell me. All he tells me is that we have to stop off at his house to get some stuff. I then assumed we were going somewhere up in the mountains and we needed to grab coats and such. So we get to his house, I get out of the car, totally oblivious, and he starts laughing. I asked him what was so funny, but didn't need a reply after what I saw next.

There was a pathway of candles leading to his back porch where we had first kissed, which was lit up with hundreds of candles. (I had somehow missed this as we parked and were walking down the driveway... I blame the car that was in the way.) There was a little table and an old pot belly wood-burning stove set up. It was a beautiful and warm night (well warm for Sundance in November). His mom brought us out a delicious pasta dinner. At this point I obviously knew it was coming, so I was a little nervous, but not as nervous as Brig :) It was silent for a little while and I asked Brig if he was nervous and he said, "yeah I'm pretty nervous" (I already knew that) and Brig doesn't get nervous very often. We finished dinner and frankly I was a little confused as to why it hadn't happened yet. There was a flashlight by his plate, and I was curious how that was going to be involved. He took me up the trail a bit behind his house and took the flashlight and shone it on an Aspen tree, which had the following words carved into it: "Will you marry me Lauren Brown?" He then got down on one knee and proposed!! All I could say was yes yes yes yes yes!! We then went inside, my parents came over and we had a toast and some pastries. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. In fact, I'm pretty sure it's still there, a week and a half later. That carving in the tree will always be there, just like Brig and I will always be together. I can't wait to marry my best friend!!

I am so incredibly lucky to gain Abi as a sister-in-law! Seriously. She is the sweetest ever and has been nothing but welcoming and accepting since day one.

Well... here she is! Brig did a pretty good job if I say so myself ;) it really is my dream ring!