March 16, 2017

I spent HOURS making a post about what I was packing for Disneyland, and I’m sad that I got so busy I forgot to post it. I guess instead I’ll just share with you the one outfit I was really excited about, what I’d packed for March 16, 2017.

Disney hack: buy last year’s Disney Park merch on clearance at a Disney Store Outlet. I got those mouse ears for under $10 because they were 1/2 off park price and additional 25% off that. Praise hands emoji. The button is from Parkbound Buttons, the shirt is from onceuponamickeytee and the shorts were $5 at Goodwill. I’ve been in need of a new backpack so I caved and got this one which I LOOOVE.

I was so excited to wear this really accurate shirt, and I definitely got an extra shot of magic because…

Justen proposed to me at Disneyland! This is how it went down:

We had planned on getting a Photo Pass for the day so we could get a bunch of pictures taken all over. After one of the rides, Justen insisted we get our picture taken in front of the castle. I’d been trying to keep my expectations in check because I didn’t want to ruin a perfectly wonderful Disney trip by expecting Justen to propose, because if he didn’t then I’d feel disappointed and I never wanted that. We got a picture of Justen, my mom and myself:

Then Justen said he wanted a picture of just the two of us, and he went to pull something out of his backpack. I looked away because all of the alerts went off in my mind. I turned to look at Justen and…

Justen got the best ring ever. I didn’t even know how or when he did it, because we are always together. it was magic.

Excuse my nasty FitBit cover and my janky nails. I had asked Justen the night before if he thought my chipped manicure was noticeable and if I should re-paint my nails and he said no. EYE ROLL. 😀

The thing I love the most about the ring is that IT IS A CINDERELLA RING. SERIOUSLY. If you look at the ring from the side, there is a little gold carriage. I love that detail. It’s my favorite.

Actually that’s the second most thing I love about the ring. The first most thing I love is that Justen gave it to me because he wants to build a life with me.

THEN. Justen told me he had a surprise. We knew the Halters were going to be in town and we’d made dinner reservations with them, but he told me it wasn’t just the Halters. Rob and Stacy Birks, two people who have shown me what a healthy marriage is and have loved me and watched me grow and have welcomed me into their hearts, home and family, were coming too. and their daughter, one of my best friends, Lauren. and one of my other best friends, Taylor. and Justen’s uncle Brian.

But wait. There was more.

Justen’s work had purchased the photo pass for us. I cried even more then. I just lost it all.

I kept looking at the ring all day. I’d first seen it online and we finally found it in a store a few months ago. They’d asked me if I wanted to touch it and I had said nope and walked away. It was just so pretty. and now it was on my finger because Justen bought it for me to wear forever to remember that he is my family.

Tears.

Dinner was great. Some of the most important people in my life who had never met each other were suddenly and magically sitting at a table together. It was overwhelming and felt like a dream.

At the end of the evening, after we said goodbye to everyone and they all left and Justen and I were walking around Disneyland, I told him that was the thing I was most excited about: that soon, after dinner’s are over and people have left, the days will end with me and Justen.

Best day at Disneyland ever. and I once saw Kylie Jenner at Disneyland, the same day Kanye West was at Disneyland… so the bar was set high 🙂

Real talk, and props if you can read through to the end of this:

Two years ago I went to Disneyland with a boy. He met the Halters and Taylor. and then he broke up with me when we got back. He made some stabs at the friendships he’d seen. and I suddenly felt silly for loving Disneyland, and I questioned my friendships. I felt like I might be broken beyond repair, like I would never know how to trust or open up. I wrote blog posts about it to help me heal, and I struggled a lot.

From the beginning of our relationship, Justen has allowed me to be myself. He has invested in my friendships, he has jumped on my silly love of Disneyland, and he has carefully handled all of the broken pieces of my life. I have never once felt the need to hide my feelings, put on an act, or keep tender things secret. He is the best person I have ever known and I am so excited for the future with him.