My Fairytale Proposal

Hey y'all!  So it has been almost two weeks since Grant proposed to me, but I wanted to take my time to soak up this engaged life before I shared the entire story on my blog like I previously promised. So for those of you who have kept up with my Southern Jewlz life for quite some time will know that besides this year, the two previous years I have had a booth or multiples booths at the same time in Las Vegas during the National Finals Rodeo in December.  This year one of my very best friends decided to get married on the last weekend of the event (Congrats Amber and Jared), so I decided to take a year off from having a booth to celebrate with her and keep my sanity and be able to focus on the store at home. However, whenever I decided not to have a booth, my deposits were kept active for me until next year.  This along with the fact that I LOVE Vegas, I told Grant I would still really like to go the first weekend to stay in the loop and see where/if I should have a booth again next year for Southern Jewlz.  This along with the fact that so many friends have always wanted to come see me in Vegas while I had a booth, I decided to make it a friend trip since I would actually have some free time rather than working every day. The first weekend of the NFR back in 2011 was my very first time to go to Vegas….EVER!  It was a girls trip for me and my friend Emily.  So the first weekend of the NFR has always kind of been mine and her thing, as this was our 4th time together.  Her boyfriend Ryne has come to be a great friend of Grant's, and we actually al traveled this summer on a cruise for my birthday as well as to the Ole Miss Game in Oxford, MS this Fall.  So those two coming along made perfect sense. My dearest friend James Dunklin helped me manage one of the two booths I had last year while in Vegas, so since him and I had last year spent almost 20 days together in Vegas made total sense for him and his fiancé to come along for just a fun friend trip. Along with Dunklin, last year my brother Jacob drove me and my trailer, helped me set up both of my booths, was my taxi driver and errand runner the entire time, as well as the main booth tear down man.  So him and his girlfriend coming along worked perfectly since Jacob had already originally planned to be off to this time to help me with a booth again. My friend Katie and her husband Luke actually had a trip planned 2 years ago to come see me while I was working in Vegas, however due to Katie becoming super sick, they had to cancel.  So I obviously had to invite them to finally join for the NFR, especially while I didn't have a booth to take care of. The other 2 couples that came were Ashleigh and Tanner and Amy and Jeff.  Ashleigh was my very first employee at Southern Jewlz and her and Tanner had recently gotten engaged.  Grant and I had helped with the entire planning, so this was kind of a celebratory trip for them.  Plus Tanner had NEVER been to Vegas, so he needed an entire group to help keep in him line LOL.  My friend Amy and Jeff have been married for a little over 4 years and I was actually at their engagement at the Iowa State vs. Texas football game (on the field with all the cheerleaders holding posters that spelled out will you marry me) a few years ago.  They have an almost 2 year old at home, so I loved that they got to come along and join in on the group trip.  I had even called Amy a few days before telling her how excited I was for the entire group to get together for a trip and that over the years to come no matter the marriages, children, etc. that I wanted us all to try to to continue this in the future.  So I had no idea this was a trip to get engaged. Grant and I flew out of Houston on Friday morning and whenever we were getting ready to board, Grant noticed his boarding ticket did not have a seat number on it. When he walked up to the front desk, they said the plane was overbooked and he couldn't get on.  We sat and waited until the last person showed up and someone gave up their seat for a coupon voucher, then Grant was able to actually get on the plane.  I actually snapped at Grant for not realizing he didn't have a seat, so at that point he said he knew that I had no idea of the upcoming event!  And I even convinced the lady sitting next to me to switch seats with Grant so he could sit next to me :) Once we landed in Vegas, I called Franky who has driven me there for years.  When he was driving us to the Cosmopolitan I asked him what he knew about the Steakhouse called Prime.  He told me that he had never dropped any clients off there, so I found that strange that Grant would pick a place to eat that wouldn't have just the most fabulous food ever.  But I waited until I was in our room (which was a brand new suite - I understand why Grant got that for me now) and invited Ashleigh and Amy to come on up for us to hang before getting ready for dinner.  Katie stopped in soon after and whenever we travel with Katie, she is always in charge of food reservations.  Home chick knows a good place.  I was telling the girls what Franky had told me about Prime and Katie followed up with "Yeah, the reviews aren't very good either that I saw".  So I said, Ok I'll handle this, and texted Grant while he was gambling and wanted to change restaurants.  Grant said after me trying to change dinner plans, this even further proved that I had no idea he was going to propose.  Of course Grant didn't budge and after him telling me 3 times that we were going to Prime no matter what, I stopped my rebuttal and just agreed. Prime is located in the Bellagio which is right next to the Cosmopolitan.  Grant called me and said the restaurant called him and moved the reservations back from 8pm to 9pm.  Since we were already on track to be ready for 8, I asked if we could all meet in the Bellagio lobby to take pictures in front of their big beautiful Christmas trees.  I all on my own decided to pack my good SJ camera for this trip and when we met early to get picks, I now realize that Jeff Dieta was helping me get all the settings just right.  I also now realize why a few of the guys did not want to partake in group pics - and that's because they knew we would soon be taking them for an even more important and monumental reason. By the time we made it to Prime, Wild Wendy and my friend Tiffany who were already in Vegas joined us.  I remember telling them how adorable they looked in all their sequin outfits, which now I understand they dressed up for me and Grant :)  Once we finally got seated at Prime, it was 9:30pm.  Which if anyone knows Grant, you will know he is a stickler for being punctual.  Plus we got seated at 2 different tables that weren't even right next to each other.  Me being so excited to have all of my friends and be in Vegas, I kept hopping in between tables and chairs to talk to everyone.  Looking back, it's a good thing that way Grant could try to contain himself while I was off and being completely oblivious.  But the deal was, Grant had the balcony bar at Hyde reserved for us from 10-10:30 to do the proposal where no other people would be, but we obviously didn't make that time slot. Once dinner was complete, I remember telling everyone I wanted to stop by the Bellagio Water Show on our way to the High Roller, which I thought was the original Friday night plan.  But as we were walking to towards the exit of the Lobby, Emily's boyfriend Ryne grabbed me and some others and said he had a friend that worked in the Hyde Night Club right there and wanted us just to stop in  to say hi and grab one drink.  I remember shouting out "Between Wild Wendy and Ryne, we are gonna know everyone in Vegas".  I had no idea until after the proposal ended that Ryne never had a friend that worked at Hyde. As we entered the club, we were escorted out to the balcony.  I was taking dancing, soaking up the moment and taking selflies with some friends when I heard Wendy say "Ok, everyone we need to get a group picture before we leave."  But she grabbed my hand and basically tossed me up on the top level of the balcony with Grant and said, we are gonna do couples first before the group.  So there I stood with my boo with the Bellagio Water Show behind me on a Balcony bar to take a pic.  But EVERYONE got their phones out.  I was like what is going on!?  At that exact moment Grant pulled me in close and started whispering some of the sweetest words he has ever said to me (those of which I will keep to myself).  I went from knowing NOTHING to HELLO, THIS IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING!!!  My first words out of shock were "Stop It" and that is the one part I truly wish I could change.  But as much as I've apologized to Grant about it, he said it is one of his favorite parts of the whole story because it was proof that he pulled off one of the most fabulous proposals, even with an hour and a half of time at the restaurant working against his favor.  After the words "Stop It", Grant asked me for a second time to marry him and I gathered myself enough to say yes, shake my head up and down and start immediately making out with him. {PDA is allowed in times like these} ? I still look back to the very beginning of the actual proposal and think, WOW!?  The Bellagio Water Show on one side, some of my nearest and dearest friends on the other, and the Love of my Life standing right in front of me.  It all made perfect sense, but I'm so glad it was the perfect surprise.  I had told Emily back in 2011 on my first ever trip to Vegas when I saw the Water Show in the Bellagio Fountains, that I one day would love to be proposed to there.  I even remember telling Grant on one of our first walks that I wanted fireworks or some type of big show or production the day someone asked  me to marry them.  And well, I got it!  And even better yet, I got the most perfect Prince Charming made for me!  He even made sure my ring was created to have my SJ crown hold up the center diamond! I'm so excited for this step of my life that I am continuing to build with Grant!  God has blessed me so much more than I deserve! So after many tears, some pictures (thank Goodness I had my camera with me), multiple phone calls back home and enjoying the rest of the Water Fountain Show, we all were sure to party down like it was 1999!  The road to finding my Prince Charming, as for most people, was not an easy one.  I had my fair share of heart breaks and hard lessons learned, but the one thing that sticks the most with me when I struggled to be patient for my perfect one are words that were told to me by Emily.  She told me, "If God puts that desire in your heart, he will fulfill it.  And don't ever settle for less than you deserve."  I love those words and have shared them multiple times with other young women I have seen struggle with the dating scene. But that part of my life is over, and I hope my love story with Grant is a true testimony to others out there that True, Honest and Genuine Love does still exist. I love Grant with all of my heart and truly know he was the one that God made for me.  I can't wait to share the rest of my life with him ??? Complete Album of Play by Play Pictures HERE. And the live video link HERE!  Thank you for recording this one Ryne!