ENGAGED. It's a great feeling.

Yup, that's right. Matt and I are engaged!! 

Do not ask me why it feels different than dating but somehow it does. While I know nothing has technically changed, being asked by the man you love to marry you... to be his WIFE... is incredible. I get so excited just thinking about spending every day with Matt. 

So before I go into the story of how it all happened, I will preface this post by saying my blog today is more lovey-dovey than normal and it is MUCH longer than normal. However, I am in one of those "I am so happy I could cry and laugh at the same time" moods and I plan to share all the cute details about our engagement. 

You have been warned. :)

I will start by taking you all back to last Friday, September 27th. As some of you know, I had a work trip in San Francisco last week and was traveling back on Friday. I got up at 3 a.m. PT to catch my EARLY flight. Some of you may be thinking, "Dana, that's 6 a.m. ET so that's not too bad!" but it is bad when you are known for being a MORNING MONSTER.

I give you the details of my lack of sleep so that you are well aware that I was tired... dead tired by the time I got back to Florida that evening. Matt had to work an event for Rotary so his friend, Chad, came to pick me up at the airport. (Thanks, Chad-O!) At this point, I was still holding it together. After I met up with Matt, we didn't have a lot of time until we had to head back to the airport to pick up his family (they were also in SF last week!). However, I was starving so I asked Matt to eat dinner before we picked them up. Unfortunately, we didn't have that much time before their plane arrived so Matt said we would probably have to grab dinner at the airport. 

Now, normally that would be fine. BUT I had just spent the entire day traveling, in and out of airports and this girl did NOT want to go back to an airport to eat. I wish I could say I handled it better, I did not. There were definitely tears involved. However, I sucked it up and decided food was necessary and I didn't care where it came from. 

By the time we got to the airport the tears were dried up but I was still very tired. At dinner, Matt started talking about getting married which normally makes me so giddy and excited. However, that night I was a little more short tempered than usual.

Matt: "I can't wait to marry you someday." 

Dana: "If you REALLY wanted to marry me you would have asked my Dad when he was here over Labor Day and not chickened out. You don't want to marry me."

Matt: "You're right, I should have asked. Do you think I can FaceTime your Dad and ask?"

Dana: "Absolutely not! I can't believe you just didn't ask him in person and now you're not going to see him until November. Great."

That ended that conversation pretty quickly. See up to this weekend, I was convinced he wouldn't propose anytime soon because I thought he hadn't asked my Dad. I was VERY wrong but at the time, I didn't know! 

Saturday, September 28th - THE DAY.

Matt and I talked about spending the afternoon together because we hadn't had that much time to hang out recently. However, I told him I was NOT setting an alarm so whenever I got up, I got up. (Kadi, I took a page out of your book! LOL)  It was about 10 that morning and Matt came in and asked me if I was ready to wake up, I said "Just a few more minutes." He came back about 30 minutes later and convinced me to get up so we had the afternoon together. 

He was talking about what we could do: go eat at their dock, go play golf or go grab lunch and take it to the Orange Groves. I suggested we just pick up sandwiches and go to the groves because we do that a lot and it was just beautiful outside. (Now that he has proposed, I'm not sure what would have happened if I had said "let's golf"... guess I'll never know!)

When I was about to get ready Matt asked: "Do you want to shower?". I said, "Not really, we're just going to the groves." He responded, "Just shower, you'll feel better, you were in an airport all day yesterday." So I finally showered and put on gym shorts and a running tank top. He kindly said, "We have enough time if you want to dry your hair." and my tired self said, "No, it's hot and I don't want to fix my hair today." I can only imagine Matt just thinking, "Dana, I am about to propose to you. Go march up to your room, fix your hair, put on some makeup... pull yourself together!" But I was stubborn and again, VERY TIRED. lol

We left about 11 to go grab sandwiches and to drive to the Moody Lake grove. We have gone here several times to ride around, walk between the trees and eat so up to this point, nothing was unusual. It was just beautiful outside, sunny and I was so happy to just spend time with Matt. 

When we got to the groves, we rolled down the windows and Matt started driving down towards the bottom of the groves near the lake. Well I could tell it was getting muddier (it must have rained  A LOT when I was away) and we almost got stuck but Matt threw it in 4WD and plowed on threw. I said "Were you worried about getting stuck back there?" and he said "A little." Of course he tells me after the fact! 

Well it was just a minute later when we were driving down a row of trees that I slammed into the dashboard as our truck fell into a washout. I could tell this time we were stuck BAD. Matt tried to get out but his tires were just spinning and mud was flying everywhere. Thankfully, Matt saw someone driving a tractor on the way down so he called up a worker and they were able to come down, get some straps to hook up to Matt's hitch and tow us out. We are VERY lucky that someone was there with a tractor because I don't think another truck would have been able to get us out of this hole we were in. No lie, his front left wheel looked like it had completely disappeared. 

While we were waiting for them to tow us out, Matt and I jumped in the back of the (now slanted) truck to eat and to hang out. Matt kept saying, "I'm sorry I ruined our lunch" and I was just responding, "you didn't ruin it at all! It's beautiful out, we are still eating in the groves and spending time together." Now I know he had BIGGER plans than lunch. :) 

Once we were towed to safety and we made it back up to the top of the groves I was ready to head home. I just kept telling Matt, "I don't want to get stuck again and have to call Nat to come tow us out another time!" but Matt was persistent and patient. (Very good qualities for my future husband!) 

He found a spot at the top of the hill so we could look down over the groves and the lake. It truly was the perfect spot. It was still hot outside but not unbearable and there was a nice breeze blowing in the groves. We just love sitting/talking in the groves... it is our spot. (For those that don't know, we have had plans for about a year to name our puppy GROVER because the groves are "our place".) 

After talking about all sorts of stuff, Matt looked at me and said: "I can't believe 6 years ago we met at the Kentucky vs. Florida football game and now look at us, sitting in an orange grove, in love and happy as ever." 

I still had NO idea what was going on and oblivious I answered, "I know it is crazy. Who would have thought when I stood next to you at Game Day I would eventually be living in Dade City?!?" 

Matt said, "I can't wait to marry you."

I am not proud of this but I responded the SAME way as I did the night before, "Yea, yea, yea, if you really wanted to marry me you would have asked my Dad."

Matt said, "What if I have?"

I said, "I know you haven't."

Matt said, "Dana, I have and I'll prove it."
(Typical Matt and typically attorney - has to prove everything!)

He then proceeded to open up his sunglasses case and at this point I thought he was joking. (In my defense, Matt is known to joke around from time to time!) However, he was very serious and inside that little black sunglasses case was a beautiful, shiny diamond ring. 

Matt picked it up, took my hand, got down on one knee and said some sweet things that ended in,
"Dana Deptola, will you marry me?". 

I was in disbelief and said "Are you serious?" probably 10 times but it didn't take me too long to say:
"Yes, of course, yes!". 

We then kissed, hugged and laughed a lot. Pure joy. 

A couple minutes passed, I was just so amazed Matt proposed and that he was able to surprise me with it too!

We were able to flag down Nat again in the tractor to take our very first picture as an engaged couple! I am so thankful that the proposal was just with us but I am still glad we were able to get a picture with us in the groves. 

It was after Nat took our picture and we were by ourselves again that I just started to cry. I think I was in shock at first but after it had settled in, I was overwhelmed with emotions and the tears just came! This time, very HAPPY tears! 

We did spend the rest of the afternoon calling our dear family and friends but later that night we were able to watch the Kentucky vs. Florida game with his family as an engaged couple! 

I can't believe 6 years ago we watched the game as strangers and here we are, getting married! 

Kristie and Kristen were very sweet to surprise us with some celebratory decorations:

And the celebrations haven't stopped. We have been overwhelmed with all the love and support we have received and look forward to planning our wedding and starting our lives together as HUSBAND and WIFE. 

So that's it, the LONG engagement story (sorry folks!) Can't wait to keep you all updated with our wedding plans! 

But for now, the future Mrs. Matt Maggard is signing off :)