The Engagement

Stuck on You Leighton flew up to Utah on Friday, September 13th. My parents picked him up and I drove my aunt Becky and my grandmother down to Brigham City where we went and had lunch at Maddox together. We then did some car switching so Leighton and I could go up to Island Park, Idaho (about 20 miles from West Yellowstone) in the same car. We stopped by the gorgeous waterfalls of upper and lower Mesa Falls. We got to Island Park in time to make dinner and watch a movie. Saturday morning my parents kicked us out of the house and sent us off to Yellowstone. While I was in the shower my mother was telling Leighton all the good places that we could go in Yellowstone and Leighton really liked the sound of Norris Geyser Basin so he planned our Yellowstone adventure that we would end there. We packed our lunches, our rain coats, and umbrellas and headed off. We talked a lot as we enjoyed going to lots of different places. We saw many elk as well as rivers, swimming holes, mountain ranges. When we were at Firehole River I thought Leighton was going to propose and I was really nervous. He didn’t propose there, but I did find the ring box in his jacket while we were getting out. Note: Now don’t think this isn’t romantic; Leighton and I went ring shopping in July but I never knew that he bought the ring and carried it around for a month until the last day of our summer when he told me (and showed me!). I’ve been dying to have it ever since so we all (parents included) kind of knew that it was coming the next time we saw each other. I think it turned out perfectly too because I don’t do well with change, so I had some time to stew and mentally prepare. Bless Leighton’s heart though; he got so much teasing. We then went to Old Faithful to have lunch. I started teasing Leighton about how he could propose there (I had already told him I did NOT want to get engaged there.) “My love for you is more faithful than Old Faithful!” I told him. We continued the cheesy Yellowstone pickup lines throughout the day. It was raining and cold so our picnic lunch turned into an in-the-car lunch. We meandered around the gift shop and the lodge while we were waiting for Old Faithful. Leighton’s friend Marc called while we were waiting for Old Faithful to go off so I answered it and told him Leighton was busy trying to figure out when to propose.

It was slowly getting more rainy and later in the day so we decided to stop at the smelly paint pots with a whole bus of Asian tourists as well as Gibbon Falls, another giant waterfall and walked across the mini wall of China. We then went to our last stop, Norris Geyser Basin. It was raining again and I think we got the last parking spot. Leighton turned to me in the car and said, “I was going to propose to you here but the weather isn’t good and there are all these people…” I told him that that is okay and that he could propose a different day but that we might as well go see the geysers since we were there. He put on his bright orange waterproof jacket, I left the Canon Rebel in the car, and we went out on our last adventure in Yellowstone. We started walking around the Porcelain Basin and the rain stopped. We found ourselves alone and there was a bench. Leighton wanted to sit on the bench so I knew something was coming. He prefaced his proposal with the fact that we had already picked a date and a temple, that he had my dad’s blessing, and that he now wanted to formally ask me. He got down on one knee and told me that he loved me so much. He then asked, “Mari Lisa Lindstrom, will you marry me?” I fought back the tears gave him a hug and then whispered in his ear, “Yeah.” He slipped my super cute ring on my finger (finally! He had been teasing that I could just wear it and he’d propose later) and then people came by again.

We drove back home and ate dinner. After about three minutes dad burst out and said, “So, is there an announcement you two want to make?” I was waiting to see if they noticed the ring. I guess they did. We went swimming after dinner and it wasn’t as romantic as we were hoping. Cue 7-year-old girl, “Are you guys in love? That’s gross.” Cue four-year-old Maxwell, “Do you guys want to see a magic trick?” “Yes.” SPLASH! It was a wonderful day even if everything wasn’t ideal. What is wonderful is finding someone who can love me like Leighton does. Leighton wishes that he waited until Sunday (we went on the most beautiful walk and sat on a dock and watched a moose and a bald eagle). It was so beautiful and calm and indescribably beautiful. Now we’re engaged and we are going to be sealed forever and ever. I love Leighton because he is so wonderful and just loves me so much. He always tucks me in the blanket and makes me his priority every waking moment I am around him. He puts up with me when I am grumpy and laughs at my angry face. He eats my sandwiches when I don’t like them and he knows how many carrots I eat for lunch. I was in the back seat when he was driving us and my grandma and Becky home and he reached back and held my hand while driving. For four hours straight. Just so he could hold my hand and let me know he was thinking of me. That’s love to me. Leighton is love.