How We Met: I was completely fed up with dating. I was done and convinced I was going to be the weird cat lady, and was about ready to accept it. I remember just saying to myself, “if God wants me to be married then I’m going to let Him do the work”
About a week after my dramatic, self-indulgent speech, I get a friend request on Facebook from a Brandon Bishop. That name sounded so familiar! I thought I must know him from somewhere so I do what any girl would do: accept and stalk. Turns out I do not know him personally, but we have friends of friends and he is cute. Very cute. I could tell he is close to his family, has good friends and is Christian, all very important things to know. I then finally decide to message him and come to find he had already messaged me. He does not know me personally but has seen me “pop up” a few times. We share similar values and beliefs, we talk for a day and then we set up a date that week.
I had this pull toward him since the first day, like I knew he would be significant or an important piece in my life. He is.
how they asked: We were driving up to June Lake to stay with his family in their cabin. It wasnt’t unusual, we had done it before. It was unusual that he wanted to wear a collared shirt on the 6 hour drive, but he mumbled something about dinner right wen we got there so I shrugged it off and changed my wrinkly shirt.
When we arrive at the cabin, his sister and mom guide me upstairs to put luggage away and Brandon’s dad calls him outside to help with “snow windows”. We were upstairs (his mom, his sister and a family friend) talking for about fifteen minutes when all of sudden his sister announces, “we’re going downstairs now”. Being the laid back person I am, I just go along with it. They then shuffle me to the windows to open the blinds that face the now frozen lake. I did wonder why we were all opening the blinds together all at once, and why they wanted me me in the middle. After we all pull the strings to open the blinds I look out at all the snow, the trees and the frozen lake. I didn’t see him at first and then someone says, “what’s Brandon doing out on the dock?” I see him standing there on the snowy dock with his hands in his pockets smiling up at me. That’s when I figured out what was happening.
Without saying a word to anyone, I walk out the door and down to my love on the dock. He is smiling at me as I walk closer to him and I say, “what are doing babe?” Even though I know what he is doing and he says, ” I want to ask you a question” when I finally reach him on the dock he grabs my hands, he is smiling and tells me to kiss him. He is shaky, I don’t know if it is from the cold or nerves. He starts his speech with “the past year you have shown me…” And it really is hard to remember what was said because I was so focused on his face, his tears eyes and my inner voice screaming with excitement. He then gets down on one knee and says “Tawny Danielle Alvarez, will you marry me?” (Nailed it!) I nearly slip on the snow because I was bouncing with happiness and said “yes!”
His father was taking pictures from afar and his brother recorded the proposal with his gopro, it was amazing the way it was all set up.
As a surprise bonus, my entire family comes down to the dock! this proposal was in the works for about three months and I had no idea. My fiancé (eeeeek!) really planned an amazing proposal and I can’t wait to spend everyday with him.
