I am engaged to Ryan Adam Gray.
I was coming home from my field trip to Canyonlands with my field methods class today, June 15th. I knew Ryan was coming to Provo for Sunday and Monday, to go ring shopping with me. We had been once in LA, when I visited him, and I had been several times by myself/with friends since then. It had been SO hard, as nothing really impressed me; not because I wanted more but rather because I just didn't really like diamonds. Finally, though, I had found a ring that inexplicably took my breath away, but that we had sadly decided was out of our price range, so we were on the hunt for one similar. I was SO excited to see Ryan after not being able to talk to him for three days. I was texting Katie (my roommate), who seemed very set on knowing exactly when I would get home because there was a bonfire going on that evening.
Ryan called me when we were just getting to Springville. “I’ve got some bad news, but it's not too bad. I had to leave with everyone to go start the bonfire. They just really wanted to get going. So I won’t be there when you get home but I’ll see you right when you get to the park, okay?” I was so disappointed, and also surprised because Ryan would never do that... I hadn’t seen him in a week and he was going off with his friends instead of waiting to see me? Um, EXCUSE ME?! I was way bummed.
I was dropped off at my apartment and where I hurriedly caught my roommates up on my awesome field trip and ran to my room to get ready. There Katie she asked me if we could use my Nikon tonight because this would be “the last time we were all together.” “All who?” I asked, confused. “Andrew, Ryan, Kathryn, me, you…” she said. I was a little confused still, but it sorta made sense because Andrew was going home for the summer, so I said of course! I got in the shower, hurrying because I knew I was holding them up, and because I WANTED TO SEE RYAN. Super quick shower, threw on some clothes, and Katie came into the vanity area and saw me with wet hair and no makeup. Katie looked at me and said, “There’s no rush, you know. You can put on makeup.” I was a little tempted, but Ryan had seen me without makeup before and heck, he was the only one I cared about haha. I told her it was fine and that I was ready to go. She said okay and then headed out to the living room. I heard her whisper with Andrew and Kathryn, which was weird to me {and with the amount of time the proposal was on my mind I couldn’t help but be curious if something was going on. But I was in denial because how could he have gotten a ring already?}. I put my Nikon into my Camelbak and walked out to see Katie putting makeup on. THIS GIRL, she hardly ever wears makeup! “You can put makeup on if you want. You have time,” she said again. I just wanted to get outta there and see Ryan, so I told her no, I was ready to go and she finally agreed.
I don’t remember much that happened on the drive up, except for that as we entered Provo Canyon, Kathryn called Ryan to ask what park the bonfire was at. This was super weird, considering we were just talking about how it was going to be at South Fork Park. Turns out she was just alerting Ryan of our ETA so that he could set things up… Sneaky… We chatted as we drove, and finally arrived at the park. Katie was acting so weird, making sure I wasn't carrying any of the bonfire supplies, insisting on taking my backpack from me, and making sure I walked next to her. That girl was shameless. I had no idea what she was doing or why she was doing this.
We came over the lip of the hill and saw the footbridge over the stream. The first thing I saw were paper bag lanterns lining both sides of the bridge. My first thought was maybe there had been a party or something earlier. And then I saw a row of people on either side of the bridge. When we got closer I saw that they were ten or so of our friends from the ward and other. “What is this…” I began. Katie gave me a push from behind and said “This is where we leave you!” My heart sped up and my brain rejected what I saw. I knew immediately what was going on but my mind totally denied it. WHAT? Was this really happening? I couldn’t absorb what was going on! I heard PJ say from my right side, “Follow the trail and read the bags.” Initially I was scared to be left alone on this trail that went into the woods where I couldn’t see but that was immediately replaced with the thought that Ryan was here, somewhere. So I started walking. Basically running, I was told later by PJ haha. Everyone shouted at me to read the bags as I booked it down the trail. I was, but I wasn’t controlling my feet. I don’t even remember walking. I was more like floating! I slowed down when they shouted at me though, and did a mental calm-down talk. I had to remind myself to breathe as I walked down the trail through the trees.
(Katie knew I didn't want pictures of the proposal, so
she used my Nikon to take pictures of the setup and
the two of us afterwards.)
The glowing bags had words punched in them in tiny holes so that they glowed from the tea candles inside the bags. The first bags had said “Ryan” and “Hannah.” The second, “Ketchikan” and “Seattle.” Then continuing on with words that referred to things we had done during our six months of dating. “Arches,” “Puppy,” “Library,” “Sounders,” “RSL.” (Haha.) I had both of my hands in my sweatshirt sleeves and over my mouth as I walked down this candlelit trail. My heart. was. pounding. I couldn’t absorb all this. The trail turned to the left and about forty feet away it ended in a circle of bags, now empty. But as I got to be a few yards away, someone came out of the dark woods and stood in the middle of the circle. The silhouette was tall and slender, and I could see the glint of his glasses. It was Ryan, holding a bouquet of roses. I wanted to run to him and run AWAY from him all at the same time. This was really happening. He was proposing. He did this all for me. He wanted to marry me. I finally reached him after what seemed like FOREVER. Stood in front of him. Looked up into his face. I could see his eyes in the candlelight. He was looking down at me with a small smile on his lips and his eyes so full of warm love, like he always looks at me.
I had no idea what to say. “Hi!” I managed. “Hi,” he said, and I could tell he was trying not to laugh. He could see that I was totally surprised and trying to keep up with all this. “How are you?” I asked. (Again, I had no idea what to say haha.) “I’m good,” eyes still laughing at me, “Do you know what’s going on?” “I think so…” “You think so?” “Well, I don’t want to be wrong!” (How embarrassing would that be if I was expecting a proposal and it really wasn’t one; but then again what else would he be doing?”) “Let’s see if you’re right.” He leaned down to kiss me and I felt his left hand go from my hip to his back pocket to pull something out. I froze. He pulled away from me as he sunk down onto one knee and I started to FREAK OUT. I half-shouted things that I don't even remember. My hands were over my mouth and I'm sure my eyes were as big as golf balls. My heart started to speed up. And then he pulled out a box, looked up and asked the question that every girl wants to hear one day, and my heart stopped. “Hannah Katheryn Kropelnicki, will you marry me?” Six months of dating rushed through my head within milliseconds, and then rushed into the future, our future, my life with this man. I wanted it. I wanted to be with Ryan forever. I wanted to be his wife. I jumped up and down as I yelled yes, half laughing, half almost crying, my cheeks cramping from smiling so big. He slid a sparkling ring onto my finger but I didn't even think about what it looked like - I jumped into his arms and hugged the crap out of that guy. I couldn’t keep my happiness inside! He set me down and pulled out his phone, shining the light on the ring. IT WAS THE RING. (Haha, totally had a Lord of the Rings reference in here and I didn't even notice it till now.)
I was literally speechless. The ring. My ring. He had bought it. I sputtered out multiple "how did you?" and "oh my goodness" and "thank you!"s while my mind basically exploded. Then it set in. We were getting MARRIED. I shouted it to him and we laughed and hugged and kissed and laughed some more. I couldn’t stop jumping and laughing and hugging him, my new fiancé. Fiancé, not boyfriend! AHH!
As we walked back to the bridge, we stopped at each bag and he told me why he picked the word on each one. He told me how he had gone all over the place to find something that would poke neatly through the bags, how there were 24 bags for 24 weeks of dating, how multiple times when we were on the phone over the last few days he was making these. He spent hours on them. It was so beautiful. The whole thing had been so personalized, thoughtful and adorable. I had never imagined it would be like this when I was proposed to. August 27th was the date, and then we would start our lives together. WE ARE GETTING MARRIED.
I love Ryan Adam Gray.
