Rain is a Good thing...

When we left our Sunday meeting with Sandy, the Realtor, to "talk" about putting an offer on the house I very distinctly remember saying something to Brian as we came to a stop at Main Street and Grand River.

"I want you to look at me and take me seriously (for once). We do not need to get engaged right now. Let's focus on making this house into OUR home and then we'll figure out the next steps. Everyone is going to have their opinions, but it's you and me now. Let's do what we need to do."

A simple end-all comment, followed by silence, "I'm not moving into a house with just my girlfriend."

So, as a woman, my mind began to race. I consulted friends and my mother about this statement and they all convinced me I was reading too much into it. (Story of an OCD girl's life.) Afterall, I had been the one to advocate Brian moving into the home first and settling for a few months and then joining him, so it was simple they said, he'll take his time getting adjusted and his answer could mean you're not moving in until Christmas or after. Fine. Sigh of relief.

When I say relief, I don't mean I didn't want to marry Brian, of course I cannot WAIT for the day. My life was just spinning so fast. And also, being a girl, I felt I always had to be on cue to look cute, paint my nails (which is a bi-annual thing for me) and be ready for more incredible emotions, which I wasn't sure what they were going to be like. Enter ugly cry face.


With Memorial Day on the radar, and in the same city, Brian and I wanted to do something small and relaxing, maybe enjoy it with some friends. Originally anticipating to celebrate it with Brian's brother Chris and girlfriend, Christina, Christina had to end up working, so Brian's plans were out. I suggested we get together with two couples we're close with, enjoy a picnic and fishing, which had me exuberant beyond normalcy, and hang out at the park. Once I arranged the plans with the women, and we all agreed on items to split up for the picnic menu, we were set to go to Proud Lake Recreation Saturday afternoon.

In conjunction with... 

Brian, having a good group of friends whom he was closer with before we began dating, and spent his weekends driving to GR, also planned a bonfire for Saturday night, to get everyone together, all of our family and friends, to meet each other, hang out and have a few beers. (This is where to the normal person, it would start to hit you.)

D-Day

Saturday went off without a glitch of awkwardness. We had the car packed with picnic baskets, fishing poles and coolers. We drank beer in the driveway and playfully threw the football around with Mark and Shannon while we waited for the Heath's to show up. We went to the bait/liquor shop in Milford to get licenses (and more beer) and headed to the lake. Despite a bit of miscommunication on where we could technically fish and hang out, we found an entrance with some picnic tables next to the parking lot. Perfect.

We ate, caught up on each other's lives, oogled over Charlie- the newest pup addition to the Heath family, and laughed. What a break from the rapid lifestyles we all had, to sit around and enjoy the sunshine and a holiday weekend. After deciding to pack up the food and make the (not-so-close) hike to the river, we all grabbed some items and began to head toward the trail. Brian, conveniently, was messing around with something and not ready, although the rest of the group, sans Ashley and myself, were en route. He urged us to go ahead and he would catch up, which to me was actually a relief. As you may learn, Brian is very particular about his belongings and takes incredible care of them. This most often times equates to ridiculous hold ups on our way to events, places or in the middle of tasks. So him telling me to go ahead and not wait, was something quite normal.

The hike was instantly terrible. All of the rain the past couple of weeks made the mosquitoes RAMPANT. It was annoying and frustrating to walk along with your hands full and having no defense to the worst insect on the planet. We got to the shoreline and ran for the bridge, where most of us took cover as the insects didn't loom there.

About ten or so mintues later, after much silence and deliberation of how we were ever going to enjoy this, Brian discovered bug spray in one of the tackle boxes. HALLELUJAH! Everyone took a nice strong spray or too of the stuff and it was like a sunshine after the rain, instant smiles.

Fishing, was pretty much a dud. Said bridge had a dam underneath it and the current was pretty hefty. Shannon and I, determined to get a fish, dropped the line a couple hundred times near the shore and the weeds, but always came up short. Brian, showing off his veteran casting skills managed to get his line caught in the large oak tree and nothing less than snapped his (brother's) pole right in half trying to get it out. Muffled laughter and exchanged smirks, everyone but Brian enjoyed the entertainment. He retreated from the fishing scene and hung out for a bit with Ashley and Charlie, talking very privately about something.

As the day was winding down, it began to rain, so instinctively we began packing up and getting ready for the trek back. Brian, the only man I know who loves to take pictures (who doesn't do it for a living) insisted we take 'couple' pictures on the bridge overlooking the water. A couple of griefs and we agreed. This is where it gets hazy...

I don't remember the order we went in, as I didn't think much of it. It was going to be another photo opp where I looked terrible, was wet, had been outside all day and wasn't incredibly enthusiastic. Both the other couples went and Brian and I were up. Brian handed his camera to Ashley, switched the setting and headed towards the middle where I was. Ashley, attempting to take a picture, was confused. Brian walked back (with his back to me) whispered some things to Ashley and headed back, pulling the camera case out of his cargo pocket. This is where it started to hit me.

Ashley already had the camera in her hand, why NOW would he be getting the case out, we hadn't even taken a good one yet?

As he unzipped it, I saw the box inside. I FREAKED. I kept looking to Shannon, who was now on the shoreline away from the bridge, waiting for us to be done. I was CRYING. I was laughing. I was making muffled screaming noises, as if I was in danger. I have NO CLUE what I was doing, but I couldn't bring myself to look back in Brian's direction. Now, since the commotion had began, a group of about 8 fisherman had made their way to the bridge, in hopes to cross. Ashley, kindly asked them to wait. Of course I know all of this because I was so zoned in on everything going on around, except to my slight right.

Brian grabbed my hands and got down on one knee, I made one last look to Shannon, still without words, to see if she knew what was going on yet. Instantly her face dropped and she filled with tears, I turned back...

"Amanda, you're my best friend and my everything. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"

That part, he'll argue went different. And I'd be the first to admit, it probably did. My mind, heart and breath were racing. I NEVER saw it coming. He had been so cool and collected all day, where was this coming from?

After the reality, the "YES" and the kisses, we turned to four other friends who were just as surprised as myself. Brian had told nobody of his plans. He conjured up the whole scheme by himself. I was FLABBERGASTED.

We took pictures, cried, laughed and continued to soak in the rain.

I called my parents, whom Brian had taken out to lunch the previous day to ask for my hand, and they said they were anxiously awaiting the call all day. I told them, "I didn't catch a fish, but I caught a fiance." (Gimme a break, it sounded way more clever at the time.)

On our way back to the cars, and in between family phone calls, I yelled up to Brian, walking with Joe, and said I wasn't the only one who had gotten engaged, did he want to call his parents? "Oh no, he wanted to see their reactions, because he hadn't told a SOUL of his plans."

Lots of laughing, crying, phone calls, champagne and Jameson later, we had a house full of family and friends. Despite the rain, the day was absolutely perfect. I couldn't have asked for anything better. And I couldn't have shared it with more special people in my life.

My crazy so-called life continues.




These pictures were from my camera, after the actual act of him proposing. His camera is still looming in the "should be uploaded but won't be for six months."

The bridge where it all happened, conveniently behind the oak that houses Brian's fishing line.

So happy.

After the fact.

I'm engaged?

My sister, the future MOH, showing up to the party.

She's a BRICK (vinyl sided) ----house.

Welp, it's June 8th, 2011... 

This means a couple of things.

Most importantly- My dear grandpa turns 71 years old today. Happy Birthday Handsome!

I've been out of Grand Rapids for 46 WHOLE days.

Brian & I are anticipating closing on our first home in 22 days.

I will become Mrs. Amanda Sarkella in 486 days.

WOAH- WHATTTT?!

I can only learn to breathe, relax, smile and laugh at the thought of the statements above. Less than a mere two months ago I packed up my life into boxes and bins and moved 150 miles for the man I love.
Now, by faith, timing, stars aligning- call it what you want to- my life continues to excite and surprise, even myself.

We'll start with the house...

Brian and I began looking at houses last fall in more of a "what will be one day" type mindset, deciding what we liked and didn't like, could live without, would enjoy and HAD TO HAVE included. We toured a few homes, visited some without even getting out of the car, and more or less let it go for a bit.

When I finally moved home, we had decided it was time for him to get out of the house and experience life as a "man on his own" for the first time ever, so we tossed around the ideas or renting, buying or land contracts with apartments and condos for a bit as well.

With the aid of a family-friend Realtor, we began the crusade of homes again, usually striking out before we even made it in the front door. Then, like they say, it happened out of thin air...

...We celebrated two very close friends of ours birthdays on Saturday, May 21st. We played paint ball for the first time ever and after it and all of it's hilariousness, we went to a friends where Brian finally relaxed for the first time in a while, let loose, and drank a bit.

Sidenote- For those of you that know me, or us, this is a rare occurrence for him- as he's usually feeling the need to "DD" or drinking isn't really a big thing for him.

Birthday girls Amanda & Shannon at Futureball in Whitmore Lake, MI

Throughout the night I kept kindly reminding him that we had an appointment the next afternoon with our Realtor and that he should continue to have fun, but I was going to drive us home "soon." When I finally convinced him that another game of beer pong wasn't needed and we should go, we ended up leaving Livonia about 3:30am. I could only imagine his head later on that day, in the sun, and attempting to make decisions.

When we finally got around to the drive out to Brighton to meet Sandy, our Relator, at the first home, Brian's minor "hangover" was causing a slight lack of attention or concern for most anything. (We've ALL been there, this was just a particularly bad day to experience it.) I was anxious that this day would be very poor and we might want to call it off, but we proceeded on. When we pulled up to the first home, which I don't even remember picking out as one of the ones we would like to see, I looked at him and said I had a good feeling. We walked inside and everything was immaculate. Clean, cared-for and perfectly arranged to be moved into immediately. Brian and I both instantly fell in love. (Well I did at least.) We kept particularly quiet throughout the tour of the home, and more so in the gorgeous backyard. Expressing an interest in the home, but being very apprehensive in the "first time buying" process, we left and agreed to go look at the next.

We specifically drove separately that day, to be able to discuss our opinions in privacy. 

I remember anxiously jumping in the car, then pretending to act "cool, calm and collected," to not give myself away. I said to Brian, "If you could describe that home in three words, what would you say?"

Now this part, like the proposal that you'll hear about later, is slightly blurry. My mind was racing and I'm not sure I heard his EXACT response, but I remember him mumbling adjectives that confirmed my thoughts. I then exclaimed, "ASK ME WHAT I THINK!" like a 2 year old princess starving for attention.

I proceeded to tell him it was "our home" and I just knew it. There was something about it that really got to me. He said he could definitely see that possibility, but like every other purchase he makes in life, he would have to "research, dissect options and compare it to alternatives..." ((Ugh.))

The second home was old, awkward and "SMELLED TERRIBLE" according to Brian, with his keen sense of smell that day.

The third home, was not much bigger than Brian's current bedroom in his parent's home, so that was instantly out.

Meanwhile, we had been chit-chatting throughout the day and found ourselves calling the first home "ours" and comparing each home to it. We talked as if we already owned the darn thing.

While we were departing the last home of the day, our Realtor asked us to get in the car (where the AC was cool) to discuss the first home. She noted our extreme interest in it and said that if would like to make an offer we should do so soon, in that with the incredible deal and recent price drop, it was sure to be eaten up shortly.

Brian, probably internally panicking at this point, said we needed to "talk" privately and could we meet back up at her office that evening. Knowing throughout life that this defense mechanism was often used by my parents and Brian alike, to calmly tell me no, I was sure I only had one last chance to plead my case.

We got into his car and I went. to. town. I mean I pulled out ever aspect, detail and pro that house had. I conveniently guided my relentless pursuit towards his desires, lifestyle and dreams. (Sorry sweetheart, even though the basement is "perfect" for a man cave, it might be a while.)

He chuckled at me, had a few legitimate, concerning questions, but for the most part was completely on the same page as me- prior to my pseudo-Broadway performance.

Lots of meetings, contracts, addendum and emails later, we're in the process of buying our dream first home.

The area is perfect, the neighbors are delightful, the yard is plentiful and our family and friends love it. (Because any new place is a GREAT place for their dogs, parties, "get-togethers," etc.) It has so much potential for decorating and "accessorizing," as my mother is already planning. And we're RIDICULOUSLY excited to get into it.

I haven't even begun to decide "themes" or colors, which is probably a conversation I should have with B, although I'm not sure he cares much. But as the date quickly draws closer, we're open to any ideas, suggestions or DIY tips for it.

...And since it's not quite OUR home yet, even though it has been since day one, I'll hold off on pictures until we can start the album with the SOLD sign. <3