May 15, 2011

melanie elizabeth barlow ..

i really like the sound of that!

i also really like to tell stories.
i am famous for remembering and giving every detail.
[this is your warning .. its gonna be long!]

this is one story that i'll be telling forever ..

we are gonna call it ..
jacob & melanie: chapter 10, the proposal.
[pretend jim dale is reading this to you, harry potter style.]

heres a little background to why i have a shiny new ring on my finger as of 05.13.11 ..

mr. barlow moved home 03.05.11
he did this so that we could date everyday.
best blessing ever.

we loved being together all the time and started to wonder how we ever spent more than 3 days apart!

one eve right before Easter we talked about the possibilities of what "if" we got married ..
it was a really good talk that led to us wanting to ask the Lord if this was right.

so we did.
that week we both individually prayed.
also we decided to go to the LA Temple that weekend.
Easter weekend.

while driving home we each shared our experiences from the week and from our time in the Temple.
both of us received very clear answers from the Lord that this was right and that He gave His approval!

we were all kinds of smiles.
we both didnt know what to do next! 

mr. barlow being quite the gentleman he is was making plans to ask my family for their blessing.

this is where the surprises started!

05.08.11
mothers day
he asked my mom for her blessing.
we skyped with both my sisters that night to tell them of the news!

this is also where it gets interesting ..
my dad passed away when i was 2 years old so i have a couple pretty amazing father figures that mr. barlow wanted to get their blessing from.

my uncle steve.
he is my dads brother.
they look almost like twins.
he helped raise us when we were little and is always there for us in a seconds notice.

we had dinner with my uncle and aunt 05.11.10 and he asked my uncle for his blessing!

notice i said father figureS .. there are multiple!

my papa monte.
he stood in as proxy for my dad when my family was sealed in the LA Temple 9 years ago.
he has always been there to give me fathers blessings, advice and just to tease me!

president william a. barrett.
this man i met 09.2008 when i stepped off the plane in Milwaukee, Wisconsin!
he is my mission president and my papa bear.
durung the 18 months that i was a missionary in Wisconsin President Barrett looked after me like a father.
he told me when i had my final interview with him that he wanted to interview my future husband.
i promised him that would happen!

so after knowing mr. barlow talked to my mom and uncle i knew he still had my papa monte and president barrett left.

we are going to utah the first week of june and that was when he was going to talk to them.

so in my mind i knew we wouldnt get engaged until sometime in june!

now with that background here comes the BIG SURPRISE!!!!!!!!!!


05.13.2011
friday the 13th

our plan that eve was to pick up his brother and sister in law from LAX.
nbd.
we still really did pick them up in case you were wondering.

i told jacob i would just drive out to his house right after work and we could chill and than get clark and holly. 
plan. done and done.

mr. barlow had other surprise plans!

i met jacob at his house.
he opened the door right away and asked me if i wanted some pizza ..
i said sure but i was taking my time talking to his parents and playing with his nieces.

what i didnt know was happening was that mr. barlow needed us to leave right then and there.
he sent his dad a text to tell us we needed to hit the road b.c. of traffic.

me being geographically challenged didnt know it only took about 25 minutes to get to LAX from the barlows. 
so i didnt think anything of it when we left his house at 7:15pm to pick them up at 8:45pm!
i just assume that b.c. its LA it takes an hour or more no matter what!

we started driving. talking. apparently i brought up marriage a lot jacob said!
aslo i asked him if he was going to go to the Temple the next day, meaning saturday before Disneyland.
he said he was going to try.

then mr. barlow looked at the clock and said "wow! we really beat traffic, we are close to the Temple, how about we go walk around together in case i dont make it tomorrow?!"

i thought that was a great idea and nothing out of the norm for us.
we both LOVE the LA Temple and sometimes just walk around it.

we walked to the front of the Temple, right by the reflecting pond in the very center.
we stood there hugging and i was asking jacob random question about the Temple ..
such as, "i wonder if you can get to the very top top of the Temple inside?"
jacob was being pretty quite but i didnt think anything of it.

we stood there for a couple minutes and we were just loving holding each other and looking at the Temple.

next thing i know he turns me to face him and he is getting down on one knee!!!!!!!

i immediately said, "YOU ARE JOKING!"

mr. barlows response was, "melanie elizabeth warner, will you accompany me to the House of the Lord and marry me?"

i looked at him and said, "YYYEEEEESSSSSS!!!!!!"

he stood up and we kissed, hug, kissed, kissed, hug! 
my whole body was shaking! 
tears welled up in my eyes but i couldnt stop laughing and smiling!

when we stood up he put the ring on my finger and said, "i already called and talked to monte and your mission president."

i was in so much shock and awe!
so much happiness! 

i looked at the ring and it was perfect!
he picked it out all my himself and its amazing!

my next thought was .. MY CAMERA! 
it was in the car. 

im pretty sure jacob read my mind b.c. at that same moment he looked at me and said, "cats here. shes taking photos of all this!"

WWWWWWHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTT?????!!!!!!!!!

he pointed to a bush and out popped CAT! along with CODY!

it was amazing! 
we hugged and cat kept snapping away!
here is cats side of this wonderful event! i love it >>> JBB proposes to MEW

it was perfect.
everything.
there is no other way to describe it all.

mr. barlow loves to surprise and he knows i love surprises!

he went to a lot of my family for their blessings!
he knew how special the LA Temple was to me and the two of us!
he also knew how much photographs mean to me!

perfection.

we immediately called my family!
then we jokingly said changing our fb status was the next step!
[its mostly funny b.c. our relationship started via fb in a way.]
but we really did. 
right then and there.

thats is how most everyone found out!
even HIS PARENTS!
they had no idea he was proposing that night!

i love it.
all of it.

i love mr. barlow.
words cannot express how excited i am to be mrs. barlow!

told you it would be detailed and long but i love this story.
i love that i was completely surprised 110%.
i love that mr. barlow knows me so well.

i am a lucky woman.
mr. barlow is my man for time and all eternity!

11 comments:

  1. What a great story! So happy for you guys.

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  2. YAY!!!! This is so awesome!

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  3. How fabulous!! I am so excited for you!!!!

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  4. MEL! i love reading your blog and i am so happy for you! congrats!!

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  5. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i love all of you.

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  6. Congratulations! So happy for you. That Mr. Barlow is a lucky man! But he must be pretty special too for you to love him so much! Love, Mama Huzzey

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  7. i was waiting for this story. thankyou! i really cannot express how happy i am for you!!!! te amo.

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  8. love you both! Cannot tell you how excited I am to see your relationship take flight from beginning to eternity.

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  9. oh darling, thank you for sharing!!! I am so happy happy happy, tingling happy! can't wait to meet this incredible man who loves our momo SO MUCH!

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  10. I am soooo happy and excited for you guys!!! We can't wait to see you in just a few weeks, celebration party time!

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