SO NY is next on my "TO DO list" and even though Morgan didn't propose the first day, I'm just too excited to write this down finally {after 2 months of being engaged, I'm terrible.} Don't you worry though - I'll still be posting the rest of the trip. So without further ado.....
ok so... Monday, January 3rd Morgan and I woke up at my Grandma & Pa Bennett's and Grandma made us breakfast, even though I told her not to make us anything the whole time we were there. Then we got showered, ready and walked to the E. Rockaway train station and caught our train into Penn Station. Pretty much the whole time we were in NY we just planned the first thing we wanted to go do during our train ride that morning and then after that just went wherever our feet took us.
This day we decided Grand Central Station and Rockafeller Center. So we walked our little butts off, saw where they filmed Madagascar {ha}, went to the big-kid Lego store, saw all the ice skaters and big ole christmas trees, and got lunch. I can't remember where. After we decided to check out the Modern Museum of Art {MoMA} and it was awesome {I got to see Starry Night, ahhh!}. We spent a loooong time in there - so by the time we left the sun was setting. So I thought that it would be a great time to go to Times Square in all its lit-up glory for Morgan's first time {seriously, it was my idea}. So we traipsed to 47th St. and went in store after store, as I showed Morgan all the fun places I love and have been to countless times with my family. Especially the places that I went to on the surprise 18th birthday {and Christopher's simultaneous 8th birthday} trip and when I went with my mom & her friend Christina 4 years back.
As we left Toys R Us. {yes, Toys R Us} I remembered we were close to the intersection of 7th Ave/Broadway which they turned it into a pedestrian plaza - aka where the ball drops on New Years Eve - and wanted to show Morgan where the neon sign NYPD station was. So as we were walking by I pointed to it, and Morgan slowly grabbed my arm and steered me in that direction. He said he wanted to "check it out" and "get a picture"
- So I took his picture
- and was about to continue walking when he wanted to take a picture of me
- so he did,
- and it was blurry and so he did it again
- so as I came back to stand next to him and look at the camera, I snapped a picture of the NYPD station while Morgan was getting something out of his coat.
That's when I heard "Sweety" and I was still looking at the camera so I said "Yea?" without looking up. and then he didn't say anything. So I looked up. And I saw the unzipped coat, the maroon ring box with a latch and Morgan's beaming, expectant face {with that adorable grin he has} and I started crying. Yep. Instantly. And then I started saying "You are not doing this right now, you aren't, are you? Are you seriously doing this right now? Really?" All the while, crying and trying to wipe my face and eyes so I could properly see him.
And in the midst of my rambling he said "Yes." Got down on one knee, and said "Julie Marie Bennett, will you marry me?" and I smiled. {and of course was still crying} and said "yes, of course." and thats when I dragged him up {he's twice my size, it was hard} and jumped in his arms. And thats when we heard the clapping and cheering. We stopped and looked to our right and saw a group of about 5 guys clapping and yelling "Congratulations!" so we waved and smiled and tried to say "Thankyou" but I don't really know if it ever happened because we were both in shock. So then we looked back at each other and kissed and I asked him how long he had been planning this, and asked him why he wasn't acting weird all day, and we smiled and he goes "So, do you want to actually look at the ring". True story - he hadn't even opened the box yet.
So we sat down across from eachother, touching knees, on some of the metal chairs that are in the plaza we were standing in the middle of. And he opened the box. and I started crying again. Instantly. And then he laughed at me. and I was gushing. {because really, its the most beautiful piece of jewelry I've ever seen in my life} So I put it on and it fit perfectly. {except then my gloves didn't fit because it was so big and my hands were frozen the rest of the night because I refused to take off the ring. not bragging, true story.} And THEN the cheering boys came back {turns out it was a dad and 4 teenage boys}. The dad came over and told us he wanted to take our picture for us saying, "You have to remember this forever, can I take your picture?" And then I started crying again at the most wonderful thing this stranger could say - so we said yes. And took the most awful picture that I will treasure forever. Then we had no idea what to do.
So we walked. and decided to stop in a cafe and get some hot chocolate so we could call my parents. He let me know I should probably call my mom first because she had cried on the phone whenever he asked her and Gary's permission. So I did. I called her. and then my house, which Chris answered and so I told him first and then my Dad & Lisa got on the phone who were already expecting it due to Morgan's persmission call. and then Jessica. Then I called Stephanie and Billy and Michael. And then I called Ashley and Rachael. And Morgan called his parents. To be fair, he had already told everyone prior to us leaving for NY that he was going to propose, so he didn't really have to let anyone know.
So then we finished our hot chocolate, and went back to the place he had proposed just an hour before and we look "better" pictures {though my eyes still look a little red}. Then we did what were good at - going wherever our feet took us. We went and got I ♥ NY shirts for Morgan's family, found a vintage photo of Times Square showing the exact location we got engaged, and went to the M&M store to get colored peanut M&Ms. It was pretty late by then and we had to catch our train back to Oceanside so I called my Grandma to let her know when we'd be there {but didn't let her know he proposed because Morgan wanted to see her reaction in person} So we got there and got in her van, me in the passenger seat, Morgan in the back seat, and I pulled off my really tight glove {I had to put it on to surprise her!} and told her we had gotten engaged that night. She almost slammed on the breaks and said "Is that thing REAL??" and then she said something to the effect of "Congrats, that's so exciting, that's great, when did it happen? how did it happen? were you planning it? whens the wedding?"
Then we got home and she called everyone.
And the rest of the week we celebrated with family, went into the city and went wherever our feet took us, and talked about how crazy it was we were ENGAGED! :)
