The Other Proposal.

Did I mention that when Sean proposed in December, it wasn't the first time?

Sean had proposed to me several times before - though some may or may not have been under the influence of alcohol. I know, I know - drunk proposal = classy.

(source)

It's not that bad, I promise. 

It all comes down to expectations. Sean and I met when I was fourteen, and he was sixteen. We were friends for three years before we started dating. We knew that we were right for each other right away, and perhaps our families did too. But our families are, for lack of better words, brash. They will tell you exactly what is on their minds at any time, and they're not afraid to make fun of you either. While loving, they're also bluntly harsh. (Example: 10 years ago, my aunt broke off her engagement. We still give her grief, about once a month. Equally so about her running over a cow with her car...but I digress). We knew that if our engagement wasn't done in the "right" way, we'd never hear the end of it. 

Cue summer of 2008. Sean and I went on a vacation to Disney World. It was the first time I'd even been, and I was thrilled to be there! We drove there, 16 hours straight over night, and then went straight to the park. We made the most of every.single.day. It was fabulous. The third night we were there, we were watching the fireworks in the Magic Kingdom. And, like a storybook, Sean got down on one knee, gave an adorable speech, and proposed. 

(yes, we were driving at the time - this about hour 14...ie, somewhere in Georgia)

(the gorgeous fireworks)

With a Mickey Ring. 

While it was adorable, we knew we would never live it down to our families. Later, I found out that Sean decided he was going to propose while we were driving down, so he was unable to buy a ring. He was most upset with himself for not planning better, but promised that a real ring would be coming soon. 

(right after he proposed - whoa he needed a haircut!)

While this may not be our "official" proposal, it still remains very dear to my heart. Did you have a "mini-proposal" before the real thing?