Location, Location, Location

I searched on the internet for nice places to hold a wedding ceremony and reception.  I took down a couple addresses and, yesterday, Tyler and I went to check them out.  We went to a few local golf courses, but they weren't anything special.  We made our way out to Eagle, Idaho to another one.  As soon as we pulled up to BanBury Golf Course, I knew it was the one.  It was already set up for a wedding to be held later that evening, and it was gorgeous!  We talked with the man in charge of all the events held there.  He told us about everything that they do and everything that's included in the package.  He gave us some information to look over.  After crunching numbers and weighing our options, we would be stupid not to book with this place.  With everything that's included, I would save so much time and hassle not having to rent tables, chairs, linens, glasses, dishes, and so much more.  So, today, Tyler and I made a trip to BanBury once more and signed some papers.  With that, we picked the date of June 12, 2009 as our wedding date.  We couldn't be more excited!

Stephanie Lewis 

Picture Time

Before we even were engaged, Stephanie and I both thought it would be great if my sister, Taryn, could take our engagement pictures.  For her first semester of this school year she is studying abroad in Australia, which she's leaving for this coming Tuesday.  Our plan originally was that she would be able to take the pictures once she came back out here in August for school at NNU, but since she was now going overseas we weren't sure if she'd still be able to take our pictures.  However, my parents graciously flew her out to Nampa from Denver so that she could take our pictures.  Tonight we spent about 3 hours taking pictures around Downtown Nampa and Lake Lowell.  As soon as we were finished with taking pictures, Taryn started right away with touching up the photos.  By the end of the night she had most of the photos finished.  Stephanie and I were amazed at how well they all turned out.  We are very grateful for my parents sending Taryn to us, but also at the amazing job she did with our photos.  

- Tyler

We're Engaged!

Tonight, Tyler and I went to dinner and a movie with another couple of friends of ours.  I was a little suspicious that tonight might be the night, and I was looking for clues and hints everywhere.  Dinner seems completely normal, but the night wasn't over.  We walked across the parking lot to the movie theater to catch the movie (that no one seemed to know the title of).  A friend of Tyler's is the general manager of the movie theater, so he walked us into an empty theater that was reserved for us.  Nothing new or unusual.  However, all of the lights were off and the screen was black.  It hadn't dawned on me quite yet what was going on, until I saw Tyler's face pop up on the screen.  He had made a video of himself talking about the first time he saw me, when we met, our first date, the first "I love you," and our entire journey.  After the video ended, he knelt down and asked me to marry him.  It was such a sweet and creative way and it meant so much to me.  After I said yes, the lights came on and all of our friends and family were in the back of the theater clapping and cheering for us.  It was so special to have them there and experience that with us.  It was such an amazing night.  Plus, my ring looks AMAZING!!!

Stephanie Lewis

It took me about a year to figure out how I was going to propose to Stephanie.  I spent a huge amount of time (the whole 15 months she was living up in Alaska) brainstorming how to pull all my ideas together into one unpredictable plan.  Starting this last June I mentioned to Stephanie that some friends of ours were doing a couples date night at the theater.  I briefly mentioned it, hoping she would forget about it, but if it was ever brought up she might remember.  Near the end of July, I had my friend's wife call Stephanie and "invite" her and I to the couples movie date night for when Stephanie is back in town.  The first week Stephanie and I were back from driving through Canada, I had my friend's wife call Stephanie again and tell her what time we were having dinner and seeing the movie.  So tonight we went to diner at Smokey Mountain Pizza and Pasta with my friend and his wife.  We all acted our best not to reveal anything that could give away what is going to happen later tonight.  I actually wasn't nervous during dinner.  After we ate, we headed over to the theater.  Once we were inside, my friend Jeff (who is the theater general manager) met us at the front.  He led us to the theater where we were going to watch a movie.  Once inside, he handed me the box with the ring inside, which he was holding onto all day for me (since I knew Stephanie would be check to see if I had a big ring box in my pockets).  Once Jeff left the theater, a video I had made of my self talking about how Stephanie and I met to when I knew I wanted to marry her played on the big screen.  What Stephanie didn't know was our friends and family were all sitting up on the top row watching the video also.  Once it was over, I knelt down and asked her to marry me.  She said yes, which I knew she would, and the lights came on our everyone started cheering.  Everything went according to plan.

- Tyler