Ok, here is the story everyone has been waiting for. A few disclaimers before I start..one, this is from my point of view. Two, I don't have all the pictures (they didn't up load for some reason). Three, this is probably the only time I will write this down, so it will probably be really long. And four, Lincoln is not here to correct anything that he sees wrong with my side of the story!
So the story begins Saturday. Lincoln had told me something went wrong in the biology lab and he would be working late. I got off work around seven and my cousin Hannah/roommate wanted to hang out. Lincoln said he would meet up with us later.
Hannah had told me that she needed to pick up a book at my sisters house, so she wanted to go there first. Right before we left Kim's house Cory (her husband) had told me I left some laundry there. I went to grab it and there was a note sitting on it. The note read: 'Go to the place where this was said: "Wait, you have Brave New World and Jane Eyre on your bookshelf?" And from there we will go back to the beginning.' So I went to my old room at Kim's house. He had said that to me the first time we ever hung out.
When I got to the room I found another envelope that read First Kiss. Now this is a part of the story that I have to take a small detour. When I saw these notes I wasn't sure I was supposed to find them. You see Lincoln had told me that I would know that the proposal was coming when everything started. I assumed that he was supposed to be with me. We usually go over to Kim's house on Sunday nights and I thought I wasn't supposed to find it till the next day.
I told Hannah that I didn't think I was supposed to find it. She just kept telling me how fun it would be and we should just do it anyway. I told her I didn't want to ruin it so I put everything back. Then I text Lincoln and asked him. He said to follow the clues and come get him. I was still thinking he was at work, so I asked if he wanted me to come pick him up. The poor guy, I was not understanding anything. Flustered he said no and I was supposed to follow the clues that lead to him.
So now that I was back on track and ready to go I opened the First Kiss envelope. It read: "Who's the girl in the black skirt?" Of course this is what he said to a friend the first time we met. The only problem is I was in a gray skirt! This clue led me up to Elkridge park where we used to play volleyball.
When I got there the note read First Meeting. The clue was: "Do you want to be friends?" "Sure." This is how I asked him for his number. So we went to the church where again we played a lot of volleyball. The note there read First Move. That's right I made the first move!
The next clue was a quote from his stake president. When we first met he had a calling that worked really close with the stake presidency. The quote was "Oh, it took me just 30 seconds to realize she's miles ahead of Lincoln." Lincoln had taken me to a stake high council party for.....Our First Date!
This next clue was where I went wrong. [walking with girl] "...[blah blah blah] [pause]...Whoa" I could not figure out this one, so the only place I could think of was 'A' Mountain. This is the lighted 'A' on the mountain that I had worked so hard to get back up there. We had hiked to the top one night and just talked for hours. It was the only place that I thought it could be. So we went there and I hike half way up the mountain when I finally stopped and text Lincoln. He told me I wasn't supposed to be there. So I sat down on the snow and slid all the way back down the mountain. Then he gave me a few more clues.
Tube Slide. I was still lost till Hannah said that sound's like maybe a park. Then it all came back to me. It wasn't Lincoln and I talking it was another couple. We had been playing at a park and both went down a tube slide and got stuck. The couple was walking by and didn't here or see us. When they got right in front of us the boy stopped and said "Whoa". I think we scared him. So off to the park we went.
The note said First....turning point to marriage. He didn't want to make us drive all the way to the real park that we talked about marriage for the fist time, so this was a stand in. The next clue read "Tracey...[kneeling]...Will you marry me?" I was supposed to stand there confused and looking for him. But he was so frustrated with me not wanting to go in the beginning and then not going to the right place he ran back and put the address on the card.
Sumac Park. I'd never been there but Hannah used her Iphone to help us get there. We pulled up and I got out to get the next note and Hannah sped off leaving me alone. The note said First Proposal (I hope it's the only one). It had me follow the sidewalk to a bridge to finish the journey.
When I got there he was waiting. He pointed out the view (we could see Old Main and the 'A' from there). Then he got down on one knee and said "Tracey, will you marry me?" And as an inside joke I said "Yeah, I guess." And then I said "YES!!" We stood up and he kissed me. When we looked up at the 'A' it had turned blue. Not planned but it was really cool.
So that is how it happened. Hannah was in on it the whole time. Laughing at me hiking half way up the mountain. Lincoln really didn't have to work and was one step ahead of us watching each move I made with binoculars. Hannah put Lincoln on speaker phone every time I read another clue so that he could here. I think I might have called him a nerd! Oops!
Even though there were a few rough patches it turned out great. And I said yes!
