heaven on earth

This is probably the closest place to heaven I've ever been. It's so beautiful and peaceful here; it's so easy to imagine God's hands creating this. "This" is Lower Falls at Yellowstone National Park. I haven't been there in close to 3+ years, but I remember it clear as day.
I went to Wyoming to visit Big A in the summer of 2005. He was working for the Forest Service clearing trails & whatnot. Over 4th of July weekend, I met him in Cheyenne where we left his truck with my mom's friends' family (yeah). I had taken his mom's car out there due to my lack of vehicle (which I ended up buying it anyway). So we took the ol' gold Taurus to Big Piney. It was Friday night & we got there very late. We slept maybe 4 hours, then got up to go to Jackson Hole & Yellowstone.
Jackson Hole was beautiful, but very touristy. We rode the lift up Snow King & saw this awesome arch made out of antlers in town. It was fairly uneventful...mostly just relaxing and beautiful. We rode down the lift and had lunch in the car. Then we headed to Yellowstone.
Big A had been there the previous summer (and maybe even before then) so he knew the ins and outs of what he wanted to do. I wanted to see Old Faithful. As we were walking to go find out when it would spurt again, I linked my arm around his waist & drew close. I hit something in his pocket with my hip. I asked what it was, he said nothing. I was oblivious (thankfully).
We watched the geyser squirt its water way up in the air. Then we drove around, looking at small waterfalls and elk and buffalo roaming. So majestic.
We stopped at this really sweet overlook where you could look way down and see Lower Falls. It was amazing to see the walls of this canyon place, where water had chipped its way all the way down below. We drove on to Lower Falls.
It was kind of a long trek up to the overlook at the falls. We took our time, making friends with this little chipmunk guy (so cute). A lot of people made their way past us, going back the way we were coming from. When we got the overlook, we were alone. It was as if God made this little hideaway just for us.
Big A silently stood by (probably very nervous) as I took some pictures of the falls and the little piece of snow beside it. It was just so beautiful. Then he interrupted my photography session with a hug.
"I can't believe we've been together 9 months."
Wow...that's all we'd been together? Sounds so short..."almost 10."
"I think this is what God wants."
I had my eyes closed against his chest. I suddenly realized what was going on.
Big A pulled away and as I opened my eyes, he had pulled a little white box out of thin air (or his pocket if you prefer reality). Tears were leaking out of his big ol' blue eyes (the very same eyes that now bless the face of our son). I started to mist over as he got on one knee & asked me to be his wife.
All I could do was nod my head, in agreement, in unbelief. This man, this romantic beautiful specimen of a human, wanted ME as HIS wife! I was in awe.
I was in more awe as he opened the box to show me my ring and....it fell out of the box. That's right. Out. of. the. box! Luckily, Big A caught it (it's a darn little box, let me tell you) before it plummeted hundreds of feet into the rushing waterfall. Then he slipped it onto my little finger. It was (and still is) the prettiest ring I'd ever seen.My mom had done some sneaky investigating for him. Found out I wanted a simple ring (solitaire) in white gold. Only that wasn't what he chose for me. He chose better. He chose the perfect ring (in white gold, though). It's antique-y looking and just gorgeous.
Just after he'd proposed, a nice French lady came down to our secluded hideaway and took our picture when asked. Perfect timing.I called my parents, my sister(s), my best friend, my aunts....it was such a beautiful time of my roaming calls. July 2, 2005. Exactly 2 years later, that would be my due date for our son to be born; the day we were scheduled to be induced, and the day before we met our son.
The rest of our dating was a rush. We chose May 2008 as our first date, changed it to December 30, 2006 (even sent out Save the Dates), then ended up moving it up to August 5, 2006. A whirlwind romance with a few rough edges...and it just keeps us in love and on our toes.