Farrar, the last "r" is silent like Farrah

Sunday April 3rd
I did the normal Sunday morning activities and getting ready for church. Except for this weekend I was dog sitting Bo, Matt and Kristen Hanvey's beautiful Golden Retriever. I just love dog sitting for them. So I got up early to feed and play with him before church, but as always I was still late to church

Surprised that I was late?

After church, all of us went to Jimmy John's for lunch, Jenny's favorite, which was great and a lot of friends from out of town went to eat with us too so we definitely had a party (little did I know the out of towners people were really here for the engagement!)

Afterward Blake and I went to my house and had a lazy Sunday afternoon. Blake had to leave at 3pm that afternoon to "go to back to Dallas for a Community Group event there," so we wanted to soak up every last minute from that weekend. (See my last post) He brought his hammock and hung it up in the front yard and spent the last few hours just talking.

Blake left and meanwhile I get a text from my roommate Jenn that said she was having a hard day and wanted all of us roommates to make a run to sonic around 4:45-5pm and of course I would go, but I needed to be back by 5:30pm because I had my 10th graders for community group at 6pm. Yet, Hannah also had all her Base Camp stuff and needed to drop off the trailer at a "trailer repair place," before we could go to Sonic. So I had little time, but it was worth it for the roommates.

So around 5:00pm all us roommates pile into a Base Camp vehicle and start trying to find this "trailer place" before sonic, because "this guy only works on trailers." I mean this isn't weird, because we've been on some random Base Camp equipment retrieval excursions before.  

So this place is off the beaten path, but pull onto this beautiful piece of property and drive towards the house. I am on a time limit because I need to be back for Community Groups and yet I don't notice anyone around to greet us as we pulled up. As we pull closer I do see someone on a swing but its behind a tree so you can't really make out who it was so I said, "look he (thinking the trailer guy) is creepily waiting for us on that swing." No one says anything and we pull forward and I take a closer look and it was Blake!

First thought: Yeah, it's Blake I get to see him again.
Second thought: OH MY, ITS BLAKE is this it? Am I getting engaged?!?

I jump out of the Excursion and and run to Blake so excited and he hugs me and gives me a cup of sweet tea.

Sweat Tea speaks right to my heart.

Then my roommates drive away, smiling of course, because they knew all along! Jenn wasn't having a hard day and Hannah's Base Camp trailer was fine. Man they were good, they didn't even crack, not even once. They were even helping me plan my Community Group time, pulling me waaaay of course.

Blake takes my hand and we walk down a path and he says that community groups is taken care of. We completely have small talk and walk through a gate and into a BEAUTIFUL OPEN FIELD!

Then there in the middle of this field is a giant oak tree and a cute porch swing hanging from it and a blanket on the back of it. (My mind is racing!) We walk towards it and sit down. Blake then states that he has so much to say, but he would read it instead.

I love when Blake reads to me.

He read different excerpts from his prayer journal to me starting in June when we first started dating, and man it was amazing to hear! His last journal entry was thanking the Lord for giving him the chance to talk to my parents and to share in their excitement.

Then he gets off the swing and bends down on one knee and asks me to marry him!

I SAID YES (I may have had my mouth covered in awe, but I said it)

He puts the most beautiful ring on my finger and we stand up and I kiss him.

My fiance!

I LOVE BLAKE FARRAR

Then he looks at the porch swing and moves the blanket that was on the back of the swing and engraved it says, "The Farrar's"

That was OUR swing! With OUR name on it! It blew me away. I just love porch swings and we talk about them all the time and this one was ours!

So we sat back down on our new swing being newly engaged and laughed and smiled, I mean we were souring on cloud 9. Then speaking of souring I hear a helicopter off into the distance and thought nothing of it, until it circled around us. I looked at Blake and asked in complete amazement, "is that for us?!" and he said "I dont know." Sure enough this helicopter lands 100 yards from us. So we get up and walk towards this helicopter. Inside is Blake's best friend Joey with a video camera smiling so big! I couldn't believe it. So we hop into a helicopter.

Yep, a helicopter...can you believe it! I was so excited I don't think my voice has ever reached that high of a register with shrills of joy!

So we lift off and then I see two of Blake's other friends in full camouflage and gilly suits come out from behind a tree and a brush pile with cameras...they were there the whole time. And I want to give a shout out to Michael Wilson and Jesse Bellington because they did an AMAZING job!

In this helicopter we flew all around Tyler and went downtown and really all over the city, it was so neat to see! Then we flew over Pine Cove and I could see the Bluffs and all the camps from above and it was a really neat perspective, then we start descending and I had no idea where we were going and come over the tops of the trees and there is the Wood's field with TONS of friends that were there waiting for us. Cheering and hands waving with signs! I mean I felt like a celebrity, now my voice was even higher then before! I couldn't stop smiling!

We land and my friends, Jenn, Jenny, Hannah, and Adrianne run towards this helicopter with its moving blades and all and help me out of the helicopter.

I practically fell out because I had spaghetti legs, I mean I was literally paralyzed. Then we all walk over to the big crowd of people waiting and Blake and I hug them all, I mean this is an incredible proof of love and I couldn't believe it was me they were waiting for! Kyndell drove up from Austin and Laura drove over from Dallas, I mean it was AMAZING!

Then we walk over to the picnic tables at the Woods Pavilion and Katelyn and the Forge girls decorated everything so pretty and put pictures of Blake and I together.

Then Blake proceeds to tell me that he ordered my favorite sandwich from Stanley's BBQ for everyone! AMAZING, I literally assumed the position with my face in my hands in pure disbelief. The sandwich is called the brother-in-law, you'll know what I mean when you try it.

So Blake and I spent the rest of the time talking with people and I shared this wonderful story Blake gave me with everyone.

Blake gave me a party and about 70 of our closets friends were there! He gave me a party!! 

The only time I cried was when I called my Mom and Greg and told them I was engaged and these were tears of pure Joy and when I found out that my best friend Megan was supposed to come but she got her tickets booked on the wrong day! She has terrible plane trouble.

So she sent me a video and called! Yet, instead she is coming in May to help me plan for a wedding! Man I am blessed!

So my new last name starting Oct. 16th, 2011 will now be Farrar and Blake has already instructed me on how to tell everyone how to say it. The last "r" is silent and sounds like Farrah, like the 70's actress Farrah Facet. Minus the Facet part.


Thanks everyone, and Blake, the Lord used you to make my Dreams Come True!

A Weekend of Fun

I had the best Weekend before the best day of my Life (getting engaged...that story in a post to come)

Friday April 1st
It was an awesome day to work, my coworkers, TJ, Andrew, and I, decided to prank all the people coming into the Dining Hall because the Bluffs were hosting this weeks Staff Chapel. We put signs up on the front doors saying use the side doors and signs up on the side doors saying use the front doors! Classic and I loved watching our friends laugh.

Then that evening Blake and I picked up a few bikes and met five other friends to bike around the Azalea District in Tyler Texas to look at all the pretty flowers. We had great fun and spent the evening with the people we love.

Saturday April 2nd
Blake came over and he made breakfast consisting of pancakes with peanut butter and blackberries, one of my favorite and he tried to make a heart pancake. He's a great cook, but we will leave the artistry to the professionals on the Food Network. He said he had the whole day planned and yes he did!
We went to sonic and grabbed an ocean water slush and went to the Villages Dock to wait for his Uncle and Cousins to arrive with their really cool fan boat. His cousins were here for a bow fishing tournament and allowed us to take a ride while they scouted the area. The boat was as cool as his family.

After this we traveled to the main location of the Tyler Transit public transport system and waited for a bus to ride. I have always wanted to ride the Tyler Transit to meet new people and see the sites of Tyler that you normally don't go to. So we decided to wait for the bus Red North.

We waited.....and waited.

So instead we paid our 75 cents and jumped on blue east which sadly went to areas we have been before, but one of the stops was near a Bingo place we have never seen before! Lets go! When you pay for one bus ride you are given a free transfer to another bus so we thought why not and jumped onto Green West.

It was such a fun time to spend with Blake and see Tyler in a new light and we traveled many miles for only .75. Now that's what I call a deal! It was a great experience and I know a lot of people ride the public transport daily, but it was a new experience for me (growing up in small towns) and I came out of it with a lot to learn and reflect (later post about this...hopefully)

After our daily excursions Blake drove us to our Dinner location which was an hour away, but he wouldn't tell me what it was until we were pulling in. He took us to Tara Vineyards. It was a beautiful winery with fine dining. I mean this place was BEAUTIFUL! It has the most beautiful scenery and we chose to eat outside on the patio.

Blake and I both wanted the hamburger and asked the waitress to add cheese, but not shortly after ordering the chef came over to our table and in the kindest way possible said, "umm...we don't put cheese on the hamburger," and once we took our first bite we understood why.

It was THE BEST, most delicious hamburger I have ever eaten in my life! Honestly...the best! I can't explain it but you must try it! The chef came to our table again and we praise him for his cooking and Blake apologized for our ignorance.

We had such a wonderful evening and it was a perfect end to a perfect day. (little did I know I was getting engaged the next day!!)

Our Best picture Ever at Tara Vineyards.