Dean and I are engaged!!!

It's July 9, 2008...and this is our very first post. My new sister-in-law has a blogspot and I thought it was a great idea, especially now that Dean and I are engaged!! So...here's the story...

Dean and I were headed to my Grandpa's cabin in Wears Valley, just a few miles from the entrance to the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. We were meeting up with my sisters and their bfs for the 4th of July. My parents and brother were unable to make it, but this trip will be the first of many, so next time we will all be there! Grandpa and Renee were excited to have us, even though we went a day early. Well, on July 3, Renee kicked us out of the cabin (thanks to my bro who made sure we went out and explored the town since he couldn't be there himself to do it) around 11 to go have lunch, check out the Smokies, go hiking, etc. Dean and I, along with my sister, Shelly, and her boyfriend, Gary, headed out. We stopped at a local 'general store' so we could have lunch, but we found no lunch. She told us to head up to the BP station where the food was "reaaaaaal good and reaaaaaaal cheap". So we did. After lunch, we made our way driving into and around the Great Smokey Mountains. we headed for Newfound Gap, but took a wrong turn somewhere and ended up seeing a beautiful waterfall.

We headed back in the right direction and about 45 minutes and a lot of 'switchbacks' later, we ended up at the Tennessee/North Carolina State Line at Newfound Gap!!! It was spectacular!

We decided to hike up to the top, since we had driven as far as we could. Not realizing that 2.7 miles up to the top would take us a while, we turned back after about a half a mile. We got some good pictures and some funny ones...

Before heading back to the car, we took some pictures at the lookout point at Newfound Gap...and that is where Dean proposed to me! I had no idea it was coming, but as soon as I looked back at him from up on the rocks, he was down on one knee with another rock-a diamond!!! It was beautiful and I was awestruck! I was so surprised, and then of course I started to cry. Thank goodness my sister was there to take pictures of the whole thing! It was absolutely incredible and I still can't believe it happened!