Our engagement: January 26, 2008 :)

Matt and I went shopping last week for rings, so the proposal wasn't necessarily unexpected. We spent Friday night and Saturday with his family in South Jordan. I knew something was going on because Matt told me the ring was done, and as soon as we got to his parents house Friday night, he and his dad snuck upstairs. Saturday night he took me to dinner at Biaggis, an Italian restaurant in The Gateway downtown. It was a particularly warm night so it was fun to walk around Gateway as well. Dinner was wonderful and it was fun to just have a night out. After dinner we walked back to the car. We got back on the freeway and started heading south. We got off the freeway in Draper and started driving up to the top of the mountain where you can see all the city lights. This was significant because a couple months earlier, after spending the day in Park City and the evening with my parents, we had driven to the same place on our way home. It was there that he told me he loved me for the first time. When we arrived at the top of the mountain we stopped the car and he held me in his arms while he began the proposal. I knew at this point that it was coming and was already crying. His proposal was perfect for how our relationship is. It was so sincere and personal. He told me how he had searched for me since he got home from his mission and knew that the Lord had someone specific in mind. In the last part of it he said "I know God loves us and that he has a plan for us and wants us to be happy. I've never been happier than when I'm with you and I want you to be my wife. Will you marry me?" I said yes of course and he pulled out the ring box. I was crying as he opened the box and put the ring on my finger. Then we cried and he held me. Then we talked a laughed about everything. It was perfect. Afterward we went to my mom's house to announce our official engagement. We then went to Mom and Dad Purcell's house to announce the good news there. It has been so fun to share this happy time with family. Matt has such an amazing family and I feel blessed to be becoming a part of that. Lots of pictures were taken throughout the night... here they are :)