Kelli and I planned this charming engagement session at the Magnolia Wine Kitchen just in time as it has sadly recently closed. I was really glad we got to utilize the beautiful space. It was the perfect atmosphere for this romantic Des Moines engagement session! I can’t wait for their wedding later on this year! When I met Kelli, one thing that really tugged at my heart strings was hearing Kelli and Heath’s proposal story! So I had to have her share it with you all! <3
The day Heath proposed to me was a whirlwind of emotions for me. He had always dreamed his proposal would resemble a scavenger hunt and he certainly pulled it off. We had just flown in to Maryland the night before, and I was meeting his family for the first time.
He told me his brother would be by Sunday morning to pick us both up and they would drive me around their hometown so I could see where Heath came from. Shortly before his brother arrived Health told me he had gotten a text from one of his best friend’s wives asking if he could go help his buddy track a dear he had shot the night before but couldn’t find. Heath told me he agreed to this and his brother would take me around the town instead. As you can imagine my first reaction was not a pleasant one. I was shocked that the man I loved would leave me all alone to tour his hometown with his brother, who I had yet to meet. I agreed to go with his brother on this tour even though I was angry with Heath for choosing to go track a dear over spending time with us.
Luckily Heath’s brother, Chad, is incredibly personable and welcoming. He greeted me with open arms and we hopped in his truck to tour their hometown, the morning of Sunday October 22, 2017. The first place we stopped was their buddy’s house down the road where they both spent a great deal of time when they were younger. Their friend Glenn was home so I got the opportunity to meet him and hear some stories. Our next stop was Heath’s elementary school where another of his best buddy’s just happened to sitting on the tailgate of his truck in the parking lot. After meeting Todd and chatting for a while, Chad and I headed to the high school. At this point I was suspicious that something was going on and wondered who I might be meeting there. Chad took me up to the soccer fields at the high school, a place Heath spent a lot of time at as a kid. Low and behold, Mark, another good friend of Heath’s was up there to great us. Obviously at that point I had caught on that these meetings were not coincidences.
Chad had one more place for me to visit, or so I thought. We drove over to George’s house where Chad got a call from his parents to come meet them at a park for lunch. I assumed they meant a playground where Chad’s wife and sons would also meet us. When we arrived at Turkey Point Park (a national park not a playground) we were greeted by the whole family, except Heath. As we began to walk the mile long trail to the top of the bluff I realized just how much I wanted Heath to be walking up with us, enjoying this beautiful place. As we reached the end of the trail I was surprised to see a beautiful lighthouse and the open water just beyond it, and what I thought to be a person resembling Heath in the distance. I shook my head and looked away, as I thought I was seeing things. A moment later I glanced back in that same direction and saw Heath’s profile as he was turning towards me. I started to shake my head as the tears began to well in my eyes. There was no dear to track, no reason for me to be mad. As I approached him standing at the edge of the bluff he smiled and gave me a big hug. “Happy Anniversary Babe” he exclaimed. Now I was confused. He was acting a little funny so I asked him why he was being so weird. He grabbed my hands and looked in my eyes. “You want to know why I’ve been acting so weird?” he asked. Then he reached into his pocket as he stated “Because I’ve been planning this moment for 6 months.” Just as he knelt down on one knee and asked “Kelli Anne Schnurr, will you marry me?” I couldn’t even look at the ring, I just started nodding my head up and down and sobbing. He put the ring on my finger as I said yes and his whole family came up to congratulate us both. Just when I thought things couldn’t get any better, his brother handed me his cell phone and said “I have someone that wants to talk to you”. I was confused until I heard my Mom’s voice telling me how happy she was for us, and then my Dad jumped on after that. Heath had simply thought of everything! My whole body was tingling with the love I felt all around. And I still feel that love all around me today.
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