the last piece of the puzzle

I'm coming down briefly from my perch on Cloud 9 to share on the blog - I'm ENGAGED! Ahh!! Please excuse the corny title...I couldn't help myself. Yes, just over a week ago, my best friend + soul mate + favorite creature who ever lived, got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I will never, ever get over that moment, not for the rest of my life.

 It was an ordinary Saturday afternoon. Zack came home from an early morning of clay shooting with his Dad in preparation of their upcoming pheasant hunting trip. I had been cleaning our apartment that morning, was just out of the shower and bundled up on the couch wearing old PJs, cozily predicting a nice nap in my near future. I would also like to point out that I'm missing half an eyebrow (long story short: I don't know where she went), so suffice to say - I was the portrait of put-together beauty :). 

We were catching up on our mornings like any other day, and Zack informed me nonchalantly that it was 'Sweetest Day'. Neither of us had heard of this, but apparently it's a Midwestern Hallmark-invented day to celebrate couples (Valentine's, anyone!?). Regardless, Zack cleverly used this ruse to suggest we do a puzzle. Specifically, the 2-year anniversary puzzle I made us last July: a collage of pictures of us together with the words "Happy Anniversary, I love you my darling!" printed along the bottom. I love cheesy/personalized/funny gifts, and I also love puzzles, so I was excited for a good excuse to revisit this gift we hadn't touched since the summer. We also love to play checkers together, so if you have any doubts of me being a grandmother-at-heart, leave them here.

The original puzzle box, with a different puzzle inside!

We put the puzzle together pretty fast, except we quickly noticed the bottom row where the text would be, was missing. I thought, Huh, that's strange, this puzzle doesn't have that many pieces...I double-checked the box, not at all at this point realizing what was about to happen. Zack casually patted his pocket and said, "oh, weird, here they are!". Again, at this point, I have ZERO idea what is happening. I did think it was really weird of Zack to have the pieces in his pocket - in hindsight, duh!!

Zack handed me the pieces, we quickly completed the bottom row (Zack with the finishing piece), and lo and behold, our cute little puzzle. I looked over our work, complimenting my clever idea from months ago, still not at all realizing that the words along the bottom are slightly different. Zack suggested I take a second look, and as he got down on one knee and reached into his pocket for one last thing, I read: Jennifer Song Adams, will you marry me?

I burst into tears as he asked the question, and course I said yes!

The new replica puzzle, with my favorite question ever!

I will never get over that moment and can't stop replaying when our life changed forever. I adore my beautiful ring and can't stop staring at it like a magpie, but I'm mostly excited about what it symbolizes between us. Zack and I got serious and fell in love quickly, and have been talking about marriage for quite a while - we even went ring shopping together. I had no idea when the proposal was coming (and as you read earlier, no idea when it was actually happening), although I certainly pestered Zack enough along the way :). In my defense, I'm absolutely crazy about this man and would've married him ages ago if I had the chance.

I consider myself particularly word-y but even I am at a loss to express everything I feel for my future husband. To say that he loves me exceptionally would be an understatement. I have not encountered another soul outside of my immediate family who so ardently and actively loves me, encourages me, and cares for me heart and soul. I never imagined I would've found someone I got along with so well and can completely be my authentic self around. I'm not a particularly shy person, but I am very introspective and inward and always felt that I was never really my truest self around the men I dated. Meeting my best friend and soul mate completely flipped all of that. The way I feel about Zack, the way he feels about me - this is what I would wish for everyone in the world to have.

Marriage signals a new, thrilling, and sacred chapter of our lives where we commit to each other even more than we have already. We have the great fortune of bonding so well with each other's families already and can't wait to make it official. All of our friends, family, and coworkers have been so crazy excited and truly happy for it that it's been overwhelming in the best way! We can't wait to be husband and wife!!