Engagement.
If you have read the previous two blog posts this is the final instalment of a three post series and in my opinion the most exciting!
The dreaded final day of our trip encroached on us as the sun slowly rose over the mountains. After an enjoyable day of hiking and being amongst the incredible mountain range that I am fortunate enough have within my home province Celine and I decided to take a bit of a break and hit up the local shops in the town of Jasper. This may sound quite leisurely but I will let you know she keeps a good pace compared to my saunter. Around noon we headed back to the campsite to make another campfire side lunch and plan what we would do for the remainder of the day. The conclusion was that neither of us felt like making a meal for our last night, so we decided to go out for a nice short hike and then go get a fancy sit down supper afterwards. If you have yet to catch on, this entire trip I was wanting to propose to Celine. The only problem was that at the locations or moments that would have worked great there were always menacing storm clouds taunting me from above. Unfortunately, the last day was nearly over and therefore my time frame to propose was running out. This hike that we would go on before supper was potentially my last opportunity, or so it felt, which is why choosing the right trail to go hiking on as well as the hour to depart was of paramount importance! Having butterflies coursing through your entire body for multiple days is somewhat uncomfortable and this was just a little bit more motivation to ensure things went well that evening.
Once the time came for use to get out of the vehicle and begin our short hike to Old Fort Point I was somewhat alarmed by the number of vehicles at the trail head. One key phrase I recall Celine saying numerous times is that if she was proposed to in a public setting there may be a possibility she would say a dreadful "no." I understood this clearly and for that reason I continued to pray that the pinnacle of the trail, and week, would be clear of people. After hiking and enjoying each other company for a while we reached this lookout rock that seemed to be the perfect spot to get down on one knee (the image with Celine holding out her arms). The area was quiet, had a gorgeous background, and best of all no one else was around. I thought this was it and I even got ready for it but something wasn't right so we took some photos and continued upwards. We reached the point that overlooked Jasper and the surrounding valley's around us. To say the least it was breathtaking!
Everything looked prefect so I began to set up for a time lapse and rehearse what I would say over and over again just as I had been the entire week prior. This was the moment I (and all of you) had been waiting for. I prefaced Celine when we left Bonnyville about a time lapse and photo idea that I wanted to capture on this trip that involved her walking into the frame, holding out her arms, doing a slow rotation, and then looking out over the mountain view for a while. At the time I said it was to submit to Travel Alberta so she wouldn't get curious. Anyways, I audibly guided her through the steps, which allowed me time to reach inside my camera bag, retrieve the ring and box, and then stealthily put it into my pocket. From there I proceeded to walk up behind her and hug her, then hold her hands in mine and say the speech I had been preparing for the entire time. The sentences however did not come out as eloquently as I had planned but rather a conglomeration of words and pieces of what I had recited. After I thought I had said all that I remembered I shakily got down on one knee and asked her to marry me.
Without any hesitation she said "Of Course!" and our already tear filled eye starred back at one another filled with joy and excitement for what just occurred. I will try not to be too cheesy but I picked her up and swung her around and then we walked off into the sunset together. Actually in reality we climbed down the treacherous second half of the trail and took some ring photos with ridiculous smiles on each of our faces. That night we had a delectable meal in a nice restaurant and then followed it with watching Minions together. I couldn't have asked for the proposal to go better than it did or even our week long adventure together. We were kept safe the entire time and shared uncountable laughs with one another. I am unbelievable blessed to have such a wonderful woman in my life and am excited to continue living the rest of our lives together!
Thank you all for taking the time to read this longer post and if you are wondering where the photos or video is of the proposal you will have to come back when I am done editing a video of the entire week! Stay tuned and don't forget to subscribe!
