Part Two: The Proposal

Summer 2009 was coming fast and I had no idea it would turn out to be an unforgettable summer. My parents were planning a vacation in Florida on rosemary beach. We were given the opportunity to stay at a family's beach house for a week and it was big enough that my parents offered for JR to join us and he would have his own room and bathroom. After JR accepted the invite he asked my parents if while we were at Florida if he could take me on a date one night for a picnic on the beach and of course my parents said yes. I was then even more excited about the vacation because I would actually be going on a romantic date on the beach something I dreamed about but living in east Texas it's more likely for it happen at a lake. :) So we all loaded up and drove a long way to a gorgeous beach that you see in posters or post cards. It was absolutely breath taking! We found the beach house which was walking distance to the beach and right away I wanted to just live there! Or I could even settle just moving the house back to Texas. It was much bigger than what I expected and I loved how close to the beach it was. The first few days we were at the beach most of the day. Then we would go into Panama City and go shopping. On Wednesday JR planned to go on our date and I couldn't wait. That morning we woke up and it looked like it was going to rain.nwe went to Destin to go shopping and it rained the entire time, and at lunch my Dad said "y'all might not be able to go on your date." I said "If we have to wait till we get back home that's ok." JR quickly chimed in "NO we have to do it here." Confused I was like "Ok...." When we got back to e beach house it had stopped raining so we decided we better take advantage it not raining, so I quickly cooked us up a meal and we walked to the beach for our picnic. We found a nice spot on the beach and enjoyed our nice little meal while enjoying the beach. After we finished we went for a walk right as we turned to go back to our picnic spot JR stopped me and told me to close my eyes. When I opened there he was on one knee (shaking might I add) with a ring box held out "Jessica Kay Swinney, will you marry me." With tears in my eyes I of course said Yes! In complete shock and pure excitement I walked back holding tightly to my new fiancé's hand. I kept staring at the gorgeous ring that he had place on my finger and loved how it sparkled. When we got back to our picnic we took a few pictures and videoed what had just happened. We called our parents and right as we finished up it started sprinkling we packed up our stuff and walked back to the beach house. Along the way back JR told me that the night before he had checked the weather and there had been a huge storm cell that was supposed to hit where we were. He prayed that night that if it was God's will for him to propose that He would take care of the storm. That morning he checked it and the storm cell had split and went around where he was planning to propose. I was amazed at what God had done and what was even more amazing was as soon as we arrived back at the beach house it began to rain again. We both knew it was meant to be and for me it was a sign that God had a plan for us. I would love to say when we arrived back in Texas that everything went exactly as I had always dreamed my engagement would go but it wasn't. But I will save that for next time. I hope you will join me next time as I share some of the most difficult decisions we would make and what God taught me through those difficult times that really would test my patience. Many Blessings, Jessica