The Duck Call: Anniverary Week: Our Engagement Story, part 2

Dinner at the Tournament of Kings

We had a great trip. We visited the Aquarium at Mandalay, slept in, over ate, and walked about inside the various hotels. We even took in "O" one night at the Bellagio and Tournament of Kings at Excalibur another. All the while Cameron kept mentioning and laughing at our "joke".

We were seating in the "Ireland" Section

Our last night in Vegas was Christmas Eve and Cameron had made reservations for us to have dinner at a steakhouse in NYNY. He kept saying this would be a great place to stage the "proposal" picture.

The dinner at the Tournament of Kings was actually, surprisingly, delicious! It is a massed cooked meal after call.

Leading up to that evening Cameron had been making sure I was having a great vacation. It was my first Christmas away from my parents, and one of few I had spent away from our family friends, the Moffetts, so I figured all the special attention was because he knew that even agreeing to go on the trip was hard for me - Christmas Eve had always been a special holiday for my parents, the Moffetts and me. So when I kept eyeing a pretty dress in a window in the shops at Mandalay, Cameron convinced me to go in and try it on. It fit perfectly, so he bought it for me and suggested I wear it the next night at our Christmas Eve dinner.

We stopped and watched the Lions at MGM Grand while shoe shopping on Christmas Eve

I just stayed there for my girls weekend - sadly the lions are no longer there

I'm sure they are happy to be living at a sanctuary in Vegas full time now

I recently heard that they never "lived" at the MGM but were shuttled in each morning and out back to the sanctuary each night.

Except I didn't have shoes. Christmas Eve morning, Cameron had scheduled an hour-long massage for me as well as a manicure and pedicure. After that, we spent the day looking for shoes to go with the dress, which we found in the first shop we stopped at - I would drag Cameron to several more before going back and making the purchase.

We stopped and took this picture at the Luxor when we went to NYNY to make our dinner reservations the day prior.

As we were leaving our hotel room to make our reservation, Cameron made one comment that almost tipped me off. Almost. He asked if I had kleenex with me. I found it odd and asked why I would need it? We were planning on calling my parents and the Moffetts after dinner, so he explained that he thought I might get a little emotional. I shrugged it off, and said I planned on making that call when we got back to our room before we headed out to see the Blue Man Group. I wasn't even bringing my phone with me. But I did look at Cameron's pockets for a ring box. Something seemed off with him. But I couldn't see one. So I shrugged that idea off too and kept reminding myself he wasn't going to think about marriage until he was done with his masters. A year from then.

First Picture

When we got to the restaurant, Cameron ordered a bottle of my fave white wine at the time and then asked the waiter if he would take a picture of us. He obliged, so we got up and took a beautiful shot of the two of us. Then Cameron explained to the waiter that we had one more picture to take, as we were playing a gag on our families about "eloping" in Vegas. He explained to him that we were going to stage a fake proposal shot. And then as Cameron got down on one knee, he pulled out an actual ring, and said...

Second picture - totally in shock there

Why don't we make it official? (I'm sorry honey, but I have to throw that in there!)

And third picture - so glad the waiter took this one as well. I think this is where I finally remembered to say yes.

I know this is the most unromantic line of asking a woman to marry you but I laugh and smile every time I think about it because it is so us. When it comes to expressing our emotions through words, Cameron and I both aren't exactly the best. We show how much we love each other by our actions more than words. We don't even say I love you to each other every day - hugs and kisses are more important to us. It's just how we work.

I was in total and utter shock when I saw that ring - the whole way over from the hotel room I had very much talked myself out of the idea of Cameron proposing. I was speechless too. I think I finally squeaked out a yes, once I stopped hyperventilating.

The best part - we had our waiter fooled for a moment. He thought my reaction was fake for the picture. It took a couple behind him to clue him in and then he went and got us some complimentary glasses of champagne along with our wine! Once I calmed down and we sat back down, Cameron informed me that my dad was very much eager for a phone call, he was sure, and explained when and how he asked my dad for my hand. Which makes me realize I broke my own rule in not asking if he had even asked my dad before saying yes. It was in the back of my head though - I was just about to ask if Cameron had asked my dad when he mentioned this.

But I figured Cameron had asked too, given my insistence on it. And we hope this is one way our own daughters will be old fashioned when their time comes (many, many years from now!) - Cameron even wants me to drive in this message to the girls as they grow up. And I will.

There were definitely some tears that night when I made my call home, but they were joyous and happy as every one was quite excited.

We finished the night off seeing Blue Man Group and I felt as if I was floating on air - I definitely was glowing.