Andy and I had been talking about getting engaged for a couple of weeks prior to it actually happening.   We had been planning a trip to Kentucky and Tennesse in September and I thought for sure that's when the big question was going to be asked.  

I had found something on pinterest that I thought was interesting that I had shared with Andy.  They were:

1. Ask for my parent's blessing- I told him he HAD to ask my dad's permission first.

2. Make it a complete surprise- Of course I didn't want to know when it was coming.

3. Use my full name- If this one didn't happen, I wasn't going to complain.

4. Get down on one knee- It's the way they do it in the movies ;)

5. Have somebody catch it on camera-

6. Make sure my nails are done- I told him he didn't need to do this because it might've been a little obvious.

So, as we were planning this trip, we were getting ideas of where to go.  I had wanted to go to the Louisville Slugger Museum so that was our first stop.  We had stopped at the desk where they custom make bats with whatever you want to say on them and the lady had asked what we wanted ours to say.  I looked over at Andy, thinking in my head, "this would be the perfect time for him to get down on one knee and ask me!" (Although, if he would've proposed at that time, some of the "rules" wouldn't have happened.  Andy's response to the lady's question is, "why don't we just put our names and the date on it."  So that's what we put on it,

Amy & Andy

September 19, 2013

We went through the tour of how bats are made and then headed to the gift shop.  Andy started looking through the bats that were misfits, they had mistakes on them.  I was looking at the cute little kid clothes and held up a onesie that said "there's no crying in baseball" and I asked Andy if we could get one for our first born.  He didn't even look up at it and said, "sure".  He was too distracted at looking at bats to find the perfect one so he could "hit some baseballs at work with it."

Our next planned stop was Nashville.  We went to the Grand Ol Opry which was good but we didn't stay long in Nashville.  Our next important stop was Ruby Falls in Tennessee.  

When we got to Ruby Falls, our tour guide was like Larry the Cable Guy.  He asked each couple where they were from and then would call us each by our home city.  We had said Green Bay so it was always "Green Bay if you need something, let me know!"  

When we got to falls, we only had 6 minutes to take pictures.  Larry had called us out and said, "Green Bay if you need me to take a picture for you, let me konw."  So we took him up on his offer.  Another PERFECT opportunity for Andy to get down on one knee, this time someone would be taking a picture!  So Larry came over to us take the picture and nothing happened.  We just took the picture.  All this suspense of when it was going to happen was killing me!  Needless to say, our vacation was perfect whether we were engaged or not.  

We ended up coming home a day early to clean our house for our housewarming party that was happening that Saturday.  After we were done cleaning, I had asked Andy to come with me to go to my grandma and grandpa's house.  He said he had to go to Green Bay to get our puppy, Lucy, a shock collar.  I then had given him a list of things for him to pick up.

After 4.5 hours of Andy being gone, he finally texted me saying he was on his way home and that we should have our families over to talk about our trip.  So I called my mom and asked her and dad to come over for supper and her response at first was "No, I have a roast in the slow cooker for supper"  Then she said to call dad and ask him.  Dad said that they would come over.  

When Andy got home, he didn't pick up anything on the list.  He only got a shock collar for Lucy.  His excuse was he spent more time in Cabellas then he thought.  

When our families came over, we were all having a good time eating and talking about our stories from our trip.  Some of us went downstairs to look at what we changed in the basement.  

When we came back upstairs, I sat by dad and started showing him pictures from our trip and Andy had grabbed the bat that he was so diligently looking for.  He asked me to come by him and ask him what it said.  My response was "what is this?"  

When I looked at the bat it said, "First at bat."  He then told me to turn it over, where I thought it would say, "will you marry me?"  But it didn't!  It said "Hit it out of the park."  Andy during that time of me reading that last part had gotten a softball, which was cut in half so he could open it up.  He got down on one knee and said "Amy, will you marry me?"  I said, "Aw! Did you ask my dad? Aw!" Then of course, "YES" During this whole thing, Susan was recording it with her phone!

I was the happiest woman in the world!  My ring has blue sapphires in it which indicate eternal happiness.  I couldn't have found a more perfect man to call my husband.  I'm especially thankful for marrying into such a great, loving, and caring family.  I couldn't have asked for anything more!

So all summer I had been working on finding the perfect ring for Amy. I was hoping to have the ring for our vacation we had scheduled in September. On this vacation we planned on going to Kentucky and Tennessee to visit Louisville Slugger, Grand Ol Opry, Jack Daniels, Ruby Falls, and anything else we could find that interested us. I knew there would be many great opportunities to propose to Amy.

4 weeks before our vacation I found myself at a jewelry story getting them to customize ring exactly the way I wanted it based on what Amy had told me that she wanted. When I got home I could tell that Amy was not happy that I was gone so long, as it took a long time at the jewelry story, seeing how we where watching her niece while her sister and brother in law went to the Packer game. 

Before anything though I had to ask Amy's Father permission to ask Amy to marry me. Which I was able to do 1 day while watching a Packer game at her parents house.

With the ring on order I was starting to investigate where I would be able to pop the question to Amy on our vacation. I had planned on doing it at Louisville Slugger plant because softball was the sport Amy loved, so I thought it would be fitting, but if that didn't work there was Ruby Falls. So I call down to Louisville Slugger to find the best option for the proposal, when I found out that I wouldn't be able to get the ring before we left for the vacation. 

So while on vacation I recruited my family to help get everything ready for my proposal when we got back. My Dad was able to cut a softball in half and turn it into a ring holder for me. My sister helped deliver supplies and communicate with what I wanted and was going to do when we got back.

While on vacation I figured Amy was expecting me to pop the question at any of the places we stopped, which I would have if I had had the ring. Once back home I told Amy I couldn't go with her to her Grandparents because I wanted to get a e-collar for Lucy, our puppy. I really was going to Green Bay to get the ring and finish the bat I picked up while we were at the Louisville Slugger Plant. After a few calls to my brother in law, Allen, about what would be the best way to finish the bat; my sister helped me finish the bat in the parking lot of Home Depot. During my time in Green Bay I suggested to Amy that we have some people over for a cook out and share everything we did on our vacation. 

Once home we started to get ready for the cook out but in all actuality I was finishing the final preparations for the proposal. While cooking the burgers Allen helped me write on the bat "First at bat." and "Hit it out of the park" and served as my lookout just incase Amy came out. I didn't write "Will you marry me?" on the bat because I didn't want to totally give it away before I actually asked her.

So after we ate Amy went downstairs to show everyone how we organized and set it up. This was the perfect time for me to grab everything in the garage and put it in the living room. With everything in place I waited until we where all in the living room talking and then I went over to the bat and called Amy over to see what was on the bat. I had her read "First at bat" right away and then told her to turn it over. While she turned it over I stepped back grabbing the softball with the ring in it and getting down on 1 knee. After she read "Hit it out of the park", I asked Amy, "Amy will you marry me?" During all this Susan is recording it on her phone for me to help me try and complete Amy's engagement checklist.

Amy makes me feel like a million bucks and I couldn't have found a better woman. I'm excited to get married to my best friend and to start the next chapters of our lives as husband and wife.