The Proposal

I get to marry Corey Sylvestre!

Corey and I have been dating just over a year. Last August we shared our first of many Central Park walks. Though we recently have been talking more seriously about a future together, Corey pulled a fast one on me last week.

We didn't have the opportunity to celebrate our one year anniversary on August 27th because our flight was delayed (four times!) in Charlotte. We had gone down for my grandfather's 95th birthday celebration and to see family. Once we got back to NYC, we were too tired to even think of getting dressed up and going out. We ended up ordering in and hung out with Bethany! It was a restful, nice night.

So, when Corey asked me early last week to go on a "get dressed up" kind of date, I merely thought it was to celebrate our anniversary. We had a nice dinner at a restaurant in Columbus Circle called Robert that overlooks Central Park.

After dinner we were maybe going to get dessert somewhere and Corey suggested we take a walk through the park. This isn't unusual at all. We walk from Columbus Circle to Sheep's Meadow to Poet's Walk and then he starts heading east.

Taken in the park close to Columbus Circle. Look at that smirk!

I was fine until that point. See, I was wearing heels. I was trying to be a good sport but a girl can only do so much :). So after asking a lot of questions about why we must walk so far, I gave in and just tried to go with it. I wasn't suspecting anything. Corey is adventurous and likes to walk and wander the park. We ended up walking to the Great Lawn. They were setting up for a very large concert. I didn't know at the time but this threw Corey's plans out the window. He had planned to propose in the middle of the Great Lawn. So from there he was looking for plan B. We walked up to Belvedere Castle. This was the moment I thought, "Wait. We are dressed up. At night. In the park. The castle is where we came on our first date. Is he going to propose?" But, then I talked myself out of it. I mean I thought he didn't have the ring yet, that he was for sure going to propose at his parent's farm in New Hampshire and it wouldn't happen just yet. So when we left the castle, I thought, "Yep. He's going to propose later on his family's farm."

This is a picture we took at the castle just before he proposed. Ring in his pocket...being sneaky!

So we continue to walk a bit heading south. We passed the Swedish Cottage: Marionette Theatre. Corey noticed Shakespeare's garden behind the theatre and said they were working on it a few days earlier and he wanted to see what they had done. So we walk back in there. Now this is away from my apartment so I was thinking, I need to take a break from walking. Remember, HIGH HEELS! I noticed they had some benches. We passed a few and he keeps going. The next set of benches that I see I ask, "Hey, can I take a break?" Once again trying not to be too much of a brat ;).

Before I could get all the way turned around and seated, Corey was on one knee with the ring box out and open. He said, "Amy Alexander, will you marry me?" Corey said I didn't say anything for a few seconds but all I remember is screaming, "Are you proposing?" He said I continued to ask him that and several other questions over & over again while hugging him but I didn't give him my answer for almost 2 minutes. Poor guy. He had to ask me, "So what's your answer?" And because I am a very smart woman, I said, "Yes, of course I'll marry you!" I heard Corey telling the story to someone later. He said I screamed so loudly that not a person in the park missed it.

We sat there on the bench where he proposed and called my parents. They were the only 2 people besides Corey that knew he was going to propose that night. Corey had called them earlier in the day to ask permission to propose to me. Corey said my dad started to cry which made me cry. We called my brothers and a few friends who we thought might still be awake at that late hour. My roommate screamed too!!

This is on the walk back to my apartment. We stopped a random lady to take our picture.

We walked towards my apartment and then we stopped and prayed and I cried. My sweet roommates, Ashley & Meredith, stayed up to congratulate us and scream with me :).

Here's a pic they took.

And here's my ring! I love it!! I really wanted something that looked antique or vintage. 

Yeah! Thanks so much, baby!

A glimpse into my heart. This verse has been hanging on my closet door for several years now.

While Jesus is ultimately the desire of my heart, I wrote this verse in light of my deep longing to find my husband to do life & ministry alongside. Over the last several years God has given me a very tangible peace about being single that I had lacked years prior but the longing to be married never went away.

I look forward to many years of looking at that handsome face of Corey's and being his ministry partner. He is a steady, godly man and I highly admire & love him plus he makes me laugh a lot!