Day 276 - Take a photo, it lasts longer

Had our engagement photos taken today by Shawn of Artistic Lens Photography. Although I am aware he has a website it is still under construction. I will update with one later.
The morning started off a bit rough, we had foolishly stayed up until 2am watching old episodes of The New Adventures of Superman. I shot awake at 8am and then 9am both times concerned that we should wake. 9:30 work started with a loud annoying buzz at the door and the work phone calls had been ongoing since 8:30 so we gave up on sleeping in and the three of us had breakfast in bed. A quick text to the photographer to solidify times and we were off. I was barefoot for the entire photo shoot, of course, feeding into my hippie ways.

 We had 3 locations selected for our photo shoot. First was the parking lot where it all "began". This is the apartment complex where I lived when David first came to visit me in the city. It is where I was living when we started dating, when he moved in with me and where he would subsequently propose to me years later. So as much as it is only a parking lot to the naked eye, to us it is a starting point.

 

The second location was a drive down the road, it is a look off over the harbour.

 Such a beautiful spot where we would sometimes go to relax together. We had taken many friends there and had ourselves discovered it's existence quite by accident on a road trip one day. The location itself wasn't as meaningful as the other two but it is such a beautiful spot with so much opportunity for beautiful photographs that we simply had to go there.

On our way to the third and final location our poor photographer had a bit of car trouble. This resulted in an adventure addition as we abandoned the car with David and sought out water to help cool the engine. Once this was done it was off to our final destination.

The final destination is the most meaningful of all and is in fact where we intend to have our wedding photographs taken. It is the location we went to the day I knew we would make it as a couple. I had been through the ringer with a previous relationship and had decided to never again date. He had been coming around most days of the week and had therefore stirred up conversation with many friends as to our future relationship. I had shrugged all these off until this day, March 23rd. I had worked that day and the whole time at work I was thinking about all the chores I had to do when I returned home. Laundry, dishes, toilet bowl, tub, carpet, make supper etc. etc. He showed up at the end of my shift to drive me home. I should have known then that something was up. He seemed so happy. I was tired already, thinking about all the chores that waited for me at home. I came inside and went straight to my room where I found my bed made, my laundry done and put away and the floor vacumed. I was shocked, turned on my heel to see him smirking. I peeked over his shoulder and the dishes were done, even the pots. I returned my gaze to him and he smiled, "I even washed the toilet!"
I stood there stunned....what was I to do with this sudden amount of free time? We decided on a roadtrip and ended up at the hill where we took video and pictures of each other goofing off.

We ended up with one, most meaningful picture. Realize that at this point we had not kissed, we were not dating, he was spending night after endless night by my side and although I kept telling him I'd be single forever...he just wouldn't leave. It was such a beautiful day I decided to get a photograph of us looking out over the city. I had him stand so I could position the camera to adjust for his height. Set the timer, ran by his side and at the last moment he put his arm around me. It caught me off guard at first but my walls were being tore down and at that point I knew.

We return to that location every year on March 23rd to take another photograph in celebration of another wonderful year together. Although our anniversary is April 23rd this spot has been monumental in our relationship.

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2011 

2011

 Although we didn't go to the exact spot where we take our March 23rd photo due to tourists we did have our photographs taken elsewhere on the hill which is all I had intended anyway.
The next time we go there will be our last March 23rd before we are married. So excited!

 And of course a quick costume change before we were done. :)

There you have it, our engagement photos. Only a sprinkling of them of course.