Easter Egg Hunts and Missing Chocolate… The Dumpling Engagement!
August 27th, 2008 @ 1:39 pm by Miss Dumpling
Well let’s just dive right into it, shall we?
Mr. Dumpling and I have been together for a long time, y’all. I tend to ramble, so the short version is that we did the long distance thing for a while, then I made the big move to Las Vegas so we could be together.
Fast-forward to almost two years later and there we were, happily living together and very much in love. We talked about getting married a few times but I never pressed it. Things were great the way they were and I was happy.
Ha! Who was I kidding? I wanted to marry Mr. Dumpling from the moment I saw him. I was really just trying to play it cool.
Anyway, one night after work I came home, completely exhausted.
I collapsed in my closet (It’s kind of big. You can fit a TV and a queen bed in that thing. Ahh, desert living—you get LOTS of space for very little money!) and was going to just lay there until it was time to eat. Mr. Dumpling wanted to go out to eat, but all I wanted to do was stare at the ceiling.
Him: Come on, let’s just go. Don’t change out of your work clothes. You look fine.
Me: No. Can we just go pick food up and eat it here?
Him: Urgh… fine.
After dinner he asked me if I wanted my Easter present early (it was the Wednesday before Easter). “UM, YES PLEASE!” I said. I get so excited over sweets, so of course I wanted that Easter basket!
See? I’d been rotting my teeth since age three!
Photo credit goes to Mama Dumpling
Yeah. No basket. Instead, I was given an egg with a sticker that had a picture of a door on it.
“What? Oh, please… did you get this at one of your open houses?” I asked him, as I rolled my eyes and laughed.
“No!” he said, “It’s an Easter egg hunt. Go to the door and find the next egg, dummy!” Dummy is a term of endearment in our house. Yes, it’s a little tacky.
Here are some pictures of a few of the eggs that were hidden throughout the Dumpling home.
So, about 25 eggs, a couple of complaints about how long it was taking, and one falling up the stairs accident later, I came upon the last egg. It was hidden in the linen closet in an Easter basket. I exclaimed, “YAY, candy! Thank you, thank you! I LOVE candy!”
Well, wouldn’t you know it—there was a box of chocolates in the basket and it was missing the center piece. Bummer! But guess what was in its place? A ring!
What’s this? What’s going on?
I turned around, and there he was, down on one knee, asking me to be his wife. I’m pretty sure I said yes, but it’s true what people say. You get sort of confused/excited/teary-eyed/confused some more, and you can’t remember if you’ve answered his question or not.
Sorry for the blurry picture! My camera is from the 1990’s.
This story is so “us.” You know, what with the falling up the stairs and all.
Did anyone else kind of “ruin” their proposal moment? I love stories, so please share!
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46 Responses to “Easter Egg Hunts and Missing Chocolate… The Dumpling Engagement!”
FI proposed on the beach at sunset. Unfortunately, it was on one of the hottest days in the city’s history, and I asked to turn around about halfway to where he wanted to go. Luckily, when he asked to go a little farther, I didn’t pitch a fit and I kept walking!
Also, while on his computer earlier that morning, I saw that one of our friends had emailed him. I almost opened the email to read it to him (I know, I know, too nosy) and I’m really glad I didn’t — we opened it later that night and the email said, “Good luck today! I hope she says yes!”
You can read my full story here (http://2statebride.blogspot.com/2008/08/wheres-bling_14.html)
but long story short, we had plans to go out to dinner but FI was so crabby all day I almost canceled. It was around 90 and humid and I was wearing a short jean skirt when he said we should rent a paddle boat. After finding a sweatshirt in the car, we went on the paddle boat and he proposed! So, yeah, I almost ruined it a few times.
My fiance had a whole evening planned out, blueberry picking, dinner, a walk on the beach…The blueberry place was closed, and I was crabby and didn’t want to go out to eat. The poor guy was only left with the walk on the beach(where he proposed) Even though he was kinda bummed about his “perfect night” not working out I couldn’t have asked for anything more!!
I wore crazy heels, so we couldn’t hike down to the creek like he wanted…then it was hot, so I didn’t know why he was lingering when I wanted to get inside w/ the AC!
He asked me after midnight so that it would be his birthday. I had been bugging him about what he wanted off and on for weeks. I asked him one more time. “So, what do you want ofr your birthday?” His reply stunned me. “I want you to marry me and stay with me forever.” I was so surprised because we hadn’t actually talked about getting married. (He had dropped oblique hints while I studiously pretended I didn’t get them.) Stunned into even worse dorkyness than normal I said “I think I can do that. Wait! Are you serious?”
I just love that you fell upstairs (assuming you weren’t hurt and all 
cause I do that more often then I want to count. And that takes some skills to defy gravity like that.
Can’t wait to here more! Good luck planning!
Such a cute proposal!
Mine was 100% a surprise. My nonplanning now husband called his parents, my parents and my sister to plan an attack on me. It was some president’s birthday in February and we had the day off of work. He told me we were going to dinner with his parents that night. My mom called me earlier in the day asking if I could stop by before dinner and help her fix her fence. Ummm ok. Weird but whatever.
We got stuck in major traffic driving the 45 minutes to his parents house. I called my mom saying we can’t stop by, we are running late for dinner and I dont want to hold people up. Husband insisted that it was fine and we had time. I was irritated beyond belief.
I barge into my moms house, ready to fix the fence, and see my parents, his parents and his brother and sister all standing in the living room. WTF. I was clueless. After I asked them twice what was going on only to be answered with goofy grins, my man comes up from behind me and I knew what was about to happen. Loads of tears for the next 15 minutes straight.
Sorry, that was really long. I love telling my engagement story!
I totally ruined the moment!
Mr. Cookie was planning to propose at the top of the Eiffel Tower at sunset. Totally romantic! And then I made us miss sunset because I had to use the restroom, bad! In the line to the top I said, “I am going to be mad at myself if you were going to propose and I screwed it up.” Mr. Cookie likes telling that part of the story!
Miss Dumpling — that ring is gorgeous, even with a 1990s camera. Did he choose it himself, or did you give him tips?
He planned to propose while we were in Mexico. He started to feel ill on our last night, and had to leave dinner early to go get sick. I cried into my glass of wine… I couldn’t leave dinner as we’d already ordered!
I was pouty and bratty that evening and the next day, and he still proposed, after all that!
We were on a cliff overlooking the ocean in Maine. It was 8:00 AM. The location was breathtakingly gorgeous, but I was hungover and needed to pee.
I kept insisting that I was going to leave. He tried desperately to make me stay. I kept whining that I need to pee. Finally I asked him if he was ready to go and that’s when he dropped to his knee.
Needless to say, I forgot all about my overactive bladder.
oops. I meant “needed”.
It was Christmas morning and after exchanging our gifts we were going to start getting ready to go to a family Christmas party. My man kept asking when I was going to get in the shower and I started to get irritated about it. I finally told him that I had showered the day before and wasn’t planning on getting in the shower. I then admired the jewerly box my Mom gave me as a Christmas gift. He came up behind me with the ring and told me he thought I should have something to put in it and proposed.
Turns out he was planning on putting on his nice suit and being down on one knee in the bedroom when I got out of the shower. I always tell him I’m glad it didn’t work out or I’m sure I would have dropped the towel in suprise and been proposed to naked!
Needless to say after the kisses, hugs, and tears I wound up jumping in the shower to picture perfect on our engagement day!
lol i think that’s adorable! and i’m glad to hear i’m not the only one who regularly falls up the stairs. makes me feel normal
My babe had a whole weekend planned in Miami (we’re from NY). We were out by the pool and I started getting hungry and I bugged my man to go up to the room, so we could shower and eat. He kept saying “Let’s tan so more” which is soooooo weird because he hates tanning. Finally, I got my way and we went up. He made me wait in the hall and 2 seconds later, a strange man stepped out of our room. I was like “WTH?” and of course, I went in and there was candles everywhere and flower petals sprinkled over the bed and champagne.
I like “OMG!,” turned around and tripped over him on bended knee. Yea, I know, I’m a reeeeal prize!
We were out running errands, the night before leaving on a trip out of province. When we left the last store, he turned out of the parking lot the wrong way and I would not stop with the “where are we going? why are we going this way?” Then he got lost (he claims he wasn’t, but he was) so I was all “tell me where we’re going, I’ll give you directions!”
When we finally rolled up at our destination I sort of knew what was going on, but was also like “why are we HERE?” Well, when he explained it all, it was perfect, and I’m so glad he ignored all my nattering at him! 
I didn’t mess it up … but he did! Or at least he thought he did, but I disagree! We were down at my parents ocean front house and getting ready to go out to dinner for his birthday. He (as usual) was ready before me so when I was finally done blow drying my hair I came upstairs (upside down house - bedrooms on the first floor and living area on the second) to find him looking all cute on the balcony overlooking the water. I came up behind him and wrapped my hands around his waist and said “What are you thinking?” The perfect moment was made for him! But I totally flustered him and got him all nervous and he said “nothing it’s cold … i’m going inside.” almost rude!! So I just went inside turned on the TV … he sat next to me and all the sudden popped in front of me on TWO knees … and proposed with the TV on by mistake! I of course didn’t notice that at all and I was so happy either way … he still thinks he missed “the moment”! (He also had a lot on his mind with the fact that 30 of our family and friends were waiting for us at a restaurant down the street and we were LATE!)
@tberry: I LOVE that proposal. It’s super sweet that your acceptance to his proposal is a birthday present to him!!
My FI proposed on my birthday last year, and I had gone to the gym in the morning - when I came back he told me I was going to get my present that night at dinner … I kept trying to guess what it was and guessed stupid things like a WALLET - what??
I showered and got ready and thought to myself, “I bet he has my present in his nightstand!” So I peeked in the nightstand and saw all of my jewellery in a bag - and thought “He got me a new jewellery box - what a great gift!” Then I was all flustered, like what should I do next? I eventually went to my jewellery box and opened it - he’d replaced all my jewellery with my engagement ring!
I was so surprised - and almost ruined it! But am so glad how it happened.
That was a great story!
I almost missed my proposal. FI planned to propose on stage while we were at the gala of a law convention. The keynote speaker gave a long 30 minute speech, after which I excused myself to the bathroom. There was suppose to be another speaker before the event ended. But he was also irritated by the keynote speaker’s long speech, so he simply said Thanks to everyone and walked off the stage. That’s when the FI was to go on stage to “accept his award” (which I didn’t know anything about either). Unfortunately, I went to the far bathroom (didn’t know there was a closer one), so no one could find me. He was on stage trying stall when I finally walked in and he asked me to join him. I thought ‘aww how sweet he’s getting an award and he wants me by his side.’ But instead he said his rehearsed speech to me, pull out a Tiffany box, got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. Yep, I almost missed the whole thing because I had to pee. lol.
I love all your stories! Thank you!
@Miss
Cookie: Cookie I am so jelous! Eiffel Tower! Its still a great story even if you had to pee=)
@HumarockBride: We sometimes forget that guys get nervous about stuff too! Your man sounds sweet!@Tea: Im really clumsly. Its to the point now where I expect to spill things or fall in public. I just plan ahead!
What a sweet engagement. I love that he kept it all at home while still making an “event” out of it! And what a lovely ring — he has good taste. Congratulations! Can’t wait to hear more about your too yummy dumplings!
I don’t have a story of how I messed up my proposal, but I love yours! It is very sweet! “You big turkey” is a term of endearment between us, so I can relate to that part of your posting. It always breaks the ice and makes us smile:)
I’d love to see more ring pics; I think yours is similar to mine:)
I had the same type of proposal as you! Except that it was our doggie that was on an easter egg hunt, and me that was following happily behind him and screaming good boy!! when he’d find the eggs! The final egg we came to, instead of finding a doggie treat inside, I found my honey on his knees taking my beautiful ring out of the egg Congrats
That’s a great story!!!!
LOVE IT!!!
We call our engagement the series of misfortune. We were driving up to wine country when we were pulled over by a CHP officer, and while he was giving us a ticket (for our window tinting being too dark on our prius- hello!) a semi-hit another car and the bumper flew right by our wind-shield. So we nearly got hit. And the CHP officer STILL gave us the ticket! Then we got to wine country during the incredibly high record breaking heat wave. Then we went to a nice restaurant and they didn’t have ANYTHING we ordered (beer, soup, entree, OR their yummy sounding dessert). So he delayed proposing until the following week, which was when he just proposed in the comforts of our home late one night just the two of us. And that is when I learned the poor guy had been carting around my engagement ring for TWO months until there was a “perfect moment. lol. It’s special no matter what the set up, or the time of day. It’s still the lil moment shared between two people that make it just perfect regardless of circumstances! =o)
My fiance knew that there was NO way he was going to be able to surprise me when it came time to proposing. So he didn’t even bother! We’ve been together for 11 years and he knows that I ruin just about ever surprise that ever was because I just sort of figure things out…. So he’d got home from work a little before me and when I got in I walked up the stairs, mumbling something about the cat box needing to be cleaned and the chicken in the freezer. Well no sooner did I walk into the living room and plop my tired self down on the couch then FI jumped up from the other couch and down on one knee he went! I’ve certainly learned not to bug him about the cat box quite so much after that nice surprise!!
I totally ruined mine. FH took me to Savannah for a nice romantic weekend. I pretty much knew he would propose. We went out for a super nice dinner Saturday night and I assumed he’d propose at dinner. Well, he didn’t. And I was MAD! I acted like a B!t@h the rest of the night and well into the next morning. We got up and went to church Sunday morning, and because my feet hurt so bad from walking around Savannah the day before in the wrong shoes, I insisted on changing out of my church clothes and into jeans and a tee shirt. Then he takes me into Jackson Square, gets me up on the edge of a fountain and proposes. With the help of his friend, the entire even was caught on film! No wonder he didn’t want me to change.
I quit being snarly too.
Christmas Eve ‘06. We’re at his parents and I open my gift from him, a digital photo frame. Apparently his family sets all their gifts aside and doesn’t really take a closer look at any of them, but not me, I always like to see exactly what I got, so I started taking it out of the box ( I love new gadgets! ). He quickly grabs it from me and everyone gets all quiet (including shushing a 3 year old, that’s when you know something’s really up!) and he says “I already loaded some photos on here.” So he turns it on and we start watching and I see pictures of us together, of my semester in Italy, and then the last one which simply says “Will you marry me?” I was shaking and all smiles and said “OF COURSE!” Since this all happened a bit sooner than he had expected, he had to run upstairs and grab the ring from his hiding spot. Then he came back down and got down on one knee and asked me again. I felt so bad for getting him all flustered, but it just made it that much more memorable and adorable!
I was house-sitting for my aunt, who lives about four hours away, and he was coming to pick me up at the end of the week. I missed him a ton, so I asked him why he wasn’t coming as soon as he got off work and he told me that it was because he had to wait on a “surprise” he had for me. We had been been dating for five years at the time, so of course, I had to be completely flippant and say something like, ” Oh, what? Are you gonna propose or something?” He did a good job of hiding it, but I felt like a real nork after he did actually propose that weekend.
I totally ruined ours. It was superbowl sunday and i got off work three hours early…he needed thoes three hours to get the stuff to our friends house(mistake number one) After they came back from “best buy” and the “Mall” he gave me a pair of shoes!!!! You can;t give a girl shoes and expect her to think there’s more. After walking around their condo for about ten minuets in the shoes(mistake number 2) He reminded me of the floded up note that was in the shoe and I told him he was crazt, that shoes don’t come with notes.(mistake number 3) Once i opened it i realized it ws the same note that he asked me to be his girlfriend with, you know the whole middle school circle yes or no thing, and in addition it asked me to be his wife and he got down on one knee.
@Sparkles: “series of misfortune” LMAO! Love it!@Jennifer: I *love* Savannah. Isn’t it beautiful? Dumpling misses the South sometimes. @Miss Avocado: And we love you too!
cute! love the stickers you tell a good story…when you got to the actual proposal part, i got excited for you, lol XD
My FI made reservations at a fancy restaurant (the fact that he made reservations alone should’ve given it away, but i was clueless), and it happened to be close to where a friend of mine worked - she still hadn’t met him, and i thought it would be a good opportunity for them to finally meet.
i called him to ask, and of course he said ok but it turns out he frantically called my sister (who knew about the proposal) b/c my sister knows my friend to see what she could do to get her to cancel. Next thing you know, my friend has a “headache.”
So luckily I had called to ask him, otherwise he would’ve had to propose with her there too! Everything was already arranged (my fortune cookie was rigged). Then all through dinner, he just picked at his food, and I kept nagging him to eat - he was just so nervous!
My husband spent months on an elaborate crossword puzzle proposal, designed so that once the grid was filled in, there were two more word puzzles to do before you discovered the proposal. Except I guessed it from the instructions, before writing in a single letter.
Me: Um…what if I already got the metapuzzle?
Him: Well?
Me: Yes?
Him: *roll eyes, fish ring out of pocket, kneel, etc.*
I did still finish the puzzle, though.
Hehe! I fall up the stairs all of the time.
booger, goober, and dork are terms of endearment in our apartment. he’s my “boog” and i’m his “goob.”
i didn’t ruin the proposal, but nature almost did… he wanted to propose in venice, italy, but we happened to plan our visit during the worst rain in 50 years! the city flooded and we almost had to turn around and head back to london. the spot he originally wanted to propose in never dried out, so he had to pick a new spot. poor guy - no wonder he forgot to take his sunglasses off and opened the ring box upside down - he was SO nervous!
I totally did, though he doesn’t actually remember it (thankfully). The night before he actually proposed was the night he wanted to. He suggested that we go out for a walk to enjoy the night. I was tired and kind of cranky, and couldn’t figure out why he was so insistant, but we ended up not going that night (and going to bed kind of upset). Laying in bed, I had a realization. “I didn’t ruin something did I?” He tried to lie, but he’s really bad at it, so I could tell.
When he asked me to go walk again the next night, I had a pretty good idea what was going to happen, but I got so caught up talking to him and enjoying his company that by the time we actually got to the spot that he was going to propose, I totally forgot!
Your ring is gorgeous and I love everything in your proposal- the stickers, the Easter eggs, the chocolate… so personal and romantic
What a cute idea! Kudos to Mr. Dumpling!
What an AWESOME engagement story. Very innovative. My fiance was NOT great at keeping things hidden, so I knew some details because he would let things slip, but I acted as if I didn’t know a thing! The proposal itself was a HUGE surprise because I was not expecting my ring yet and when it finally happened, I felt as if I were under water because I couldn’t hear a thing he said. I know I said yes! *Giggle*
omg, that was too cute of a post. i love your 1990’s vintage camera shot of your ring.
Miss Dumpling, Las Vegas
Age and Occupation: 27, Finance
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 34, Real Estate
Engagement Date: March, 2008
Wedding Date: March, 2009
Blogging Since: August 26, 2008
Venue: Catholic church ceremony & golf course reception
About Me: I grew up in the Deep South, and while most people say I have a thick southern accent, I tend to think it only comes out when I need to use it. Living in Las Vegas has definitely been an adventure and Mr. Dumpling and I are loving every minute of it! We are planning a traditional Catholic wedding ceremony and a reception with lots of DIY! We might even get Elvis to show up! I'm a HUGE Beatles fan, love The Office and can't wait to become a Mrs.!
I insisted that we stop by the grocery store for kitty litter as we were driving home (where he’d set up flowers, christmas lights, and was ready to propose). So I walked into the house with my hands full of kitty litter, and he had to take the bags from me before he could take my hand to propose!