Diamond Dash 2.0

...AND THE BEST HALLOWEEN TREAT EVER.

(prepare yourself for the longest post ever- apologies in advance)

Last Wednesday was Halloween, and it was by far my most memorable one yet. When I got home from work, this message was left on the door. (very picture heavy from here on...).

For those of you who do not know what a Diamond Dash is, I encourage you to look it up in your area and attend the next one! Scott and I did a Diamond Dash in Greenville over a year ago; it is a scavenger hunt with hundreds of people where you get clues and text the answers back with your phone and the winner gets a diamond ring. It was soo much fun! So Scott created a Diamond Dash just for me. 

So I followed the clue and went to charge my phone and this was beside my charger: Dress nice? Why yes I believe I will. 

I was running around like such a maniac, I took the picture upside down!

Then I do what I always do in most situations that make me nervous, anxious or angry: I immediately broke out in hives from nerves and excitement because I KNEW what the "prize" was at the end of the Diamond Dash... AHHH! 

So I go into my closet to find something nice to wear and this is what the next clue was: "Night Hawk will show you the way"

Which totally confused me because Scott has been refered to as "Night Hawk" in a previous work email so I was thinking "hmm... I guess he is coming to pick me up?!" So I then did what I often do when I need to waste time and I am so unbelievable anxious- I cleaned the house top to bottom. He sent me a text an hour later asking what I was doing which I told him waiting on him- and he then told me to go back and look at the clue.... and it immediately dawned on me the movie Step Brothers! I did not have cable in Greenville for a year and I made Scott watch Step Brothers with me every night, I love that movie. So I found the dvd Step Brothers packed in a box and there was the next clue... "Me Chinese, Me play joke..." which stumped me again! ahh. 

After 25 minutes of looking into all of "chinese" stuff: mochi, chopsticks, woks, etc I found no clue. I cheated and begged Scott for a hint. He told me to think of who I know that is Chinese and after guessing several people and coming up with dead ends- I realized (after feeling very stupid) his SISTER Savannah! Scott's mother adopted a sweet little girl from China two years ago, and though I did not forget about her, I simply think of her as "sister" and not "Chinese" haha. Well I quickly found the next clue taped behind her picture telling me to visit the "windy city".

So I look behind the DMB Chicago poster I bought Scott last Christmas, which led to the next clue: I L_VE You So Much...  

I knew the O was behind the letter pictures spelling out "love" that I had bought from the market on a visit years ago.

Behind the O was a clue telling me "Sandy put me under water" 

So I ran to the NYC poster that I had bought from an art student on the streets of NY. This is where I found the next clue telling me to follow "RebeccaAndScott" on twitter. 

After following on twitter, I then left the house to go to 1133 Mathis Ferry. 

When I arrived at the Library I was told to find a wedding etiquette book that contained a note... there were probably fifty books in that category but oddly enough the very first one I chose had his business card tucked in the sleeve. 

I was then told to go to the address on the business card: Scott's work, and take a picture with his boss to get the next clue. 

 

This is what that clue said:

So I head towards the apartment... and he was not there!  It quickly registered that he's at our NEW house! So I drive there. The neighborhood was like out of a Disney show because there were hundreds  literally hundreds of children in their costumes. IT WAS PRECIOUS! Scott is fully aware of my love for Halloween. After driving a crawling pace through the neighborhood I finally get to our new house and see Scott's parked car. I go inside the house and he's waiting on me (and has been for an hour and a half due to my cleaning spurt from misunderstanding the "Night Hawk" clue and did I mention the electricity isn't on at the house yet? haha). I go inside the house and he gets down on one knee and asks me to marry him, while I am a blubbering mess, I choke out something that sounds like a yes! 

WE ARE ENGAGED!!! WHOOHOO!!

We follow each other to dinner where he had made reservations at one of my favorite local restaurants.  

After calling everyone I know, we go inside and dine and drink free champagne, yay! Seriously, is there anything better than DIAMONDS and FREE CHAMPAGNE in the same night?! My answer is no... so clearly it is the best night in history.

So we snapped our first picture as an engaged couple. 

I have saved every clue and I am going to scrap book them once things calm down a bit. It's an exciting time for us, because we are also moving in 10 days! AHH! 

So this is the "prize" at the end of the Diamond Dash, and it simply could not be more perfect! It is the exact ring I wanted: an oval cushion cut with an antiqued styled round channel setting. He did an amazing job at the proposal (very fun, thoughtful and creative) and an amazingly perfect job at choosing the ring. It has been all I could have asked for and I hope we have a marriage more beautiful than the wedding that I know will be planned to a "T" and simply stunning. 

We have been excited and overwhelmed with all the love and support from our families and friends. Within 24 hours we had 125 likes on our Facebook "status update" and 46 comments. I have had endless phone calls, emails and text messages from well wishers. It is adorable how Scott has been excited and is already talking about planning and registering for the wedding. My mom has called everyone she knows and my dad was already asking about what type of food we were having and the type of music, clearly they are all excited too! We are truly blessed and I could not be happier during this exciting time!