Faithfulness

On Saturday the 20th of February, Mr. B and i went on a winter adventure! In the summertime, we spent many days hiking and driving through Yellowstone National Park. Neither of us had ever been in the winter. To celebrate his birthday, we decided to take a snowmobiling tour from West Yellowstone up to Old Faithful and back.

One of the things i loved about being up in the park in the winter is that the roads are closed, which cuts down on the amount of people there. The only vehicle traffic is snow mobiles and snow coaches. Although we did have to share the road with some other traffic:

Baby bison! So cute!

i absolutely loved going through the park behind Mr B. i could enjoy the view. We saw an eagle, bison, elk, swans, and geese.

Along the road we stopped at Firehole Falls, an overlook or two and a couple of geyser basins. Everything was more dramatic all covered in snow and then still steaming. The sun was out and i was in awe at the beauty of it all. i especially enjoyed the mudpots and there was one geyser going off close to the walkway that (because of the cold) was letting off steam to the extent that we could barely see far enough ahead of us to walk.

When we got to the Old Faithful Inn, we had two hours to spend there. All of the other snow mobilers ran off to the lodge to eat at the cafe. It was cold and windy outside, so i understood them. But that's not OUR style. We went on a three mile hike up to see Morning Glory pool (quite a feat in snow boots!) Along the way, we were lucky enough to see a couple of other impressive geysers going off. 

But the best part? It happened at Old Faithful.

We found a spot back around the geyser where we could sit on the walkway and watch it erupt.We weren't as close, but there weren't a bunch of people either. Plus, it was a great spot for our little picnic.

We started talking about Old Faithful. Mr B pointed out how it wasn't the biggest geyser in the park, yet it was iconic of Yellowstone. This is because of how predictable it is. They can't nail it down to the minute, but it is consistently erupting within 20 mins of the predicted time. No matter what else happens in Yellowstone, you know that you will be able to see Old Faithful go off. What a fitting name for it.

Old Faithful

Then Mr B said, "That's what I want to be for you, Jennifer. I may not be the grandest or the showiest person. I may not be always right on point. But I will always be consistent. Something you can depend on and count on. Faithful. I want to always be there for you."

i thought it was the sweetest thing ever and got quite a bit choked up. But i was still clueless. So when he got down on one knee, it still took me a moment to register what was happening.

And then he asked me to marry him.

In front of Old Faithful

i honestly don't even remember if i ever even said 'yes.' i was so surprised and excited and overwhelmed and  happy. So so happy.

So here we are, planning a wedding and planning for our life together. And i love this man. i choose to love him everyday. And he chooses everyday to love me.