The Fantabulous Chronicles

Once upon a time, in the early days of our romance, Britt and I embarked on a journey that would leave us with unforgettable memories—and a few unexpected surprises. Picture this: we had been dating for six months, and it was time for our grand adventure. We decided to split our time between multiple states including Indiana (where Britt lived), Ohio, South Dakota, and North Dakota (my home turf).

Our story begins at Cedar Point, a renowned amusement park that promised thrills aplenty. Little did we know that Mother Nature had a mischievous sense of humor. As we set out on our journey, the weather forecast seemed perfect for hours of roller coaster madness. But just before our arrival, a surprise rain shower decided to crash our party.

Undeterred, we checked in, made our way to our room, and discovered that Britt was feeling a bit chilly. So, I became the hero of the day by venturing to the gift shop and purchasing her some stylish sweatpants.

Soon after, we braved the rain and strolled hand in hand through the park. It was a unique experience since we had only spent short weekends together before this trip. We managed to hop on a few rides that hadn’t been closed due to the rain, and in less than an hour, the skies cleared, and the rides reopened.

With minimal crowds, we found ourselves laughing our hearts out as we conquered roller coaster after roller coaster. And let’s not forget the delightful chocolate-covered strawberries and the heavenly vanilla bean cheesecake that added a sweet twist to our adventure.

The following day, we returned to the park early, with me proudly earning a thumbs up for the arm candy that was holding my hand (much to Britt’s embarrassment). Throughout the day, we rode all the major coasters, from the Millennium Force to the Blue Streak, Corkscrew, Gatekeeper, and the now-defunct top thrill Dragster.

Britt’s favorite memory? Waiting for 15 minutes in line for Dragster, where two girls behind us were ogling my fresh tattoo . The Dragster experience itself was a hilarious blur, with the guy in front of us offering a scared reaction at the 420′ peak followed by a “I’m not a punk” as he disembarked the ride and raced towards his friends. Spoiler alert: the 45-second ride was not worth the wait.

After a day filled with adrenaline, we enjoyed a leisurely stroll on the beach, relishing tasty treats and reveling in each other’s company.

Our next destination was North Dakota for our very first flight together. After landing in ND, we celebrated the 4th of July with a family barbeque. Then, we headed to Cross Ranch State Park for our inaugural camping adventure as a couple.

Cross Ranch welcomed us with an exceptionally enthusiastic mosquito and tick population. As we hiked through the mosquito-infested woods, Britt declared herself the unwilling recipient of enough bug bites to last a lifetime. That’s when I had to think fast.

Amidst the buzzing swarm, I dropped to one knee, and before I could even finish saying “Will you…marry me?” Britt excitedly exclaimed “Yes!” But the adventure didn’t end there.

On our way back to the cabin, Britt’s luck took a nosedive as the engagement ring slipped into a used toilet. While trying to retrieve her new ring, her iPhone decided it also wanted to take a quick and dirty swim. Yes, it was as disgusting as it sounds. After retrieving both treasures, we navigated back to the cabin. Where Britt, the professional hole finder, did her best to test her ankles in every hole along the journey.

Back at the cabin, we learned a valuable lesson: lime-flavored tortilla chips wrapped in aluminum foil do not make for great grill nachos – they burn and everything burns with them. Using my phone (since Britt’s was still drying from its toilet adventure), we shared the exciting news with our families. Reactions ranged from delightful surprises to hilariously witty conversations that will forever be engrained in our memory, (Grandma Butler – “I didn’t see this coming”, Grandpa Butler – “I did”, Grandma Butler – “I’m just so surprised!”, Grandpa Butler – “I’m not”). Some, however, unleashed unnecessary amounts of drama (we’re looking at you, Britt’s mom), assuming that something terrible must have happened, unlike everyone else who seemed less surprised by the phone call.

After a couple more days in Tick Central (seriously, we’re convinced they have a VIP pass there), we headed to Rapid City, SD. Where our adventures took us to Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, and various other spots, but we’ll save those tales for another time.

Our journey eventually led us back to North Dakota, where Britt boarded a plane bound for Indiana to begin planning our wedding. It was an adventure filled with laughter, love, and more than a few unexpected twists – including ankles. Stay tuned for more tales from our wild and wonderful journey! 🎢🏕️💍 #AdventureChronicles #EngagementMishaps

Share Your Engagement Tale with Us! Drop it in the comments below. And if you’re interested in more stories like this, why not hit that like and subscribe button? Your support helps us spread the love and laughter to even more folks out there!