Engagement Story

So here is how it went down:

For Josh's birthday his mom got him a pass to Escape SF. Basically, you are put in a room and you have to solve the puzzles and it leads you to another room and basically you are trying to escape by figuring out all the clues in a certain amount of time. So Josh asked if I wanted to go there on Saturday and while we were in the city we could also go to the Disney Museum so that I could see two of the new exhibits that are going on (one is on Dali and the other is on Tommorowland). Obviously my answer was yes! I love any reason to go into SF. 

The Escape SF thing was super fun! We had to try to find the Mona Lisa because a guy had stolen it and put it in his private collection, after finding it we then had to try to escape the guys "house". It was SO MUCH FUN!! I definitely would do something like that again. We finished with about a minute to spare! We had to get some help at some points because we were totally lost. But it was a ton of fun! There is an Escape Alcatrez that we want to do next--but in a bigger group. :)

We then went to the Disney Museum and went through the new exhibits and it was a lot of fun and after we were done I was like "okay, did you want to do anything else in the city or should we go home?" and he was like do you want to do some geocaches since we haven't done them in awhile? I was like "yeah why not!" so I opened up the app and there was a really close near by geocache that we decided to go to that was by Crissy Field. 

We got to the geocache and it was filled with a ton of paper and other things so Josh started pulling everything out to look at it and I was like "why are you pulling everything out? We totally forgot to bring a pen!" So I was like let me take a picture so we can prove that we found it. So I took a picture of him holding the geocache and he was like look at this paper. So I looked and it said something along the lines of "come find the hidden treasure from exploring our favorite places in the city" and then there were some coordinates and a hint saying "under the sign". Josh then asked if I wanted to go try to find this random treasure and I was like "okay why not? if you want to!" So we typed the coordinates into our phones and it was back over by the Disney Museum so we decided to try to find the hidden treasure. 

We got back over to where the coordinates were and we found this pen with a note inside underneath one of the welcome signs, when we pulled out the note there were more coordinates and another clue "above the now showing sign McDouble" so we typed it into the gps and it was at the Castro Theater. When we got there we found another hidden pen with a note inside on this top ledge by the Castro Theater and when we pulled out the note it had more coordinates and a clue that said "in the right hand back side of the store in the G section by the poster behind the shelf".

The coordinates led us to this bookstore that I love by the Presidio that I used to go to all the time when I lived there and I had taken Josh there once on a date. This is where it clicked that something was going on because I was like it is WAYYY to random for someone to know about this book store so I said something to Josh I was like "you know what is weird? all of these places are places that we have been to together" and he was like "huh, that is strange" and then he changed the topic. At that point I knew something was going on. When we got to the bookstore I found the next clue which led to the Palace of Fine Arts so we get there and we are trying to find the next clue and it says something like underneath the standing stick by the root. So we look around for a minute and then I see it so we go dig out this box from the ground and I start to freak out and cry and Josh is like "open it lyss" so I open the box and inside there isn't a ring but a note and I open the note and it says "Alyssa, you are my biggest treasure. Love Josh" and I look down and he is on one knee holding the ring and I am like a basketcase at this point crying my eyes out so I can't even hear what he is saying but all I hear is Alyssa Marie Chudleigh I love you will you marry me? and I say yes and start shaking my head because I am crying so hard and I put my hand out so he can put the ring on my finger and then we just hugged and I cried and we kissed and I cried some more.

I looked up and saw mom taking pictures so I freaked out and was like "mom!" and then all of a sudden I hear dads voice and he is up on this ledge way above us with a video camera and Im like "DAD!!" haha! It was so sweet! Josh's dad and brother Jordan were there too so it was a lot of hugging and happy tears and congrats and I was freaking out because it almost didn't feel real! I was like that just happened!! It definitely was a surreal experience for sure. I have been waiting for that moment my whole life!!

Josh was so sneaky and had the ring for a week before proposing but I love the way he did it and how all of the places we went to were related to our relationship and things/places that we have been to. 

I am so unbelievably happy and am so excited to be marrying my best friend in OCTOBER!!! AHHHHA!! I hope that all of you can make it, and if not, I totally understand because I haven’t made it to a lot of weddings because of being all over the place and out of funds and whatever else. But I hope I can see you all either in Utah or California.

We are getting married in the Oakland Temple on October 17^th and will hold a reception that evening in Josh’s backyard and then we will have another reception the next weekend October 24^th in Utah at Castle Park Reception Center. J It is going to be a blast!

I just love Josh so much and am so excited to be able to spend the rest of my existence with him. For all my friends/family who haven’t met him, you will love him too! He is a really good human.