"He said, 'this isn't gonna be easy, and it hasn't'" - When Amy Earnhardt recalled the emotional moment Dale Jr. proposed to her in a German church
Six years ago, Amy Earnhardt shared a special memory of when her husband, Dale Earnhardt Jr., proposed to her in a church in Germany. During an interview with Graham Bensinger, Amy talked about when the couple first met, the marriage proposal, and their life afterward.
Former NASCAR driver Dale Jr. popped the question to Amy during a family trip where he traced his family roots back ten generations.
"We went on a trip, and he had never been to Europe before....We went to the church just to see what it looked like. We had the pastor actually open it up for us and give us a little tour. I got downstairs and was just kind of looking around in my own little world. I turned around, and he was on his knee. So, in the church where his family worshiped ten generations ago, is where we got engaged," Amy said (01:15).
When asked what Dale Jr. said during the proposal, Amy added:
"Something along the lines of, "I love you, and this isn't going to be easy—and it hasn't—but I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Amy." (2:05).
Amy and Dale Jr. met while she was working at an architecture firm in Jacksonville, Florida. They worked together on designing Dale's house and got engaged in 2015. The couple married the next year on December 31.
Dale Jr. and Amy Earnhardt on how becoming parents has changed their lives
During the same conversation, Amy mentioned that Dale Jr. often said that he did not want to marry. However, she wanted to get married before having kids.
Amy said:
"We are closer than ever really and nothing that we ever would have cared about little things even matter anymore just little things that you deem important they're not important anymore." (03:42).
Dale Jr. also talked about how tough parenting was and noted that becoming parents has changed their lives.
“Being a father is tough, man. Everybody tells you that—they're like, it's hard work and all this stuff, and it is! Patience! Having patience is testing your patience, you know...I can't wait to watch her grow up and interact with her and share our lives together,” Dale Jr. said (05:33).
Dale Jr. added that his appreciation for Amy has grown after giving birth. The couple are now parents to two daughters, Isla Rose and Nicole Lorraine Earnhardt.