{Our Story}
We had been dating since High school. I remember our first dance like it was last week. It was August...we were at a friends birthday party at the Ranlo Lodge one month after meeting at the beach for the first time. I had became friends with one of his childhood buddies Brandon, or "B" as I call him and he came over to me and said that J wanted to dance the next song with me. I was thinking to myself, does this guy really like me?
Because I am not in it for the games.
J was DJing the party and he started the song "Say it" by Voice of Theory and he came over and asked me to the dance floor as he grabbed my hand not even waiting for an answer. As we were dancing I looked at B and mouthed "does he really like me?" He just shook his head yes. I was in love with this sun kissed Blondie! Or so I thought at the ripe age of 17!
{Our Engagement Story}
{Our Engagement Story}
7 years later... I am a nurse working a Children's Hospital and He is a biology graduate pursuing a career in sales with Alltel. He called me at work and told me to come straight to his house afterward because we were going out for Chad's birthday. I told him that I didn't have any clothes to wear and I would need to go home. He replied with "no, I will just have Autumn go get you something from your house". Mind you I must have been clueless because I live about 25 min from either of them and why in the world would he send my best friend all the way to my house to get clothes?
{My mom was in on this too}
{My mom was in on this too}
So I drove over to his home and when I got there lying all pressed, over his bed, were the 2 outfits I had requested. I quickly jumped in and out of the shower, chose one and jumped in the car with no make-up on!
He said we had to go by the Ranlo Lodge to drop his DJ equipment off and set it up for the party the next night. So over to the town of Ranlo we went. I remember being in his black explorer and crossing over I-85 thinking "it's a really good day".
It was a sunny day in July, the 15th to be exact! ;)
It was a sunny day in July, the 15th to be exact! ;)
He pulled up to the small yellow lodge and said well,"let's go in". I told him I would just wait in the car. I didn't want to walk up the shady leaf covered path to the lodge in my new Nine West heels. He opened my door and said, "well I'll just carry you!" So I climbed onto his back and he "carried" me up to the lodge.
Once he sat me down and opened the door my eyes fell on the hundreds of candles and rose petals on the floor. I teared up! I just knew it would never happen. Here we were 7 long years of growth together, ups and downs, college and his parents divorce. It really was all surreal. He walked over to his DJ equipment that was already set up and started playing our song, "Say It". We of course danced. He was so nervous that when the words
"So please hold out your hand
And lets exchange these golden bands
'Cause I want you in my life
I want you to be my wife"
we fumbled with the ring in his pocket and then got down on his knee and proposed.
I of course said "YES!"
I was so shocked that I didn't even look at the ring!
But when I did I was even more shocked!
An emerald cut!
He asked, "do you like it?"
"Of course I do!"
He picked it out himself and was quick to tell me that he was now and expert on diamonds. ;)
He had at this point bought me 3 because it is my birthstone.
He purchased it from Solomon Brothers and it had appeared in several magazines.
It is actually still on the first page of their web page. {shrug}
It is a Criscut which I had never heard of, and honestly didn't tell him that I didn't care at the time.
It was beautiful and so shiny!
To this day I have no idea the weight of it.
Size doesn't matter to me.
He chose it as carefully as he did me.
All that mattered is my last name would soon change to
match his and that was a dream come true!
After the song was over I asked how he lit all the candles and managed to not burn the place down?
My best friend Autumn was hidden video taping the whole thing.
She was the culprit!
After ward we met our friends to celebrate at Maggiano's
On our way there I called my mom and squealed,
but she already knew... she had packed my clothes
& J had asked my parents several days prior.
We have tons of pictures, and you know what?
I didn't have a stitch of make-up on!
I had forgotten all about it.
{Shrug}{Oh well}
I would have just cried it all off anyway
and I had a good tan!
We married 16 weeks later!
November 5, 2005
I later asked why he chose the Lodge and he replied with "well, I could have flown you to Paris and you would have known, I could have taken you back to the spot where we met at the beach and you would have know. So with my history of not being able to keep secrets from you... I figured the Lodge would be the most unlikely place with the most significance since we are building our home in the same town as the lodge."
Awe... how sweet and thoughtful.
And he is absolutely right!
I would have known and not been surprised a bit by a trip somewhere
and he knew how important it was for it to be a surprise!
I was in love and surprised for sure!
I later asked why he chose the Lodge and he replied with "well, I could have flown you to Paris and you would have known, I could have taken you back to the spot where we met at the beach and you would have know. So with my history of not being able to keep secrets from you... I figured the Lodge would be the most unlikely place with the most significance since we are building our home in the same town as the lodge."
Awe... how sweet and thoughtful.
And he is absolutely right!
I would have known and not been surprised a bit by a trip somewhere
and he knew how important it was for it to be a surprise!
I was in love and surprised for sure!
"Say It"
Voices of Theory
Am I giving enough?
Is it all that should be?
When water gets rough
Will you still swim with me?
So afraid to come close
And maybe too soon
And maybe too much
For you to consume
And I wanna know if I
Can live inside your world
And I wanna know if I
Can give it to you girl
You know that I want you say it
You know that I need you say it
You know that I love you say it
Our love just goes on and on and on
You know that I want you say it
You know that I need you say it
You know that I love you say it
My love just goes on and on and on
I gave you all that you need
There's no better place you can be
And I know that in time
You will believe in me
So please hold out your hand
And lets exchange these golden bands
'Cause I want you in my life
I want you to be my wife
My girl so special
I want to give it all to you
Loving you on and on
My girl so special
I want to give it all to you
Loving you on and on
*** I have a reader from Africa and I would love to meet you! You are reading my blog right now!
Super excited to have friends from afar!
Please comment and follow so we can *meet*
I remember this night!! Such good memories:)
ReplyDelete