April 5, 2004
Engaged at last...Engaged at last...Thank the lord, I'm engaged at last!!
T and I got
engaged!
It
was a perfect proposal…we had dinner at Joe’s Steak & Stone Crab house
(downtown Chicago) and after our dinner, dessert and a couple Vodka Gimlets for
T, he stood up, walked over to my side of the table, got down on one knee, put a
small wooden hinged box on the table and said he had something to ask me.
As
he got down on his knee, a woman nearby eating with her husband punched him in
the arm to watch us.
I
don’t think he barely had the whole, “Will you marry me?” out when I was
already saying yes!
Then as we kissed, the woman and her husband that had been watching us started clapping and cheering. Others noticed what was happening and joined in. Then T stood up, looked around and said very loudly, “She said yes!” Then the whole restaurant started cheering and clapping! Management brought us over champagne and many diners came over to wish us well and offer their congratulations. A girl rushed across the restaurant waving her arms frantically saying, "Let me see the ring". Another couple on their way out said with VERY French accents, " VE vanted to buy you de champange, but ze management - they said No, they'd already done it". It was too sweet!
After it calmed down a bit, we started calling people. We called my Muzzie, and T asked her if it was OK if he married me. I think they heard her scream yes in Iowa. Then we called his mom and dad and woke them up. Then J and D. J was so happy, she was almost in tears. When I hung up from them, my phone rang and it was my nephew R - J hadn't even waited for me to call and tell him. All he said was, "It's about friggin time!". Then it was the rest of our families and friends, M&J, C, T&B and then a million others...
It
was incredible, and a wonderful way to start our new life together - we had a
great story to tell!
When we got home, Muzzie had made us promise to stop in by her so she could see the ring, hug & kiss us and then do an Irish Jig of Joy. After we walked in and said hugging, kissing and jigging were done, T said, "I know Pops is gone, but do you think this would be ok with him? Do you want me to go in and ask the ashes?". Muzzie replied, "I've already told him and it's fine!" (explanation - Muzzie couldn't bear to depart with Pops ashes and put them in the $5k cript she bought, so they sit beside our family dog Rockbolt's ashes on my mother's dresser in her bedroom. Thus mom feels as though Pops and Rock are with her daily. Don't ask, but it works for her.).
Several hours and another round of late-night phone calls later, we finally fell asleep. I wasn't even asleep 5 hours and I was awake. I laid in bed on my side with my hand in the air and closed one eye, then the other, admiring the "each eye camera angles" of my ring. Finally at 6:45 I got up. The night before we hadn't actually spoken to my friend CC (just left messages), so it was the first call I made. She answered on the first ring SCREAMING!!
Tim heard me gabbing and got up to join me in the living room. Then the next round of calls started. After about 1 hour, the doorbell rang. We looked at each other in - it wasn't even 8 a.m.! T went down to get the door and it was CC - she couldn't wait to see us and the ring! After we jumped around a bit, then we settled down to talk plans while T politely excused himself!
After CC left, I looked at T. The hardest thing now was going to convince him of a date. I was certain he'd want it next year sometime. So I casually asked him when he was thinking about doing it. He said, "well, what about the fall?". I gulped...WOO HOO!! I won't have to wait! We decided on December 4th, as the timing would work out with the new week I'd chosen (in order to avoid any uncomfortable future situations with "SHE WHO MUST NOT BE NAMED") to use for the annual Cabo trip. So in the matter of hours our date and honeymoon were taken care of!
T had to leave to quickly run home and do some errands, so as he was kissing me goodbye, I said - "Oh my gosh, I'm going to be your wife!!". He smiled, "Yep". So I said..."Go quickly my husband and return to me!!". He just laughed and walked away!
That evening we had planned for my family to gather for an early Easter dinner, as Muzzie would be joining T and I in Iowa the next weekend for the real Easter with his family. Our dinner now turned into an engagement celebration as well!
As my family gathered around us, with everyone talking at once about the plans and wishing us well, I looked around the room and realized once again how fortunate I am.
I have truly the most wonderful family and the best friends a girl could ever ask for.
And now I am marrying the man of my dreams.
Isn't life grand?
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