Engagement Anniversary

On January 2, 1978 Mike asked me to be his wife.  It was a beautiful proposal!  He gave me the world (a globe) and because I don't much care for wine, he presented a glass of buttermilk (my favorite beverage) for me as we toasted our future.  I realize that a globe and buttermilk wouldn't touch the heart of every young woman, but it really pleased me.  It showed that he had paid attention to what I liked.  It was a very personal touch to the evening and it made me feel so special.  It was also pretty funny.  That was a foretaste of our future; Mike can really make me laugh! 

We called our families that night but for some reason, I kept our engagement a secret from my friends for several days.  I went back to my dorm room that night and told no one.  I was kind of surprised at myself but for some reason it just felt like such a delicious secret and I wanted to savor it a bit.  A few days later my friend, Laura, noticed my engagement ring and the secret was out.  That was a fun moment as well!

I am so glad that I said "yes" that night.    I feel very privileged to have been chosen by this remarkable man!  We have been through a lot together.  We have grown together.  We have written our story together.  I love going through this life by his side! 

He Gave Me the World!

Do any of you subscribe to Godvine?  It's kind of a fun little thing to check on now and then.  This morning I was sent this link http://www.godvine.com/One-of-the-Most-Creative-Marriage-Proposals-Ever-435.html and so I clicked and took a look.  Go ahead, watch this unique proposal yourself. 

We've all seen these kinds of proposals, like the plane flying overhead with the Marry Me? banner trailing behind.  Or what about the ones that show up on the screen at a baseball game?  These are all pretty cool but it sure puts a lot of pressure on a guy to come up with something unique and BIG, doesn't it?

As I watched it I started thinking about Mike's proposal, more than 33 years ago.  It wasn't a surprise, but it was well planned and beautiful.  I'd like to tell you about a couple of aspects of his proposal that were particularly unique and special.

First, Mike said that he wanted to give me the world.  Isn't that sweet?  He followed up with that by actually giving me a globe!  It was both tender and funny, a great combination!  We had that globe in our home for many years but it was broken one day.  It turns out that kids shouldn't use globes as step-ladders.  That was kind of sad but not to worry!  On our 25th anniversary Mike gave me this...

Mike made the official proposal and gave me the engagement ring, which we'd actually chosen together a few months prior.  Although it, too, has been broken once or twice, I didn't lose the diamond and it was repaired "good as new".  I still enjoy looking at my rings and I've made it clear to Mike that I don't want him to give me an upgrade.  I want this set for life, just as I want him for life!

Probably the most unique part of that evening was when he prepared the toast.  I don't really remember the words of the toast, but I remember our glasses.  I think that Mike poured himself a glass of wine but I don't really like to drink alcohol.  I would have done so on that occasion but Mike had a better plan.  Into my wine glass he'd poured my favorite drink for me.... buttermilk! 

He'd been paying attention to what I liked and he'd uniquely woven that into our special evening.  Now that's romantic!

We called our families and told them the news.  When I went back to the dorm that night I was surprised at myself because I didn't want to tell anyone.  I'd envisioned squealing out the news but when it came right down to it, I didn't.  I'm not sure why, but it felt so delicious to keep this wonderful secret tucked in my heart for awhile.  I was wearing the ring but tried not to flash it.  I think it was a couple of days before my friend, Laura, spotted it on my finger.  She was and still is a precious friend to me and I was glad it was her that discovered my secret.

The engagement is just a small part of the life we've built together.  On that night we had no idea of what was ahead for us.  We thought we did but life has taken so many unexpected turns since then.  The important thing is that we've taken those turns together.  I'm really glad that I said, "Yes" that night!

Do any of you have engagement stories you'd like to tell?  Leave a comment, I don't care how long it is.  It's fun to hear the stories of the beginnings of a life together, a life shared.