Engaging

I was over visiting Mimi Bella Boo & she had a great link party about - I certainly did say YES!  So fitting for Valentine's Day!

I wanted to link up, so I thought I'd share my engagement story with you.

Jade & I had been dating for 7 years before we got engaged.  Read the story of us here.  He had graduated from SIUC in August, and was living in Barrington, IL up by Chicago.  He was a fancy land surveyor & was even featured in the Chicago Times because he was that cute!  To see each other, it was about a 7 hour drive, or a long train ride & drive out of the city to his apartment.  We barely saw each other that semester and it defintely wasn't often enough!  I missed him terribly!  I was graduating in December and I was tired of waiting on him.  I just could not understand why we were not engaged.  He for some crazy reason thought I was moving in with him when I graduated.  Not so much!  I landed a job 30 minutes from my hometown in Effingham, IL.  It was then he realized I really wasn't moving in with him, and I was serious about that.

November 1st, 2003 we were both able to be home in Shelbyville.  I pretty much forced him into agreeing to go diamond shopping that very cold November morning.  He kept poking around that morning & I was just sure that he did NOT want to go.  I was VERY upset about it, and shocked that he wasn't ready to committ to me yet.  I mean come on, it had been 7 years - how much time does one need?  I finally got him ready & in the car when he insisted we stop at his parents house.  We went in and I thought nothing of it.  Then, off we went again.  However, this time instead of going North on the highway to Decatur, he started driving East & up the dam hill (we have a huge dam at our lake).  This is when I proclaimed "You are just like your Dad, you constantly dilly dally around when we have places to go!"  I wasn't happy with him.  We had to be back that afternoon for some type of high school football game to watch Maggie cheer - I have no idea why!  So he drives up the dam hill & pulls into this parking lot at the top of it.  Again, I'm thinking seriously Jade - what the crap!

So he makes me get out of the car & he pops the trunk - again I'm totally clueless here.  Until - I see a picnic basket filled with a picnic & I immediately KNEW.  I was in shock.  I kept my mouth shut & he walked me over to this wooded area that overlooked the lake.  He spread out a picnic blanket & we had a picnic.  He even moved the grapes & I saw the ring box - I about died!  Then, he tried to say all the things he wanted in his heart without crying, but all he got out was - "To me you are home."  Then he proposed & we hugged for a very long time!  Gosh - now I have tears in my eyes remembering it!  I was so very excited - I had waited for this day a very very long time!  He bought me a beautiful & perfect round solitaire diamond ring.  I was thrilled.  After our picnic - it was freezing - we called all our family & they were dying too!  Then, we went to the football game & showed off my ring to all my friends & family.  It poured and was cold at the football game, but I didn't care because I was finally his!

We immediately set plans to be wed March 20th, 2004.  We didn't want to wait long at all :)  Read more about our wedding here.

Now we are a family with two kids aged 4 and 2 & a beautiful home.  I look at the 14 year old and 16 year old that fell in love so many years ago and then I look at us now!  I love him more than I did then, and every day I am more proud to be called his wife!

*I very much regret that we didn't take pictures that day - we obviously were not thinking of my blog back in 2003!*