The Proposal

My husband doesn't like things to go wrong. Especially things he carefully planned, but really, who does? As painful as it is, I have to admit that our day lacked the "fairy tale scenario" that so many others experience. Ironically though, all unbeknownst to me. That's the beauty of this story. It all started with Dan arranging for me to have the day off (so there were those who knew of the proposed events of the day-cheerleaders) to celebrate the anniversary of our first date. So on November 13th, after practice, the girls I coached began saying things like, "You're going to have fun today... giggle, giggle!" The thought occurred to me, but no, I told myself. Dan was waiting outside and then off we went for a day of surprise. He had the whole day planned :) Funny thing is I'm a planner too, and to not be in the know... kills me... just a side note. We went over to Catalina, ate lunch at this fun little place (name already escapes me) where you throw peanut shells on the floor and tape dollar bills you've written on up on the walls, went on a glass bottom boat (I vaguely remember a nap) and walked around town. It was a joy to just hang together. Mind you, while this day was occurring, Dan kept getting paged (Does anyone actually have a pager anymore? You're officially old when you have to explain your former "techno-savvy" ways to your kids) He was paged in L.B. before we left, in the restaurant and at the docks before we boarded to come home. "Huh... work must be rough today," I thought. So we were going to end the day recreating our first date... dinner and a movie. Our spot, don't laugh... we were twenty, was the Olive Garden-breadsticks & alfredo-YUM! That also was the place I discovered he wasn't a fan of salad dressing either. What were the odds? God is always in the details. While eating, he has to answer a page and leaves to use the pay phone. So... I finish my meal and still no return from Dan. I'm waiting, feeling a little silly alone with my plate, and then he comes back. I could tell he's flustered, but trying to just carry on. We have dessert and leave. He then nixed the movie and was brainstorming where we could go instead. By now we were back in his truck in the parking lot at Main Place and I say,"Anywhere but the beach, I don't want to get chilled." Well, that was it. That was the last romantic place he could think of to salvage the day. He grew more irritated with how the day had gone and I kept trying to convince him that it was wonderful (thinking that the "fun" my girls had hinted of was just that, fun, not a marriage proposal and would come later-it had only been a year). After a few more minutes of trying to get him to see the light, I say, "What more could you have possibly wanted? Today was perfect." He reached into his pocket, pulls out a little black box and says, "I was going to ask you to marry me?" I gulp, "You still can!?!" So he says, "Get out of the car, we can't be in the car." So on one knee, he proposes just beautifully. I accept. We kiss and he tells me, while still embraced, that when the real ring is ready, he'll ask again. REAL RING? Yah, this was a stand in ring that the jeweler had taken to Gary, to bring to Dan in the mall (the dinner pages) because the maker of my ring didn't finish it in time. He was supposed to meet him at the dock in L.B. with my ring (the other pages) so Dan could propose on Catalina Island. Then we'd return full of bliss and celebrate our engagement by recreating our first date. I love all the details that Dan wanted for that day. I love that the Lord allowed everything to go awry. Because I love OUR story... I'd say we got the "fairy tale" ending!