The weather was perfect and we were having a great time, but for some reason this camping trip seemed different… It was the same spot we usually camp, with the same people we usually do, but the atmosphere was different (in a good way ).

Well it came to the Markhams last night with us camping and we were building a fire. Dennis and I went off to the little park down the way from the camp to find more wood etc. Dennis and I had talked a bit about us and our future. Dennis was asking if I thought we were good for each other and etc.
We even got into a little heating conversation, but it calmed down. It seemed to me that we were far away from marriage from this talk but I tried not to let it bother me.

We came back to the camp and my parents and the markhams just so happen to be talking about their story…how they met and everything. Inside I was like “oh my gosh, this is so awesome” I love hearing other stories of people who fall in love and end up getting married. And Dennis and I were just talking future stuff and now we had a couple talking about their past etc. I just thought it was crazy weird.

Anyways, all that they told us opened both of our eyes.
And the best part was I felt so much closer with the markhams, it was really a blessing. I was so filled with joy I didn’t know what to do with myself.
But I was so happy to hear their story and become closer to them. I really do love them, to pieces.

What really stood out to Dennis out of the many things was that Jimmy first proposed without a ring and she didn’t think he was serious..then he got a ring and asked again!
After the fire was going out we all went to bed.

I just went over in my head that I felt so much closer to the markhams and I knew it was a blessing, God was bringing unity right before my eyes. It was beautiful.

But I started getting negative thoughts, doubts, and worries about me and Dennis. If we were meant to be or not or if we were in God’s will? I felt like I was really being attacked. I didn’t understand and I couldn’t sleep! So in my head I prayed and prayed in the spirit of course. I stopped praying and asked God something very different… something I have never asked before…something that was a little weird.

(But if you know about praying in the spirit – God is putting things in your spirit when we do that.)
I said, “God, I know this is weird…but I respect you, and I acknowledge that Dennis is your son. He is yours.
So since he is yours I want to ask you, for his hand in marriage.”
Yup, that was it. That simple. That weird. Then I fell asleep.

I woke up the next morning early then I usually do when camping. I grabbed my guitar and sat on a chair and just worshiped. I just spent a really intimate time with God right there in the woods. It was amazing.
Then everyone started waking up and we all got ready to head out for the day.

We had loads of fun that day, we went all over and looked at stuff. We went to this one place that looked over all of Tahoe, it was amazing. The Markhams came with us and looked around and talked.
I sat next to Jimmy and asked me “so did he ask you yet? whats going on?” I just laughed. He then told me andrew (their son) was really upset when he found out about when Dennis and I split. I laughed a little because I thought he was joking. By he most certainly wasn’t! He said andrew found out on facebook and he was really upset and even cried…this just broke my heart..he said andrew told them they have to pray for us.
My eyes began to water and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. What a blessing. We told Dennis and as much as he could he was holding back tears but his eyes watered. This really blew our minds. And I believe it really did something to Dennis. We were so blessed to hear that.

We headed back to camp and the Markhams had left to go home. There wasn’t much to do at the camp so I asked Dennis if he wanted to go on a hike. Since there was so many places to walk and go in the mountains!

My mom and dad were just relaxing and reading back at camp. So off we went. It was pretty hot as we kept walking but the view was amazing.
Dennis found a path that went even further into the mountains…I was a little scared since there is lots of bears in these woods! But we went anyway.
(men are crazy, seriously!)
We even got into two little arguments over a few stupid things…but as we got to the top we were shocked to see the view and how gorgeous it was.

We went to the edge and we were looking at the view.
Then I felt something different and I didn’t understand.
Dennis was behind me and I moved closer to the view of the mountain to take photos.
Dennis kept asking me “Do you love me aubrey?”
and me i’m like…well yeah…why ya keep asking me? lol.

He said to turn on my video and video tape the mountains…I was like “what?? why?? it’s not like the mountains are moving?” but I did anyways.
Then I was like…”oh my gosh, is he going to ask me?” I literally felt it in my spirit…and I was like “ohh theres no way”
I turned around and this crazy boy was on one knee.
I was like “what are you doing??” He hugged me close and said ” I love you…I really do want to spend the rest of my life with you.. I want to take care of you……will you marry me?”
As his heart was literally beating out of his chest, I was like “pff what? stop joking!”

He said he was serious…at this point I had my camera on and all I could say was ” are you serious??”
Of course after a million “are you serious?”
I said yes!
He told me he didn’t have ring but he wanted to get it right away…he was inspired by Jimmys story.
He said it just dropped in his spirit to ask.. he wrestled with asking and thought it was crazy but he just said it.

I was shocked. Literally. Here I was thinking marriage was so far away…and I asked God himself…so this man’s hand in marriage..and then the next day, literally the next day he proposes. Is God good or what?

We sat down and looked at the view we clasped hands and Dennis wanted to pray. He prayed out loud a great heart felt prayer.. over us. And that would just show favor over us. What a beautiful moment we had. Just the three of us. :)

After that we started to walk back down the mountain, he suggested we didn’t tell my parents until I got the ring..because he wanted to ask my dad for his permission to marry me. So I agreed! I just didn’t know if I could hold it in! ha.

Now back at camp it was starting to get dark and my parents and Dennis and I were planning on going to a concert in a big tent down the way. So we went to the concert and had a great time! It was amazing music.
And here I was screaming inside wanting to tell my mom I’m engaged!!

The concert was over and off we went back to camp..Dennis caught up with dad and walked with him and I was with my mom.. We were just talking about the concert and etc.
She looked at me as said..”Aubrey, you’re glowing? what’s going on”
I was like awww man…okay I have to say something. I told her and she was not surprised. I was like what???
I couldn’t understand why she wasn’t shocked like I was!
She looked at me and smiled and said “Aubrey, I knew it. I knew it happened.”
She began to explain during the day when Dennis and I left for our hike she was sitting and reading her book something hit her and she said to herself “He’s gonna ask her!” and then went back to reading.
How insane is that?

We don’t know if it was the exact time as Dennis felt it or when I felt it..but we all felt it. It was insane.
So I told my mom not to tell my dad until we got the ring.

It was an awesome night.. and every since that day on the mountain something new has released in the atmosphere. And it was beautiful.

The next day we went to the beach and a village we like to visit everytime we are there. Dennis kept asking me “when should I ask your dad?” “should I wait till I get the ring?”
We were trying to find the perfect time…but couldn’t..
we went down the beach and came back and sat on this log to empty sand out of our shoes…
And sadly little did we know at this time my dad was going through a lot of back pain and was miserable and here Dennis was going to ask him to marry his daughter!!! lol.

Dennis went over to my dad and said “Joe, I’m saving up for it…and don’t have it yet but… I want to marry your daughter…and want your permission?”
If you could see the look on my dad’s face it was priceless! He was like say what?
Poor guy was in pain so he couldn’t really react but Dennis told him to be completely honest with him..
My dad just looked at him and said “I say go for it”
And hugged me. We also got some funny pictures during this time. They were really happy for us. And of course my dad starts cracking jokes.. It was funny, and what a blessing.

So from there the planning started for the wedding.
I wasn’t expecting to get my ring until around September. Quickly by God’s blessing I found a ring I liked that wasn’t insanely priced. I showed Dennis and said he’d be able to get it in September.
On a saturday in august 2010…forgot what day…but It’s written down somewhere..Dennis came over and wanted to go to bodega bay after he took me to work to get some stuff. I was like what? It’s 2:30pm!
But Dennis being the crazy person he is we headed out for bodega bay.

There was a lot of traffic and took forever to get there and once we got there is was freezing cold and we didn’t bring sweaters. Smart? I know right.
Dennis bought a little picnic basket so we could have a sit down lunch somewhere.
We ran around the beach and took lots of photos.
We hiked up this huge sand hill and it was beautiful at the top… we sat closer and prayed together.
It was really awesome.
Dennis said “well aubrey I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Then he pulled out the camera and tried to turn it on but the camera broke some how.. then he was like hmm..and just started talking and then made our way down the mountain…
I was wondering why he said that again ” I love you etc..”

We looked around where we could eat our picnic..we went to the Tides restaurant and took our basket and went down to the end tables all the way in the back right by the windows with the view of the water.. And there was only like 3 people in that area and they were ways from us. It was so cute and romantic.

Dennis had a blanket that was plaid that he bought and put it over the table and put the basket on top. It was so cute. He ate and talked and laughed. Enjoyed the view. He told me he also had dessert. I was like “say what?” I was wondering what was going on…because he had all this picnic stuff and now dessert? sorry but it didn’t sound like your everyday Dennis thing to do lol.

We finished eating and he said “okay ready for dessert?” out of the picnic basket he pulled out a little basket… I was like “how is dessert fit in that little thing?!” He flapped it open and there was placed a cute little black box. He carefully took it out of the basket set it in front of me and opened it.
There was my ring, the one I wanted and all.
I was like “OMg!” I couldnt even touch it! I ran over to him and hugged him! I totally thought he wasn’t getting it until next month. But there is was.
I put it on and it was perfect.

He told me what he did to get the basket and blanket..and said the little basket he bought back in November 2009! when he was christmas shopping! he felt in his heart to buy it and to propose with it.
CRAZY right? A year later here he was proposing with it.
It was the cutest thing ever!

And the moral of the story is… when you let go and let God..amazing stuff happens. When you put God first in your life he brings you a bonus.
I didn’t earn this ring…I didn’t do everything perfect..I didn’t always act perfect or say the right things.. I was just myself and seeked after Jesus’
heart..and I asked God a simple prayer and it’s been answered. I have the most amazing guy on this planet.
Let our marriage bless people from nation to nation.
And let our love be an example of Christ’s love.
Let us impact people until we die.

Thank you Lord, you deserve the glory for all of this.
:)

Side note from Ryan: I was into Jess the day we met, and definitely wanted more. Of course, with her being so pretty, so did every other guy in school. We had a ton of fun and got really close fishing and playing basketball. After she left we continued to talk, never quite losing touch. We pursued lives away from each other and made plenty of mistakes but whenever one of us encountered a tough time or rough situation we always found time to talk and confide in the other. I am amazed at how funny life can be bringing people back together. I think we both had valuable experiences and it was good that we lived individual lives to define what we want and need. I’ve never been so happy.

Ryan and I had finally found some time to go back to that stand still place. When I woke up on the morning of April 27th, I was thinking I would take the ring with me just incase a perfect moment had come up to ask him. I was so nervous that I wouldn’t be able to pull it off. I thought I might stumble on my words or just not be able to say what I wanted to say. So when we got to MacDill we went to the park where we first were on the swings. A little boy and his mom interupted the moment I first thought about asking him to marry me, so we went to sit under the playground near by. This was where we had started our talks that lasted for hours at a time months earlier.
We were sitting there talking about I don’t know what and just looking at each other. I was thinking about the last time that we had sat there and how different it was. In just a few months everything was different. I knew I didn’t want to wait any longer to share with him how serious I was about spending the rest of my life with him. As I was finishing that thought, Ryan started pulling something out of his pocket. It was a box! I wasn’t even thinking that he would propose to me yet, but then he opened a big box and at first I didn’t know what he was doing. Then I noticed it was empty. So he started to explain how the ring box could be just as important as the ring itself. You make it out to be whatever you want it to be. Also how the box took time, sweat, and hardwork to be made. He said I deserve the best. He went on about how he could not give me everything he thought I deserved and said he would work hard to fill the box with something great. As he was talking I was thinking ‘wow this is incredibly sweet’, but very surprised because the whole time I had the ring that I was going to give him in my hand. When he finished talking I laughed and said “wow your funny, (as I reached into my back pocket) I was going to ask you, will you marry me?” I couldn’t get out everything else I wanted to say about how much I loved him, how perfect we fit together, how I want to spend the rest of my life with him, and much more. He replied, “yes!” as I suspected he would, but he seemed shocked of course.
So then we walked to the peir after hugging and laughing at my decision to ask him to marry me, and him giving me an empty ring box! As we got to the peir I jumped up on the railing and was just sitting there while Ryan stood close to me and laughed at everything that had just happened. He suddenly screamed my name, “JESSICA” he scared me a bit and then I just laughed at him and didn’t think about what he was doing. He fell to his knee. I thought he had hurt himself so I leaned forward asking if he was ok. Ryan replies, “I don’t deserve to be your husband, will you marry me?” At first I didn’t hear him because I was still thinking he hurt himself, but then it processed. I screamed “yes, wait what!?” as I realized he had pulled a ring out of his pocket. It was the perfect day, meant to be!

Ryan: Well…I was already feeling a little tense that day because it seemed that we had been subtly badgering each other to go back to the beach where we had our first perfect day together. Revisiting this super romantic beach (Macdill Air Force Base) had me a little wound up because my memories from the first time were so amazing that I did not want to have any less fun, or have an experience that did not live up to our recollections of the last time. Being the sprightly beachgoers we are, we decided to play on the kid’s swingset and jungle gym across the street before we went over.
Apparently I was way out of shape because after a few minutes of running around we decided to take a seat and rest under the playset. As we sat there, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the empty ring box. I explained to Jess that I wanted to give her a sign of complete commitment and that I believed the ring box symbolized just as much as the ring to me. A box can be whatever you make it; it can hold any object any size. Glamorous or plain, the box still holds a symbol of something that lasts forever, something that cannot be expressed with words. The effort to fill this box is a close paradigm to our relationship. Hours of time, money, thoughts, prayers, weeks and months of work, and searching all go into filling that box with the one thing in this life that can remotely explain how I feel. It can be flashy or understated, expensive or economical. The last thing I told Jessica was that I will never feel like what I DID get her was enough, and she deserves so much bigger, better, and nicer than I could ever afford.
Not really sure what to expect (I was pretty sure she’d be bummed about just a little box) she just looked at me and smiled, reached into her back pocket pulled out a ring and said, “You’re funny, because I got this for you…will you marry me?” Needless to say I blushed for the first time in years and nearly slammed my head on the wood overhead when I jumped up. Being a man of perfect verbal timing I swiftly replied “DUH! I mean, of course, yes!”
With the both of us floating a little higher than normal we decided to take a walk up and down the water, ending up on a pier in the distance. It was a perfect day, mid 70s sunny and only a few clouds. We walked and talked about the future, big stuff small stuff, parents and friends, slowly finishing up on the end of the pier. As Jess sat on the end of the pier, she went on and on happily…and I tuned her out completely. I started thinking about the next step, still a little shocked she beat me to it, still shocked we were thinking exactly alike, and started to get incredibly nervous. My head went in a million different places thinking of her possible reactions to what I was about to ask. Ignoring her this whole time (she was still talking) I was so far into my own world I shouted “JESSICA.” Being about a foot away, this obviously startled her and she jumped, almost falling into the water. Still not really being able to control myself I tripped to a knee and pulled out the ring I had taken from the box earlier stuttering “I don’t deserve to be your husband but will you marry me?” This was definitely not as smooth as I had hoped and I guess it looked like I had fallen so she jumped forward anxiously and started asking if I was ok. Not seeing the ring at all, but saying “Yes…..wait what?” she stared me down. Finally, she hugged me and reaffirmed her yes. Right or wrong we kept this to ourselves for a few days, preserving the moment for ourselves and in no way disappointing the memories of our first date.

I was feeling good. Fresh off the heels of a surprise weekend trip to
a romantic bed and breakfast replete with flower petals on the bed and
a celebratory toast by a roaring fire, I had no way of knowing what
was in store for me that morning. Now I’m not a morning person, and
by no stretch of the imagination would I consider myself a runner. So
maybe I was just a little surprised to hear myself say “yes” to Mike’s
suggestion that we go on a morning run. Before coffee. Before
breakfast. And it was cold, threatening rain. Yet I found myself
reluctantly putting on extra layers against the cold dampness that
typifies January in the District, and I stepped out the door. Mike
picked the route, and as we slowly wove our way Downtown, we wondered
at the absence of the usual throng of camera-toting tourists in front
of the White House. He casually called out the places that had marked
the beginning of our relationship two years ago: “There, Old Ebbitt’s
Grill — that was our third date . . . and over there’s the Willard –
our first date, that’s where it all began.”

We slowed down as we approached the National Mall, and followed the
curve of the walk up toward the Washington Monument. Despite our
leisurely pace, it was still early, and the Monument was almost
completely empty. As we neared the top and the expanse of the area
began to spread out before us, Mike and I walked over to a spot at the
highest point of the Mall. As we overlooked the reflecting pools, we
were taken by the stillness of the early morning air and a light fog
lifting from the pools.

My heart was still pounding from the run, however, and with a 10k
coming up, I knew I needed Mike’s help to get me motivated to train.
I asked him to help me prepare for it, but I got the distinct impression
he wasn’t listening. So I grabbed his hands and got down on my knees,
laughing and begging him to run with me before the race. He looked at
me and laughed, and I made the most of it: “please train me, please!”
He looked down at me, laughing harder now. Realizing I had him where
I wanted him, I beseeched him: “Say yes! Say yes! Say yes!” Of
course, I was completely kidding around, but I was getting a kick out
of his expression. I had never seen the Mall so empty, and there
wasn’t a person around us, so I was really playing it up. But he was
about to turn the tables on me and really get my heart pounding! With
a huge smile on his face, he said, “Before I answer that, I have a
question for you.” Pulling me up off of my knees, he
slid down onto his own knee. Holding my hands, he looked up into my eyes
and told me how much he loved me and that the last two years had been
the best in his life. My jaw — he told me later — was pretty much
hanging wide open as he reached into his pocket, took out my dream ring, and
asked me to marry him. My knees buckled as I collapsed into his arms,
saying “Yes!” not realizing his outstretched right hand still held the ring.
After a few spinning seconds, I heard him ask, “But don’t you even
want to see the ring?!” In my excitement I had completely forgotten,
and I was absolutely thrilled when he slid the ring onto my finger.
When we recovered, we stood together, overlooking the empty Mall — it
was if the entire space had been reserved for our special moment. In
one of the nation’s most majestic overlooks, together, we were
completely alone. It was brilliant.

I left DC with a heavy heart, torn between my excitement for new challenges and adventures, but sad to leave John in the States and start a long distance relationship. It was a long fall, marked by daily emails, text messages and Skype dates. Finally, in the summer of 2009, near the end of my time in India, John was able to visit for three whole weeks! We spent the first two trying to survive a real Indian summer (without air conditioning at 100+ degree temperatures!) and in the last week we traveled to the south of India, where friends from DC were celebrating their nuptials in a series of three ceremonies (civil, Hindu, and Christian) that spanned the length of the peninsula.

Our tour of south India began at the southernmost tip of the Indian peninsula, in a town called Kanyakumari, where the waters of the Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal, and the Arabian Sea meet and where a portion of Mahatma Gandhi’s ashes were immersed. Little did I know that John had intended to propose in Kanyakumari with the sunrise the next morning; the symbolism-laden time and place would surely have made a beautiful setting for his proposal, but the clouds and my unwillingness to wake up negated that option.

We next traveled to the famous backwaters of Kerala, which is aptly known as “God’s own country.” The backwaters should definitely be on everyone’s “bucket list” to see…. I cannot imagine a more relaxing, scenic and serene environment: canals flanked by coconut trees and rice paddies with “school boats” dropping children off as the sun set. We sailed calmly down the canals all day and that evening we ate more scrumptious food.

After dinner on our private house boat, I turned away from John to put something in my camera bag, and when I turned around he was staring at me. Odd, I thought. I remember hearing the words “perfect for each other” and then he continued talking for a minute, ending with “will you marry me?”. Somewhere between those two phrases I think I realized what was happening, and I said something like “are you serious?” Turns out he was.

The details of the proposal from John’s side are quite endearing – the fake search for coffee early that morning so he could call my parents from India, buying the ring in India, writing drafts of the proposal on his desktop in a folder labeled as a work document so I wouldn’t open it. I still can’t believe he traveled with a diamond ring in his pocket waiting for the right moment while backpacking through India!

I guess all the signs were there. On this trip, I was re-reading Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s Love in the Time of Cholera in an attempt to find a quote to read at the marriage of a close friend later that year. The end of the book finds the protagonists traveling along the waterways, content in their newfound rekindled love, meandering down the river at an unhurried pace, savoring each other’s company.

“The Captain looked at Fermina Daza and saw on her eyelashes the first glimmer of wintry frost. Then he looked at Florentino Ariza, his invincible power, his intrepid love, and he was overwhelmed by the belated suspicion that it is life, more than death, that has no limits.
‘And how long do you think we can keep up this…coming and going?’ he asked.
Florentino Ariza had kept his answer ready for fifty-three years, seven months, and eleven days and nights.
‘Forever,’ he said.”

John’s proposal is now written in the front of the book. Although I have had my answer ready for far less time than the fifty-three years of Florentino’s wait, it was always, unquestionably, without a doubt, a “yes.”

Sarah: For months, I thought we were going to the outer banks for the weekend with some friends. Two days before we were leaving, Joe said ‘Guess what? We’re not actually going to the Outer Banks. We’re going to New York City for the weekend.’ He’d bought tickets for us to fly to NYC and had some other surprises up his sleeve, he said. He wanted to do something nice for me since I’d been so busy between work, buying our condo, and getting furniture. So, I packed for a cosmopolitan weekend in the Big Apple.

Well, little did I know… we get to the airport, the curbside checkin staff scan our tickets and say ‘DC to New York to Venice.’ Needless to say, I was thinking What?!?!?! Joe says ‘there’s something else I didn’t tell you. We’re not actually going to New York, we’re going to VENICE!’ My head was spinning.

We’d been to Italy together about four years ago when Joe was studying in Padova and we loved Venice. So, Joe had saved up for months and booked the trip.

We barely caught our flight to Venice because our plane in DC was delayed, but we made it and slept through the night on the flight. We got to Venice around 9am and Joe made lunch plans at the Hotel Cipriani on one of Venice’s islands. We walked to St. Mark’s Square and caught the boat to the hotel.

I’ve never seen a more beautiful hotel. In the back are gardens where rumors say Casanova would take girls to romance them. Today, they grow wine grapes there. We took a walk through and when we got to the end of one row, Joe grabbed my hand and spun me around.

He was down on one knee with a beautiful ring. I said Yes.

We drank Prosecco on the patio. And as they say… the rest is history.

Joe: While we’d been together for years, the decision to ask Sarah to spend the rest of our lives together came suddenly, not over time. The plan for how and where came together just as quickly – Venice. There was simply nowhere else that would do. So, I started planning around Christmas time. Now, we’d just bought a house, so I knew I’d need some time to save and plan for the ring and the trip without her noticing.

I spent tons of time researching the best places in Venice to pop the question. In the middle of St. Marks seemed to be everyone’s #1. OK, not bad -except for the 10,000 tourists shoulder-to-shoulder around you (and the 10,000 or so pigeons). I wanted something intimate and romantic, so San Marco was out.

Everyone’s #2 was… on a gondola! No way. For starters, I was terrified that I’d drop the ring into a canal! And then there’s the gondoliere – it might start out as romantic with him steering the boat and singing, but you know, after the novelty wears off, it would be my new fiance and I… and some stranger in a funny hat. Next.

During all of my research, I got well acquainted with Venice’s wonderful folklore – the characters that made the city their home were just fascinating. Probably one of the best known was Casanova. Reading about his (mis)adventures around Venice, I was struck by his descriptions of the gardens on the island of Giudecca. As fate would have it, they still stand today, on the property of the Hotel Cipriani. Once I saw that they were still as beautiful today, I knew I’d found the most perfect, romantic, intimate spot in all of Venice – and, I think, probably the world – to ask the question.

Booking the hotel, making lunch and dinner reservations (mostly in Italian – looks like that degree came in handy after all!) and booking the flight – all without her finding out! – was torturous. I was a nervous wreck by the time May rolled around! Two days before we were supposed to leave for “off-roading in North Carolina,” I couldn’t sleep at night, I was so nervous. Finally, when the Red Cap blew my cover at DCA, it felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Sarah looked like she’d been hit in the stomach with a sledgehammer, while someone else handed her the keys to a new Lamborghini. She was speechless.

We touched down in Venice, took the water taxi around the island, past Murano, later St. Marks, and got off on the other side of the Grand Canal and walked to the hotel. We checked in, but I hurried her along for our lunch reservations. We changed, walked to San Marco, and found the private boat launch I’d arranged. We rode in style across the Basin to the Hotel Cipriani, where I had made arrangements for lunch. First, I told her, I wanted to see the gardens. I told her the stories about Casanova, and we strolled through the lobby to the garden entrance.

We walked along a crushed-stone path among the grapes and olives, under an arbor covered in pink hanging flowers. The path and arbor came to a “T” at an old stone wall, with a marble statue tucked into an alcove. To the left, across the water, was Venice. I took her hand, and dropped to one knee.

When our eyes met, she said “Yes”.

Josh:
I wanted to pick a date with some meaning. December 23 was the 4th anniversary of the day we met. I know it’s not a date we celebrate (I even had to check with a friend to be sure I had it right), but that doesn’t make it less important. Annie and I met on a bus, on the way to the airport to go to Israel on a trip in college, sponsored by the Avi Chai Foundation. She sat in the seat behind me, and I remember thinking “this is a pretty awesome girl.” The rest, as they say, is history.

Annie:
When I walked in to the apartment on December 23 and Josh said “happy anniversary,” I was more than a little confused.” Remembering dates has never been Josh’s strong point, but we started dating in April, so this would be pretty far off, even for him. The “courtship” time between when we met on the way to Israel and when we started dating was an interesting few months. Josh claims that he was certain from that first day that we were going to be together. I took a little more convincing. But he was patient, and I came around, due mostly to his gambling skills. You see, that was the year the Broncos (his team) played the Steelers (my team) in the playoffs. Josh bet me that if Denver won, I’d have to take him out to dinner. And if Pittsburgh emerged victorious (which we all knew was going to happen), he’d have to take me out. I think we both agree that this was the best gamble we ever made. Usually, love is not such a safe bet.

Josh:
Annie thought I was working on the 23rd, but I had arranged with my office to have the day off. I spent the whole day shopping and cooking. I happen to believe that it was my cooking skills that eventually won Annie over. Four years ago, as she was starting to come around to my idea that we should date, I had her over for to watch the Superbowl (it should be noted that the emerging football theme implies that we follow the sport much more closely than either of us actually do. Perhaps it’s evidence of the lengths we were willing to go to play this flirtatious game). She has often remarked that my famous “stuffed sloppy-goppy burgers” were a selling point. But for dinner 4 years later, I went a little classier: Roasted garlic encrusted lamb, sesame green beans, twice baked potatoes, and a spinach and strawberry salad.

Annie:
I’d gone out to coffee after work with a friend, who we will call KL. Josh had said to call home when I was leaving so that he could “heat up leftovers.” When she had to leave right at 6:00, I called and headed home.

Josh:
Slyly, I had arranged with KL to take Annie out after work so that I could have a little more control over what time she got home to the apartment we share (major shout out is due to KL for all the assistance in the whole process). One of the most amusing parts of the evening came later when Annie apologized for having gone out with KL and messing up my plans. I don’t think she realized how much conspiring and plotting went into that evening.

Annie:
The whole thing hit me in waves. I entered the apartment to see a surprising number of candles on the shelves in our living room. My first thought was, “he went to a lot of effort to heat up leftovers.” Then I rounded the corner and saw even more candles on every ledge in our dining nook. The next wave of thought was “did I do something that he’s saying ‘thank you’ for?” I didn’t think making him a salad that morning was so special. When I saw the rose petals on the floor and table, I started to have a better idea of what was going on.

Josh:
I was sitting on the couch, waiting for it all to sink in. I figured that once she saw the apartment, there would be no reason to hold off with the question much longer, so I was ready with the ring box hidden behind me on the couch. Besides, if I had decided to wait until desert, I probably would have passed out before we’d even made it though the main course.

Annie:
The problem is that they teach the boys what they are supposed to do in this situation. Josh had his whole speech prepared, but since I wasn’t expecting the proposal for a few more months (I was convinced that he still needed to get the family diamond from his mom), I hadn’t given any thought to what I would do or say.

Josh:
Annie would have been a riot to watch if I wasn’t so nervous. She stood up, showing me the mail and telling me about her day until I finally asked her to sit down next to me. Then, as I was trying to get though the little speech I had rehearsed, which was hard enough to remember without her kissing me every third word, I finally had to ask her to stop until I was done (the only time that has ever happened).

Annie:
When Josh finished his speech (which I can’t remember, but he assures me was about how “every day for the past four years has been an adventure” and how he “couldn’t wait to spend the rest of his life on this journey” with me), he got down on one knee – like the gentleman that he is – and produced a ring more gorgeous that I could have possibly imagined.

Josh:
The first thing she said was, “really?”

Annie:
Yes, the first thing I said was “really?” – but “really?” as in “really today?”, not “really, you want to do this?” The look on his face told me he was waiting for me to say yes, and I was more than happy to oblige.

Josh:
The best part of all of it, the way that I know that the she is my b’sheret (a Hebrew word meaning “meant to be”) is this: the diamond at the center of Annie’s ring was given in a necklace by my great-grandfather Jules (after whom I was named) to his wife on the day of their daughter’s wedding. My grandmother gave it to my mom on her 21st birthday, and my mom has worn it around her neck ever since. She has always said that it would be mine when I was ready (with surprisingly little pressure for a Jewish mother) but it was only when I went to ask her for it the we realized the most amazing fact. The diamond’s first owner, my great-grandmother, who died when I was quite young, was also named Annie. When I gave it to my Annie, I told her that it “has always been, and will always be Annie’s Diamond.”

My soon-to-be-husband and I have been dating for somewhere around 5 years. We met originally as teammates on our college’s track team. Since then, he has become an officer in the Marine Corps and we have been doing the long-distance thing for at least three years!! I have lived in Fredericksburg, VA, Golden, CO, and Arlington, VA while he has been stationed in North Carolina, and has done extensive deployment training in Arizona, various bases in California, Germany, and The Republic of Georgia. He [*we*] completed his first deployment to Iraq this October.

For the holidays this year, I was only able to take a few days off of work. Since it was so short, I didn’t expect him to come home to NY with me, but he insisted that he wanted to be there with me and my family. So after he celebrated Christmas morning with his family in Middleburg, he flew from Dulles to JFK. I picked him up at the airport and he was especially happy to see me. When we got home to my parents’ house, we began exchanging Christmas presents. After he opened his gift from me, he handed me a Christmas stocking shaped like an ice skate. I am a part-time figure skating coach and totally obsessed with the sport, so that in itself was a sweet little gesture. The stocking was filled with cute little presents and at the very bottom was a jewelry box!! When I opened it and saw a diamond ring sitting there, I stared at it for about 5 minutes straight. When I looked up at him, he was down on one knee and right there in front of my family he said, “will you marry me?”!!!! I knew the diamond was so special to him because it was left to him from his aunt who passed away when he was younger. I cried for a long while before I could finally say “yes”. And he was down there on the floor the whole time – Poor guy!

My parents immediately got up and poured champagne for everyone. They served our in the glasses they had used during their own wedding reception.

My future hubby knows how much my family means to me and it was so special to have such a quiet moment at home like that!! I couldn’t ask for anything more “me”. We couldn’t be more excited to finally start our life together. It’ll be the first time in a long time that we live less than 6 hours from each other!

Thanks for sharing all your wonderful inspiration on your blog!!

<3 Carly