March 09, 2010

Sunday night (the 19th of Jan), Nick and I went to a movie, and out to dinner. At dinner, we started talking about weddings, and engagements, and other things of that nature. Nick has been hinting that we would be getting engaged "soon"...for about 6 months. I was just trying to feel him out on how much longer it would be. He asked me when I wanted to get engaged, and I joked with him, "How about tomorrow?" :) He said jokingly back, "okay, tomorrow!" We both laughed about it--we're always joking around and saying silly stuff like that, so I never actually believed he was serious! He then said, "Well, I'm going to have to do all these grand, romantic gestures to throw you off, because anytime I do anything remotely unusual, you're going to think I'm proposing!" I made sure to tell him that I didn't need a grand romantic gesture, I just wanted something personal.

So, anyway, we made plans to meet the next night, watch a movie, and make dinner together. We joked around again that we were going to get engaged, too, so we had to make time to squeeze that in, or whatever. Just silliness.

Well, I got to his house on Monday night, and all of the lights were off. It was kind of unusual, but I noticed Nick's computer light was on, so I didn't think much of it--he's usually in his room, doing computer work, and often forgets that it turned nighttime on him. :)

I get to the front door, and there's a note on it that says, "come in, take your shoes off, and find the note on the tv". I'm just thinking, okay, weird. So, I open the front door, and there are candles EVERYWHERE. And there's romantic music playing on his stereo, and I just start laughing. I'm thinking this is a big joke because of the night before! So, I find the note on the tv, and it says that I'm going to go on a scavenger hunt, and he's hiding so don't look for him, and announce what clue I'm on, so he knows when to come out, etc. So, I follow the clues, and with each one are some pictures of us in our relationship (when we met in China, some of the dates we went on back home, our trip this summer), and notes about what his feelings were then. Really romantic, really personal...and still, I'm not thinking a thing. The last clue was in his room, and he had a card and a note on his computer. I read the card, and it really threw me off. It was saying how he knew I was expecting something for Christmas, but he didn't want me to be disappointed when I was opening gifts on Saturday, so he got me a little something else instead. I am thinking a ring the whole time, so naturally, I assume that he didn't get it for me, and he's just giving me a "consolation gift". Well, actually, he was referring to the TV I asked for for Christmas!! (sneaky Nick!!) So, then I look at the computer, and it says that he is so glad that God had given him a Proverbs 31 woman, and Proverbs 31 was written out, and at the end it said to come into the living room, and he would give me my present (still, not thinking a thing!).

So, I get out there, and he's sitting on the couch, and he hands me a little box and says, "this is something that you can use this week". I'm thinking its earrings or something like that. So, I open it up, and there's a jewelry box inside, and I open that up, and there's the ring. Honestly, I was shocked. I don't really remember exactly what I did, but I'm pretty sure it involved shaking hands, a gaping open mouth, and some "oh, my, word"s. He pulled the ring out of the box, and got down on one knee, and I lost it. I started crying, and he said, "don't cry, or you'll make me cry!" Then he said, "Allison, I love you so much, and I want you to be my wife. Will you marry me?" (That was the first time he told me he loved me...he had wanted to wait until he was proposing to the woman he was going to marry.) Of course, I said, "yes!"

After that, we hugged and kissed, and laughed, and I was so shocked! We called my mom, and his mom, and shared the news with them. The whole thing was so special, and perfect. Very personal, just like I said I wanted. Nick is so thoughtful.

Well, there it is. "The Story". I've told it so many times, I'm sure that it doesn't make perfect sense anymore. But, it's still fun to tell and relive that moment. Until now, probably the best moment of my life. Many more to come after this, that's for sure.