I want to remember this for all time, and go into as much detail as I'd like -- and the wedding post is already getting SO LONG -- so here goes!)
To rewind: James and I had already decided we'd get married this summer, and we'd even set a date. I believe I'd already booked the Iroquois Club, and purchased a dress!
So at one point, as July 26 drew closer, I just asked him, flat-out, some version of: "Do you want to skip the whole 'actual engagement' thing? I mean, I know it's forever, you know it's forever, we're having a baby together, and about to host a wedding ... finances are tight. You don't have to like, get down on one knee or buy me a ring right this second -- we could always get to that later. Somewhere down the road. Do you want to wait?"
Romantic, I know.
I expected him to say, "Sure, that makes sense. I'd be happy to get you a ring someday. Cool." (Or something!) He's very easygoing, and he usually agrees with whatever I throw on the table. We're pretty reasonable as a couple.
But in reality, he put up some pretty tough resistance.
I don't remember exactly what he said, but it was basically like, "Nope. You stay out of this. Maybe I've already beaten you to the punch, and I have some sort of idea in my head, and you need to get out of here. Don't try to make a plan. Let me do my thing. Please."
OK then.
(Can't blame me for offering, can you?)
So, I did as I was told and I backed off. Maybe a ring WAS in my near future after all, who knew?!
I mean, I knew he'd been browsing ... he even ducked across the street while I was at Future Ford, finalizing my SUV purchase the month or so beforehand. But I had no idea he was actually close to buying something.
SO, one day he suggested going to Calaveras County on our upcoming Saturday or Sunday, perhaps for a little day trip. (We went to Calaveras last summer, and had like, theeeee most magical time, playing among the big trees and getting absolutely CHARMED by the tiny town of Murphys).*
*Seriously, if you live in or near Northern California, go visit! It's such a gem. One of my favorite places I've visited out here! Wine, hikes, trees, foothills -- what more could you ask for?
... But then he was like, NAHHHHHH (on the whole day trip). And we didn't end up going. I forget why. I did think to myself at one point, "Maybe he'll propose in Calaveras!" But once it was off the table, I was probably too pregnant-tired to care. "In due time!" I told myself, and promptly forgot about it.
Maybe the next weekend or so, he suggested going up to Tahoe. This wasn't out of the ordinary, as we frequent the LT area on a semi-regular basis (especially now that we're in Rocklin! Truckee is like, only 60 miles away). Our coworker Richard told us about this spot called Bonsai Rock, and it looked gorgeous from his pics. I was in.
We woke up pretty early (for us) on that Saturday, and headed up I-80. Traffic wasn't bad, skies were clear, it looked like a nice day was brewing. We arrived pretty quickly, and walked down to the beach to get a better view.
Bonsai looked gorgeous. And the lake absolutely shimmered, per usual. It was pretty chilly, for NorCal anyway, so no one was really out and about at 11 or so that morning. Even the sun wasn't going crazy, so I think James and I were really the only people down there -- on that part of the beach at least.
We walked around for maybe 45 minutes to an hour, just climbing around the rocks and lounging on the boulders. Tahoe is the best.
It felt like we might be heading back to the car soon, as we had snapped all our pics and tooled around the area for long enough ... but Jimmy was being such a snuggler. We were standing together, with him behind me, just looking out over Lake Tahoe -- and he was so sweet, whispering cute things in my ear, telling me how much he loved me or how precious I was -- rubbing my shoulders and my head, the whole nine yards. I was just soaking it all in, being out at one of my favorite places with my favorite guy.
Suddenly, his voice dropped to more of a hushed tone, and he instantly sounded more serious.
...
It was in that moment that he told me he NEVER thought he'd be in this position. He could never see himself wanting to spend the rest of his life with another person -- he just wasn't sure it was in the cards for him. Or if he did do it, he always thought it'd be like, he was resigning himself to the idea. Like, maybe he'd just get married because that's what people do.
But this wasn't that, he said.
Not by a long shot.
I was so touched by his words, I can't even tell you. Time almost seemed to slow down. I was just taking in every second, hanging onto all of it. He choked up. I choked up.
See, I've always known he was my person. From probably WAY too early on, I've known it for certain: If we could just be together forever, we'd be the happiest two people alive. Under any circumstances. We could live in a box! With a fox! Eating rocks! As long as we had each other.
We were made for each other, and it's just as simple as that. Love at first conversation.
Back to the scene in Tahoe, he went on to tell me how much I meant to him, and how much he wanted me to be his wife, and how in love he was, every moment of every day. When he turned me around to face him, I thought it was just for a kiss.
But he got down on one knee, said a few more words, pulled out that little velvet box, and OF COURSE I said yes!
Like I said, the venue was BOOKED! We were on a schedule! Hahaha.
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| A selfie (doesn't Lake Tahoe look beautiful in the background?) right after it happened! |
But ohmygosh ... he bought the prettiest ring I'd ever seen in my LIFE! I didn't give him a ton of hints or direction. I think I'd said things before like, "simple is better, I do love rose gold," but not much else.
I can't even describe. I still catch a glimpse of it when I'm typing or driving, and I think, "is that really mine??!?"
I love it so much. But I love what it represents even more, in ways I'll never be able to put into words. He's my rock. My love. The best listener I've ever met. My calming force. The funniest person of all time. Truly, my whole heart.
Are you dying yet, at this ginormous sap-fest?
So, with that, we went out for theeee most romantic, candlelit lunch -- right on the water! -- and gazed lovingly into each other's eyes ... oh wait, none of that is true.
We're a little bit more basic than that!
In reality, we drove over to the Peppermill in Reno (ahahaha), where he put money on the Preakness ponies and I dropped big Ds on MSU (football and basketball). And I walked around the casino and called people with the news, and tried to take pictures of the ring but there was bad lighting -- and then we got hangry and went to Jimmy John's. (Again, this is more like how we roll)!
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| A Snapchat of my rang! |
We don't have JJ's in Sac, so we each got a sammy, then each bought another to take home for lunch the next day! We considered staying the night in Reno but, nah. It was only a short drive back!
And THAT, my friends, is the story of our engagement. We were married about two months later in the tropical destination of Detroit, surrounded by our friends and families. And in three more months, we'll be parents!
Love that Jimmy. He's a keeper for life.
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