Part One

We decided at the beginning of this school year that we were going to get married next summer so that we could move together when he graduates. So, I knew a proposal was around the corner, but I just didn't know when! We would LOVE to have a fall wedding (and I could think of nothing better than a Thanksgiving dinner reception)...and I figured that since we couldn't get married around Thanksgiving, we'd get engaged then! So, it made perfect sense that Matthew would propose over Thanksgiving, yet I was completely unaware and surprised!!

We decided to go ring shopping together on October 20 and after a very long day of scouting out 7 jewelery stores, we knew we had found THE PERFECT ring. We found it at Sullivan's where we had such a wonderful experience in a low-pressure atmosphere with a soft-spoken salesperson. I never wanted a big diamond ring and have always loved sapphires. We wanted something that was conflict free and as Matthew says, "As an economist, to buy a diamond is to sell your soul. The folly of the diamond cartel suffocates the freeness of the competitive spirit and the essence of economic philosophy." Finding a ring with a center sapphire was no small feat and at Sullivan's the jeweler said, "No problem! Let's just look at diamond settings to see what you like and then we'll take a Sharpie to it." Seriously! We found a couple settings that I liked and then Staci took out her blue Sharpie and colored the diamond to give us an idea of what it would look like! Both Matthew and I immediately fell in love with this one particular ring and it was pretty much a done deal! Little did I know, though, that Matthew went back to Sullivan's that very weekend before heading back to Gainesville to put the down payment on the ring!




I knew that before a proposal would happen, Matthew would have to talk with my mom. Anyone who knows my mom and me, knows that we tell each other virtually everything. But, she kept her lips sealed tightly for nearly two weeks! Matthew told me that he was going to be house and dog sitting for a couple in Gainesville, but he really was coming home, picking up the ring, and meeting my mom for an 8 am coffee talk! I didn't have ANY idea! What's more is that my mom was such a good actress whenever I would bemoan the fact that he hadn't spoken with her, or made arrangements to get the ring!!




So...now to THE STORY...




Matthew had asked me to set aside Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, as he knew I had the day off from school. He wanted to take me on a picnic. At first, I was irritated by this idea because I wanted it to be a proposal picnic, but knew it couldn't be one since I had NO IDEA that he had the ring and the talk behind him. He also was set on going to the beach for our picnic - a place I don't care TOO much for. He came to pick me up at noon and brought me Thanksgiving flowers to "sweeten me up." And it worked!!



We arrived at Coconut Point Beach at about 1 pm and proceeded to find the perfect spot by a sand mound that doubled for a seating area where Matthew suggested I sit so he could take my picture. I didn't think this was anything out of the ordinary because we take a million pictures together all the time. He snapped the picture and then asked me to close my eyes so he could set something up. Again, I didn't suspect a thing because I took him on a picnic before and asked him to close his eyes while I set up a candle. However, when he asked me to open my eyes, I discovered this hand painted sign:
This all happened so suddenly! I scanned the blanket and saw the word "marry" and knew what it was without fully reading the words. Immediately, Matthew went down on one knee, took my hand in his, and began saying all these wonderful things, culminating with, "Will you marry me?" But, I didn't expect this. It all happened too quickly! I asked him to stop. I was even thinking in my mind, "I can't hear a word he's saying right now, but I know he plans everything he ever says that's important. I'm sure he has this written down. I'll just ask him later what he said." I said, "Of course I will," but what I had rehearsed in my mind a million times before this pivotal moment was, "Yes. Yes, a thousand times yes!" which is what Elizabeth Bennett says when Mr. Darcy proposes. Later, when I gathered my wits, I drew my reply in the sand:
We hugged there on the beach for a very long time after the proposal. I was mostly astonished and kept asking, "How?!" "When?" Then, I made him redo everything so that I could capture it with the camera (which, by the way, we took 95 pictures of our engagement day!). Here is an instant reply:
After I calmed down a bit and settled on the blanket, Matthew brought out the sparkling grape juice AND fall inspired paper goods. We had our first toast of the day (there would be three in all) with the sparkling grape juice and I made sure the picture was taken to show my beautiful ring: