In the words of me...: The Proposal

5 Years ago the man I love asked me a very special question. I love sappy love stories, so do you mind if I share mine with you? :) I'm going to start at the beginning....

When I was little, we lived in New Hampshire and Massachusetts for about 9 years of my life (from 2 years old to 11 years old). My fondest memories there are of playing in the woods, discovering new "forts", peeling bark off the white Birch Trees to write secret messages on them, long bike rides with my family and most of all, walking down the beach at Plum Island. Plum Island is a barrier island off the northern coast of Massachusetts where the Parker River and the Merrimack River flow into the Gulf of Maine.
Anyways, it's a beautiful beach. I used to tell my parents that one day I would get proposed to on that beach. I would daydream with stars in my eyes and envision walking barefoot hand-in-hand with a handsome man. In my childish fantasies, everything was perfect. My long curly hair (yeah, I wish!) would be flowing in the wind and I would be romantically swept off of my feet when he would kneel down and say those beautiful 4 words...."Will You Marry Me?"

Fast Forward

September 7th, 2004- Thomas and I had been officially courting for 6 months and we were in Boston for:
1)A KGM (Kindom Global Ministries) conference
2) Scott and Brooke Sailor's Wedding-(Larry Titus' granddaughter)
3) A Rangers/Red Sox game at Fenway Park
and 4) A week with my parents at my family's cottage on the river outside of Newbury, MA.

Thomas and I had planned a "6-Monthiversary Date" for that special day. After a relaxing morning at the cottage and swimming off the dock in the FREEEZING river, we got all fancied up to eat at a beautiful restaurant called The Kiwi Grille (now called The Mission Oak Grill). This restaurant is located inside a renovated, old, New England Church and is a very "la-dee-dah" kind of restaurant. You know,the kind where they put the napkins on your lap, there are no prices on the menu and the food looks so pretty, you don't want to eat it!
After dinner, we left the restaurant and Thomas began driving toward the coast. When he told me he wanted to go walk the beach with me, I remember my heart pounding because the only good beach around was...you guessed it! Plum Island! Thomas swears to this day that he had no idea of my childhood dream.
We walked over a creaky wooden dock and stepped off onto the soft, damp sand. The beach was completly deserted on that cool evening. The weather had been very cloudy and overcast all day, so the setting sun was hidden behind grey clouds and there was a thick, romantic fog in the air to add to the private ambiance. And get this! Because of the extreme humidity, my hair (which I had straighted that day with my CHI), had magically transformed into pretty curls! I've never been able to get it to do what it did that night...Boo.
Anyways, I held my breath because it was almost too perfect! Everything I had every dreamed about was happening. And I promise, nothing is exaggerated for dramatic effect. :)
After walking hand-in-hand down the beach for several minutes, we found a large log that had drifted up from the ocean and sat down to watch the waves for a while.

Then, he starting talking. He told me how much he loved me and how he had prayed for his wife for years. He spoke of qualities and standards he wanted her to have and how I met each and every one and suceeded his expectations. He told me that he wanted nothing more than to share the rest of his life with me and then...got down on his knee to say those amazing 4 words. And I said "Yes!"

Mushy, huh? I am still amazed at how everything I every hoped for came true that night. I truly believe that the Lord will give you all the desires of your heart if you seek Him for them......

This pictures are pretty grainy, but fun to look at...