Sunday, November 13, 2011

Day 329 - Our Engagement Story

The vet student we had with us last week got married the same day we did.  Naturally, we shared our 'stories' including our engagement one. 

Here's ours.  :)

So, Matt and I met via Eharmony.com and our first date was in September 2004.  We broke up in September of 2005 and got back together in October of 2005.   We then broke up in January in 2006 and got back together in April of 2006.  After a really crazy couple of months and a very difficult weekend (that is another story all to itself) we broke up for the last time in January of 2007. 

For me, there was no doubt in my mind that our relationship was over.  It was done and time to move on.  Matt was convinced I was his wife, but let me go. 

We both dated other people. 

After several months apart, I was finally able to realize that I was really, really angry at Matt.  I wrote him an email and explained a whole lotta stuff to him.  He reciprocated.  Thus started a dialogue that led to a real friendship between us - one of the major things lacking in our relationship up to that point. 

After many months of this newly developed friendship between two people who knew each other really well, things started to change.  Matt became undeniably convinced that I was his wife and began to pursue me - gently but deliberately.

I was still dating a guy named Jonathan.  My relationship with Jonathan was very healing and helpful to me.  He enabled me to really laugh and be silly again - something that had been missing in the serious nature of mine and Matt's relationship.  But God began working in my heart and I was soon sure that Jonathan was not my future.

And I was still clinging to the belief that Matt was not, either.

I won't go into all the details of the months of October-December, but let's just say that those couple of months were absolutely the most confusing of my life.  :)

By late November I had refused a proposal (with a ring) offered to me by Jonathan and I had returned a ring (a plastic one) to a long time friend in order to put to rest any hope of future romantic endeavors with him.  And there was Matt, up in Maryland, with a ring on hold - just for me.

It really was the story of 'three rings' for me.  Crazy times.

Matt and I met again on December 8th, 2007 at Luray Caverns - the exact place of our first date.  We even wore the same clothes.  Dorks.

It was a date to determine if we did, indeed, have a future together.  And it was confirmed to me without hesitation that we did. 

The next Saturday was December 15th.  Matt had his final exam in his class that morning and was flying to Spain later that afternoon.  I had no expectation to see him until Christmas, when he was going to come to TN to visit me and my family. 

I knew we would be getting engaged soon and I told Matt that I did not want to be proposed to at Christmas and I did not want it to happen in front of other people (like my family.)

Matt called me once he was out of his exam and told me that he was recently having a conversation with his neighbor about the walkway lights we had installed at my back walkway.  Odd. 

A few hours later he called and asked me to go out and check for the wattage of the lights.  He told me that it was written on the side of the stakes going into the ground.

"No it isn't.  There is nothing written on the side of the lights" was my reply.

He insisted that I go and look.  I was frustrated and sighed but begrudgingly got up to go and look.  I was still in my PJ's and had not showered.  I kept Matt on the phone as I went outside to prove him wrong.

As I went down the steps towards the lights I saw an open black box sitting in the leaves in front of one of the lights.  In the box was a ring.  My ring. 

"Where ARE you?!?" I said into the phone. 

Matt stepped around from behind the garage and said something lovely and wonderful while down on one knee and asked me to marry him.  I said 'yes.'

He was only there a little less than an hour as he had to drive to Dulles because he really did have to fly to Spain. 

He took his exam, drove to his sister's house to get the ring (he had it delivered there as to speed this day up), and then drove to VA.  Then he drove to Dulles and flew to Spain for a week-long business trip. 

It was a crazy day but a good one.  This picture is the only true engagement picture we took because, as I mentioned, I was not showered or dressed in real clothes.  Ha.  :)

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