engagement anniversary.
I just realized I missed our engagement anniversary – January 7th! I’m sad that I forgot about it. 
We didn’t celebrate it last year or anything, but I think we at least acknowledged what day it was. So two days and two years ago on a beautiful beach, Funnel asked me to be his wife.
It was one of my happiest days.
I can still remember the details of the weekend – our first plane ride together, Aunt Amanda’s amazing grilled cheese sandwiches, skipping down the beach, tying yarn around my new ring so it wouldn’t slip off.
In honor of our engagement anniversary, do you have any romantic proposal stories to share? What are some of your favorite ones? How did you or your family members get engaged? ((I’m a sucker for proposal stories.))
January 9th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Go to smellthecolornine.wordpress.com to read a neat engagement story. I believe it’s under the title “sweetheart” or something, with a picture of a ring. It’s the story of how Robby’s parents got engaged.
P.S. Things are going much better for Robby and me. : )
January 9th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
emily knew alan was going to propose to her. it was the night before her graduation, and seeing as they had been dating for a little over 4 years- she was very ready. i helped alan make some arrangements, and then emily made me come over and help her get ready. she wanted to wear a flowered purple sun-dress (which I think is adorable) because she really liked it and it was comfortable. alan told her to wear her black dress she wore to prom- so in the end she did. he picked her up and took me home, and then they went to dinner downtown at mitchell’s steakhouse or something fancy; afterwards he took her on a carriage ride. they were riding along and he said “what are all those white cars doing over there??” she said “what white cars?” and turned to look and when she turned back he was on his knee.
they went to her house first to show her parents, and then they came to my parents. my window in right by the room, so when they got there alan rang the doorbell and emily knocked on my window so i could see the ring first! it was all very exciting. i remember thinking how old I thought she was, but she was only 18. too young. but it worked for them.
Amber posted a note on facebook awhile with a couple links and one was of a proposal- personally i want that proposal or one like it- but really if i have the right guy i don’t know that i need to worry much about the proposal. i hope you enjoyed my story.
January 9th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
My mom and dad will be married 16 years this Feb.28.They went to Las vegas to get married.so this pass summer we went by Las Vegas see the place the chapel they got married in!!I thought thst was really cool!
See ya
Barb
pS If You ever go to Las Vegas don’t go in the summer it was about 110 degrees.But it was really neat
January 10th, 2008 at 7:26 am
Brent’s friends Tara and Nate just got engaged around Christmas.
They went to a Handel’s Messiah concert and about halfway through Nate “started feeling really sick” so they had to leave. Tara was mad because she loves the Messiah. So they got outside and Nate “bent over to throw-up” but really he was getting down on one knee and he proposed. He hired a photographer to capture the moment and arranged a carriage ride through the city.
When she was telling me this, she ended with “He better take me back to The Messiah this Christmas. Its my favorite and I missed half of it! But getting engaged was MUCH more exciting.”
January 11th, 2008 at 6:23 am
ahhh.. I love these stories… all of them. I don’t think I have ever heard a proposal story that I didn’t like!
When my parent’s got engaged, my dad didn’t plan it ahead of time or buy a ring or anything. It was just a couple of months into their relationship and they were playing frisbee in the park and he asked her out of the blue, “will you marry me?” They got married just a couple of months later. Quite the whirlwind romance. Around the time that I got engaged, he told me that he wished he had done something more romantic but I think there’s something really romantic about realizing you want want to marry someone, and asking them right there and then because you simply cannot wait any longer!
My cousin Leslie, who got married last summer, has a cute story. She was b.f.f. with Jeff Timmons (from 98 degrees!!) in high school, and he was playing a benefit concert in Massillon a couple of winters ago. Leslie went to the show with my Aunt Bobbie (who is also close to Jeff) and at one point Jeff called Leslie up to the stage to serenade her in front of everyone. He started singing and then another voice joined in and she turned around and it was her boyfriend Gregg! He proposed to her on the stage, in front of everyone.
I’ll see if I can think of any others…
— jen
January 11th, 2008 at 9:44 am
Congratulations on your 2 year engagement anniversary
My story goes like this… My husband is in the Air Force, and we were in a long distance relationship for about four years. We broke up for 6 months, but remained friends. Eventually we realized that our friendship went much deeper than platonic friendship, and we got back together with the understanding that we would get married. Unfortunately, our timing was a bit off and Colby deployed a couple of months later, before he’d had time to buy a ring and do a “proper” proposal. We still considered ourselves engaged, but it was very hard when people would ask to see the ring and I could tell they didn’t take it seriously.
Eventually the months passed, and Colby came home from his deployment safe and sound. He flew from Washington to Louisiana to help me with my drive up to Washington where we had bought a house. The days passed during his visit and still no proposal. It was hard, but I tried to stay positive and trust in his timing. Finally, I gave up hoping that it would happen that week and just focused on enjoying our time together. On the Friday before one of our showers and an engagement party, we went back to our college campus and wandered around for hours, visiting old stomping grounds, eating ice cream, and stopping by Mike the Tiger’s cage! After some time on the parade grounds, Colby asked if I wanted to go for a walk on the levee, by the river. I said of course, so we went downtown and walked hand in hand for a while.
We got to a place in front of the Hilton on the riverfront where we had decided to spend our wedding night, and I asked Colby to point out which room was ours, since I knew it was facing the river. He stood behind me and pointed to one of the rooms, but dropped his arm before I could see which one he meant. When I turned around to ask him to tell me again, he was down on one knee with my gorgeous ring, telling me all the things a girl wants to hear from the man she’ll spend her life with! Without any hesitation, I said yes, and he proceeded to drop the ring where it bounced a few steps down the levee and toward the river! After just a minor heart attack, he reclaimed the ring and slipped it on my finger where it has resided for the past 10 months
I’ve loved reading everyone’s story, and thank you for asking us to share–what a beautiful collection of stories!
January 11th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
What a sweet idea Jen – you can’t beat a good love story! Surprise proposal’s, impromtu ones – long aquantainces (Like Anne and Gilbert) or quick ones – like your Mom and Dad! They are all really cool. I’ve really enjoyed reading these. Thanks for sharing them!
This is the tale of the journey of the little diamond on your engagement ring:
Dan and I were poor college students in Grand Rapids, Michigan: but we were madly in love and hoping to get married. I was 18, Dan was 26. We dreamed of our future together, but understood it may have to wait a bit. In the Fall of 1980, Dan borrowed a motorcycle from a friend, and on a Friday after our classes were over, he picked me up for a date. I love riding on the back of a motorcycle with my buddy!!! We stopped by a local little mall and looked at stoneware and a pair of zebra canaries that we hoped to buy someday. The park was our next destination. We walked hand in hand around for quite some time, and under a flowering dogwood he took me his arms. “If you could have anything in the world right now, what would it be?” he asked me. Thinking for just a moment, my reply was “I’d just love to be engaged.” Before I knew it, I was looking at an opened white velvet box, with the sweetest little diamond ring I had ever seen!!!
Later that evening, we dressed up and he took me out for a nice dinner. Over candlelight – he gave me a hand written note from his Mom in Ohio that said:
“This diamond has shared many joys and sorrows with me, and now I joyfully give it to Dan to give it to you. Dan’s Dad sold a cow to buy this diamond for me in 1948, and it has witnessed many wonderful blessings from the Lord. May it continue to be a legacy. As you now wear it, know that we love you and welcome you into the Frederick family!
Love, Mom Frederick”
By the time I finished reading the note, I couldn’t see because I had tears streaming down my cheeks.
Later that evening, we had a tradition called “candle light” at my college dorm. I had given my diamond ring to my R.A. – without anyone knowing I had gotten engaged that evening! Right after midnight, Karen went up and down the halls, banging on the doors yelling “Candlelight! Candlelight!” A circle of pajama clad sleepy college girls congregated in our meeting room, and in the dim light – a single long candle (with my ring attached by a ribbon) made the rounds as we all sang a song. When the candle came to me, I blew it out! Squeals and applause! Then the engagement story! Then the real fun – all the college guys were waiting outside as Dan climbed the obligitory pole, rang the bell – and then was thrown into the pond by the guys. It was awesome!
We were married by a little creek on June 27, 1981 – my parents anniversary date.
Thinking back to this time is such a sweet memory!
We gave Nathanael the diamond for Jen’s ring two years ago – and we hope that little diamond continues to see many joys!
January 14th, 2008 at 10:26 am
hey! i stumbled onto your blog and i thought i’d say hello! congrats on your engagement anniversary, that’s so sweet!!!
i spent some time reading through old entries, and i came across your entries about Cape May. It was so weird seeing where i’m from through the eyes of someone else!
) you took amazing pictures of the place, and i hope you keep coming back! if you are ever looking for fun things to see and do, let me know and i’ll let you in on some local secrets! 
)
xo
January 14th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
Aww that story about the diamond is so sweet!!
January 14th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Brent and I were on the Mackinac Island for the weekend when I asked when he thought we might be engaged (this was July, we had looked at rings in December). He said within 2 years. I was pretty bummed but let it slide.
The next day we were finishing up a 8 mile tandem bike ride and 121 stair hike to Arch Rock. We were riding into town and took a detour by Mission Pointe Resort. We got off our bike and headed over to a pretty gazebo. A lady was inside reading so we started back to the bike. The rain and wind picked up and the lady left. Brent suggested going back over to the gazebo. I was standing it in and he was on the steps tightening his shoe laces/down on one knee. I was gabbing about how people get married in the gazebo and how it would be a pretty place for a wedding, when he interrupted me, took out the ring and asked “How about a nice place for a proposal? Will you marry me?” In disbelief, I asked “Are you serious?!?” before squealing “YES!!”. I was shaky and laughing as he slid the ring onto my finger. Just as I was saying “I wish there was someone around to take our picture” a family rode up on their bikes.
Brent had no actual plan. He had put the ring in his backpack and thought about proposing at Arch Rock but we were both kinda crabby after the hike up to it. His parents knew about it and before I left for vacation, I commented to them “I’m kinda nervous, we’ve never taken a trip together before” and they reassured me (with knowing grins), that everything would be just perfect. Haha, they were so right!
January 15th, 2008 at 7:08 am
Thanks everyone for sharing these beautiful stories! I love all of them. Here is ours..
Funnel and I had started dating in October 2004. We were in love and had known the other was “the one” since the first week of our relationship, but we also had 2 years of school left (and our schools were an hour apart) and were poor, so we knew we had to wait. As Debbie once put it, we were “emotionally engaged” for a long time, and I was so anxious to make a public commitment to this guy who I had already made a commitment to in my heart, but I understood it couldn’t happen anytime soon.
In January 2005, one of Funnel’s best friends from Word of Life Bible College was getting married in Florida and Funnel was going to be in the wedding. My parents bought us plane tickets for Christmas to fly down and go to the wedding and I was really excited — it was our first trip together.
We flew into Florida on Thursday afternoon, the day before the wedding, and we went to the rehearsal dinner and rehearsal, and then we had to part ways – he went off with the groomsmen and groom and I was staying with the bride and bridesmaids for the night. I did not get to see him until about 7:00 the next evening – at the wedding! (which is a long time apart, especially when I didn’t know any of the girls beforehand. But I ended up having a really fun time with them). I was so excited to finally see Funnel – he was so handsome as he came down the aisle. Immediately after the wedding, Adam Frederick (Funnel’s cousin) came and picked us up at the church and drove us to his house. It was fun meeting the Florida Fredericks.
The next day, all the guys went to the driving range, and the girls went shopping for some bonding time. When we all got home, Funnel asked me if I wanted to go to the beach with him. I was relieved because we had been so busy doing our own things that I hadn’t even gotten to really catch up with him since before the wedding.
We borrowed a car and drove to the beach. It was nice because nobody was there. The sun was starting to go down and it was really peaceful and beautiful – we even saw dolphins off in the distance. We walked for awhile down the beach and goofed off and took pictures of ourselves.
Then we saw stairs leading up to a little wooden deck with benches and Funnel pulled me over there, saying he wanted to sit for a little while and watch the sunset. We talked for a while and then he stood up and pulled me up and hugged me and we just stood there for awhile hugging each other. He was talking about how much he loved me and how wonderful the last year had been and then he said, “I know you worry about me changing my mind, or something happening to us. What could I do right now to assure you that that will never happen?” Then got down on his knee and pulled out a little black velvet box and asked me to marry him. It was lovely. I hugged him for a long time and didn’t even look at the ring until he put it on my finger. It was beautiful – 3 diamonds – one of which belonged to my mom, one that was Debbie’s (and Shirley’s before that) and one that Funnel had bought me. I switched my little fork ring to my other hand.
We called our parents, and I started crying when I told my mom what happened. It really seemed real, saying it out loud to her. When we got back to the car, we opened cards that Funnel’s parents had sent along with him (In Debbie’s she said how the diamond has seen many joys and many tears, just what her mother-in-law had said to her when she passed it down) and then we stopped at the Waffle House for dinner before heading back. We were both so giddy the whole time. It felt really surreal.
We decided to get married that October – in the same month where we fell in love.
— jen.
January 16th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
I think you meant January 2006?
January 16th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
Yeah… 2006. Darn it. Thanks Sarah!
January 17th, 2008 at 5:27 am
I go to school at Asbury College in Kentucky. It’s a pretty small school. I’m studying creative writing and business management – two very different topics, the latter of which I think is going to put me in my grave. But it’ll be a great accomplishment when I complete it all! A spoonful of optimism helps accounting go down