Ok so I know this news is almost a month old, but... I am still excited about it... and in that excitement I have decided to try and keep track of as much of the next year as I can.
First I should probably start back in January... This is when we "accidental" started to look at rings. We were at the mall in Ames so Dave could get a hair. As we walked past a jewelry store and Dave said he wanted to go in and look at watches (which he never wears), and yet he walked right past the watches and stopped at the engagements rings.... I could help the great big huge smile I had on my face. I tried to play it cool, but come on we all know I AM NOT COOL!! We just glanced at the rings, and then we walked to the Master Cuts or whatever it is.... On the way to the hair place I told him all I ever wanted was a round solitaire. Nothing else with it. No side diamonds, just the main one. After the hair cut we stopped at the other jewelry store, and actually had them pull some rings out that we could look at closer. And that was it.
About a month later he came back from a business trip and told me about he had stopped in a jewelry store "to kill time" and he saw this ring that he thought was pretty cool. He described it to me and I was like... well I don't know it wasn't what I was thinking about it, but I would have to see the design in person. And that was it for that moment. Of course I kept dropping hints here and there about just looking, but not to often. I knew when he was ready it would happen.
Well I didn't have to wait to long because at the end of February we were in Ames yet again to run some errands. We had lunch and were going to go to Target which was right across the street for the place we had lunch, but when we got done he headed in the wrong direction. I asked why and he just gave me some lame excuse. Next thing I know we pulling up in front of the locally owned jewelry store downtown Ames! Again I had the biggest smile and I couldn't hide it.
We went in and we talked with one of the employees at the store. He offered to give us a little course in diamonds, which was amazing since neither of us had any clue about diamonds at all! And hour later we knew all there was to know about diamonds... like did you know that some diamonds will glow blue under black light? (it is rare, but it does happen, and it has no affect on the cost of the diamond) It is true, mine does!! It is kind of cool!
After looking at a number of different loose diamonds with and with out magnification, we decide on 3 that we liked, and then moved on to settings. I found a couple that I liked, and then I found one that I loved! They didn't have at the store, but they had a book that had it in! It was amazing. It is what is called a tension setting. There are no prongs holding the diamond in place all that holds it is the pressure of the ring. They offered to order a sample in so we could see it in person and we said yes please.
We stopped later that week when they got the sample in. I put it on my finger and knew that was my ring. Of course I did look for a few other settings, but Dave knew that was the one I loved, and even though some of the other options didn't cost as much he didn't want to consider anything else.
So we left without ordering the ring. Which I was ok with... We had talked about it and we both said we thought when he decided he would propose it should be a surprise. We I surprised a week later when he told me that he stopped in and looked at more diamonds, and thought we should go down again. So we did... We did a final decision on the diamond. He found one that was gorgeous!! The salesperson asked if he was ready to pull the trigger and Dave said "Not right now, I am still deciding if I want to keep her around or not." The customer stand down a little ways from us looking at rings start laughing! I have to admit I thought it was a typical David response!
On the way home we started to talk about dates, and who we would have in the wedding party and general wedding stuff. We decided before he even order the ring on the date, oh and probably a few other details too, like reception site, rehearsal dinner site, menu, colors, flowers... You know all the small stuff.
And I waited, and waited, and waited... thinking that maybe someday I would get the ring. Do you know how hard it is to keep a secret like? Do you? It was agony... I did pretty good. The only people that knew before I got the ring were our immediate family. Parents and siblings.... and I continued to wait. I thought maybe by the end of March, but March 31st went without a ring... Not even a word.
Then his parents went out of town for a weekend, on Friday I came home with a horrible headache. Dave kept coming up while I was in bed asking me if I was feeling better. Which was odd for him, usually he just leaves me alone when I am not feeling good. As he was getting ready to go out to the farm he suggested we go in his parents hot tub thinking it might help my headache. So I was feeling a little better and went out to the farm, and hung out with him for awhile. He kept asking me if I wanted some wine, or a beer, which I didn't. After we had some dinner and were getting ready to get in the hot tub he suggested I get some wine because it would be nice to have a glass while we were relaxing.
So after being in the hot tub for about 45 minutes I go in to go to the bathroom and refresh my wine. I asked him if he wanted me to grab him some beer from his cooler while I was in there and he said no he had to use the bathroom to and would get it then. Which was weird, he always always is trying to get me to get him beer, but whatever. So he goes and does his thing, and when he comes back he has his hand under a towel, and sits down.
He then asks me if I still want to marry him, I kind of shrugged and said Well... it depends on what day you ask on. Most days yes... There are very few where the answer would be no. I guess 99% of the time yes.... (before you think I sound horrible... this is a joke we kind of have), today I guess the answer is yes. He laughs and said I figured since you seem to keep talking about it (and just to be clear here, he talks about it as much as I do!! He won't admit it to anyone but he does).
Then he asked me to come over and give him a kiss, which is something I have never heard him say before. He NEVER asks for kiss. I have to beg and beg for kisses. So I went over and gave him some kisses and as we were kissing he pulled out the ring. Of course I start crying, and can't speak for a second. When I get under control I asked him if he was asking me to marry him and then he said the words I have waited a long time to hear. "Will you Marry me?" Of course I said yes, and I made him put the ring on my finger!
So that is the story of how I got to finally plan a wedding... more on that later.
