reflections on...getting ENGAGED

Well, for some of you this may be more of a surprise than for others, but yes... it's official! I'm now committed to marry an absolutely wonderful man that I adore and that treats me like a princess. And, more importantly, I'm marrying my best friend and the one person that I feel i can trust with anything and everything I have, I am, or want to become.

While I had expected this moment to come, and built my life around the expectation of finding "the one," now that the moment is here, it hardly seems worth all the build-up of stress and anxiety over the years. In reality, things just came together and time passed by like nothing was out of the ordinary. We found each other in very different stages of life, yet within the first couple of encounters, we were able to cut through all the superficiality of casual conversation and learn about each others' life experience. And, within a short time, we knew that this relationship was going to be more significant than just another friendship.

So, you're sure to want to know how things happened.

The day before Valentine's, he gave me a beautiful arrangement of flowers, claiming he wanted to give me an early gift because he didn't know how long they would last inside the big plastic wrapping they had put around it. I took it home and it makes the most perfect center to my dresser with my favorite colors and a variety of flowers that any girl would love:


That night, we headed to the Stake Valentine's Day dance, and tore up the dance floor to the amazing live music alongside a bunch of friends from the singles branch. It was a really fun and entertaining night and, after returning to Dave's house for some late night Wii bowling, I was dead tired and crashed before the party even ended and had to be half carried to my car to go home for the night.



The next morning when Valentine's rolled around, it just luckily enough turned out to be a Saturday. We went out for a quick but fun breakfast at IHOP and then made plans to meet back up for dinner later on in the evening. I had a hunch that something special might happen, but with the flowers from the day before, I kinda thought maybe he would choose some other day. But, as we sat through breakfast and he was incredibly nostalgic and almost emotional, I started to realize that THIS Valentine's would be different from all the rest. I got ready and, knowing that we were going to the Symphony, got a little dressed up.

He came to the door with two big red boxes... the one long one contained a full dozen red roses, a majestically starting to bloom and fragrant as a rose bush. I was amazed at the new beautiful garden that adorned my room, but didn't have a tall enough vase to really accent the long stems, though I refused to cut them much and ruin the special beauty of their graceful height.




We headed to dinner which was...well...wonderful. We ambled around downtown until deciding to go to Ambrosia, a modern, upscale downtown bar that has a separate room for fine dining with mostly specialty fish and sushi. They had set up extra tables in the area that was usually the dance floor/bar in anticipation for the special day and we were able to get a great table and enjoyed a candleit dinner. I was kinda thinking that, if anytime would be the time, it would be at dinner...but no. Just good conversation, amazing food, a couple pictures, and a lot of nostalgia as we recounted dating histories.


From there, we had some time to wander around and went casually window-shopping at a nearby art shop before heading over to the symphony. Dave a little more talkative and interactive, but kept stopping midsentence to look in my eyes and tell me that I looked really beautiful and that he loved spending time with me and that he loved me.

At the symphony, I was ecstatic to see the program included Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. I had seen the advertisement just talking about the Ravel's Bolero number but was really excited to see one of my favorite compositions of all time there live by a professional Symphony Orchestra. They handed out crysanthemums to all the women as a gesture of Happy Valentine's and we settled in to see a great performance.


During intermission, Dave wanted to "walk around a bit" and we slowly made our way to the hallway. Rather than heading to the lobby, though, he turned towards the corner of the building and a bank of windows overlooking the street 2 stories below. He commented "I love architecture...." and when I looked completely puzzled back at him due to the fact that we were looking at asphalt below and clunky square office buildings on either side, he just said "i could look down forever...". Then, as we talked a little more about how nice it was to spend time together, he said that his heart was telling him that he was ready to make things permament, that he wanted to spend every moment he could at my side. He got to one knee and asked me if I would be his bride forever, someone to hold his hand, someone to take care of him and be taken care of by him, and someone to form a family and future with. And, as I emphatically and with tears streaking my face whispered YES, he slipped my ring on my finger and then hugged me so tight I could barely keep my feet on the ground. We asked the usher to take some pictures which, sadly, didn't turn out so great due to the nasty lighting in the corner and the fact that she moved the camera every time it was about to take the picture. But, this is my favorite one, with my now almost permament smile




We decided to try and get some on our own and this really captured how close I felt to Dave at that moment and how special his company was to me...during what would otherwise have been just another intermission.


So, while it really is just a symbol of our love and he could have given me a simple string and it would still have had the same significance, I am nonetheless blessed to have a beautiful ring that I chose to wear as a mark of my new status and being off the market for good...



It was the most wonderful Valentine's Day of my life, and one of many I plan to spend beside my sweetheart.

And, in a few months, I hope to truly celebrate this connection with my family and friends as we will be making a sacred covenant to form an eternal family in the Bountiful Utah temple. There will be a lot of planning and details attached to that day, but for now I am holding dearly to the feeling of contentment and peace I feel at making this decision for a man that I love. I had always envisioned jumping up and down and seeking to shout to the whole world that I had found Mr. Right. But, in reality, I am just filled with a sweet acceptance and calm happiness that makes the world melt away as I sink into Dave's arms and know that I am loved, that I am in love, and that I have found a love that will remain in my life forever. And, while I love sharing this with all of you and with those that have yet to find such a beautiful connection in their lives, the greatest excitement I feel does not have anything to do with my wedding plans or any sort of festivity but rather with the lifetime of memories and wisdom-filled experience that my handsome sweetheart and I are beginning to accumulate. Life is short, but time spent in the arms of one you love is time invested and I'm grateful that we will have all eternity to continue to grow and express that love for each other.


We have started a website (it's far from complete because we just opened it) to help keep everyone appraised of the wedding plans. Visit us and please leave comments on the guest book at:

www.daveandkristine.com