An Anniversary

Twenty four years ago today, Bill and I got engaged.  With all the engagements and wedding plans going on around here, I can't help but reminisce.

This is the only picture taken the night Bill asked me to marry him.  It was at my sister's house, and thankfully she had the presence of mind to pause amid all the excitement and snap one.

This is where it all happened.

(On our 12th wedding anniversary we brought the kids along and snapped a few pictures.  March 2000)

I knew it was coming.  Bill had called and said he hadn't gone to work that day, and I immediately suspected that he had spent the day shopping for a ring.  He asked if I wanted to go out that evening.  Of course I did.  After a stop here and there (I think we went to the mall so I could buy my dad a birthday gift), we ended up here.  At the Old Farm.  A little community of town homes off of 700 East.  We were going to feed the ducks, he said.

We got out of the car and went around to the trunk.  He had two brown grocery bags full of popcorn, with the tops neatly folded over.  He handed me my bag (I noticed that he was careful to give me the "right" one).  We walked over to this little dock, and started feeding the ducks.  It was getting dark as we chatted and tossed our popcorn.

I felt the box at the bottom right away, but I played along, wanting to drag it out as long as possible.  Then I had a thought.  Wouldn't it be funny IF... I put my hand into the bag, held on to the box the ring was in, and then just dumped the popcorn crumbs into the cold, dark pond??  Bill would totally panic thinking I had just dumped that ring in right along with the crumbs... he may even try to go in after it... it would be funny, wouldn't it?

I decided I had better not, and instead played surprised as I finally pulled the box out of the bag and said, "What's this?"

Of course, I said yes.

Then we drove by my sister's house (she lived the closest, and remember... this was WAY before cell phones -- we are so darn old) to share the news.  Afterwards, we stopped by Bill's parents, and then made the long drive back to Bountiful to get my parents out of bed to give them the good news.  

They were as thrilled as two-parents-being-pulled-out-of-bed-late-at-night-to-find-out-their-daughter-is-marrying-a-guy-she's-only-known-for-2-months-and-it's-only-been-8-short-months-since-their-last-wedding could be.

Happy engagement anniversary, Bill!  

If I had to do it all again...

I would have pulled that nasty trick ;-)