We're Getting Married

I know what you're thinking. Nothing could top Friday night's bowling date night. Well, how about asking Lindsay to marry me? Yep. I did. She said yes. We're getting married.

I woke up knowing this would be the day I'd ask her to marry me. I've known from the first day that I met her that I'd marry her, but getting the moment just right and trying to make the moment I ask her perfect, was hard (but worth it). I suggested we go to lunch at Ray's Boathouse for lunch, as it was near a park that I thought would be beautiful for asking her. Lunch was great, and I suggested we walk on the beach at nearby Golden Gardens Park. Of course I had planned that we go to this beach, at this time, and just happen to have a diamond engagement ring shoved deep in my pocket.
We walked from one end of the beach to the other, stopping along here and there to admire the view as the day was warm and sunny and the beach was packed. Each time we sat down I thought "This is it. This is the spot.", but each spot failed to produce the magic that an 'ask her to marry me spot' needs. The worst one really failed. Lindsay and I sat on a log between the beach and the grassy park. I reached into my pocket to feel that the ring was there, thinking it was game time...until the real truth came out. Lindsay put it best, "You smell that? It smells like poo here. Yuck." She was right. Well that wasn't going to be the spot, and we moved on. I didn't want her to recall the smell of poo for this moment, the rest of our lives.
When we first walked down the beach we passed a spot, nestled privately between some grass, facing West Seattle across the water, and with a view of the Olympic Mountains, but it was occupied by two rather burly men laying next to each other embraced arm and arm in a deep kiss. Now, on the way back the dudes had vacated and the spot, and it was ours. A little house keeping to de-man the place and we laid down to a beautiful afternoon and whispering sweet nothings to each other.
Now I knew this was the place, now it was up to me to find the right time. Hours passed as I tried to get the universe to work with me and align everything just right. At one point I had secretly slipped the ring on my finger and hid it in my fist ready to say those 4 important words, only to have something douse my romantic fire with bad timing. Just as I was about to present it to her, the sun went behind a cloud and it got dark. No way was I introducing her to the big rock when it was gloomy out. Try again. Then, as I got the courage and the sun came back out a guy flying his kite started backing into our little sandy spot, nearly joining us in the moment. Try again. A quiet descended and the time was right, until the a freight train rolled by and downed any sound. Try again. A park service quad drove up and scolding the guy the next dune over about his camp fire. Try again. Ok, here we go...no wait. There's no way that I can interrupt her story about names of her cats, interesting, but no segway into marriage. Try again.
Finally, after the rainbow appeared and then disappeared overhead, the sun came out and it was time. I reached into my pocket, slipped it on my finger, took a deep breath listened to the silence, felt the warmth of the sun on us, and asked her if she'd marry me. She said yes. Quietly, confidently, she said yes and everything stopped as I took her hand in mine and with shakey hands slipped the ring on her finger. My heart was beating fast and a huge smile spread across my face, and hers, and everything was just as it should be. I knew as soon as I met her I'd marry her, and here we were, engaged.
We kissed, smiled, kissed, smiled and kissed a bit more enjoying the moment. It was good to stop hiding the ring, trying to keep her off the trail of my shopping (No it wasn't a trip to Radio Shack, it was a trip to the jeweler, dear!) and share with her the happiness that I'm so glad had finally unfolded.
As you can imagine, we're on cloud 9. I'm happier than I've ever been, and so thankful that somehow the universe conspired to let our lives connect. We'll get married somewhere near Dallas, sometime in the next 6 months or so as we don't see the need to wait. No other plans than that. Right now we're just being dewy eyed lovers.

So yes, this has been a good weekend. The girl of my dreams said yes when I asked her to marry me.