So really I meant to do this a long time ago... and when I say I meant to do "this", what I mean is I meant to propose a long time ago! Many of you have been waiting for the story for quite some time now so to all of you, we appreciate your patience!
Tamra and I have been shopping for that perfect shiny ring for quite some time now... ok so maybe I shouldn't say "Tamra and I", more like SHE has been shopping for THE ring for her left ring finger constantly since about 3 months ago. She has spent hours, days, weeks, and yes, even months researching Moissanite stones due to the fact that she knew she did not want a diamond because of where they come from. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, and if you're curious, do a google search for "blood diamond.") Anyway, luckily I didn't have enough money saved up yet, so we had plenty of time to shop around. We toured the city malls for Jewelry stores and learned all we could about her precious Moissanite stone ring. As my brother Shawn would say, "to make a long story short" I'll cut to the chase. (thats the point but how can you tell a
short story about getting engaged!!??!! :o)
Was I nervous to pop the question? Let me illustrate the answer to that question with a video...
September 21st, 2008 we parted ways as I hopped on a plane headed to California for an 8 day seminar (PSI Seminars; Principia) just days after I ordered her ring...So before taking the trip to California where I rode that zipline, I had decided to be as creative as my little peanut sized brain could muster and put together a fun little idea to prepare Tamra for that day when I would ask her to marry me. I just knew she would love it and by the time I got home she'd be raring to say YES! So here's what I did:
Sunday morning I left bright and early (she dropped me off at the airport at 5AM!!) The night before my departure I left a letter with each of her good friends and some of my family. Their assignment was that on the day of their letter, they would call or text message Tamra and tell her they had a "package" that she needed to come pick up. So essentially she had one letter for each day I was out of town.
I just knew she would LOVE that, but I wanted this to be BIG, about as big as the rock she picked out... So I remembered we had a "birthday photo album" that we had started this year for our birthdays (which are 2 weeks apart) but had not yet completed. I printed off all of the pictures that I could find for our birthdays, inserted restaurant menus, and other items that would make it meaningful. I decided to give that to her towards the beginning of the week so she could remember what I looked like while I was gone and just hoped that would work in my favor! ;o) To top that off I purchased a full size, leather-bound, 6 picture per page photo album and printed every good picture we had taken together that I could find from the 2 1/2 years we have dated! I'll mind you thats a lot of pictures.
So the letters went exCEPtionally well, the birthday photo album on tuesday went even better, but the full 2 1/2 years of memories on Friday melted her to the core. Needless to say we were SO excited to see each other Sunday night when I got home the next week. Unfortunatley however, the ring had not yet arrived. I emailed the company who was supposed to ship it and they told me it wouldn't come until the following Monday, so thats what I told her. But guess what!?! It came the very next day.
I knew she wouldn't be expecting it so I devised the perfect plan:
Friday morning, October 3rd, 2008 was going to be the day we remember for the rest of our lives, and I really wanted to make it count. I purchased 5 dozen roses, some were white with red tips, some were white with orange tips, and a dozen of them were in a beautifuly placed wedding boquet. I had pre-arranged to plan a date with Tamra for Friday night because she's been so busy I hadn't been able to see her for 2-3 days! I was so excited!
9am: Friday 10-3-08.
She gets a call saying she had a package and needed to come pick it up right away! The funny thing was that it wasn't the office conveniently located near her classroom (she's a high school teacher), she had to walk outside about 100 yards to get there. You may be able to imagine her surprise when she sees 2 dozen beautiful long stem white roses with red tips sitting behind the counter. So after all the compliments from the office staff, she walks outside and starts walking towards her classroom hefting this heavy glass vase thats almost as big as she is! Of course, just her luck (or mine...he he he) the busses start to roll in! Cat calls, shouts, and praises fill the air from the bus drivers and the kids in the bus. She said she was SOO beet red and embarrased because she still had about 96 yards to go before she reached her classroom. So she's about to round the corner and nest in her safe empty classroom when all the office ladies, teachers, and a few students run out to see the roses and ask her tons of questions. I'll let her tell you more of those details later...
6pm I get home from running my errands for the day in preparation for that night's date, and she's there waiting for me. We chilled at home for a while and had planned on going to the temple to watch a movie (budget=free stuff only) and I didn't really tell her what else I had planned. I tried to not make a big deal about it because I wanted her to be completely surprised. So before we left, we dipped some chips in my mom's amazingly tastey home-made chili bean dip, and then headed out the door. I made sure to remember to bring my picnic blanket and of course, THE RING!
So we drive to the Mesa Temple, go on a new tour they have for families, and then I mention just wanting to spend some time with her on the grass. I took her to the very spot we met in April of 2006 and spread the blanket out. As we sat there talking, we were approached by this guy that was about our age, carrying a wedding boquet of flowers, and called Tamra by name. He said "Uh... I have a delivery for a 'Tamra Chantry', is that you?" She was like "ok this is weird, yeah thats me." He gave her the roses and went on his way. As she is admiring the boquet of white roses, a white carnation, and other white flowers with lots of greenery, I reach under the blanket and pull out this card. As I gave it to her I asked her if she would please read it out loud. As she's reading the card and all the reasons I love her (and still knowing that she would be distracted) I grab a tinfoil wrapped object about the size of a red brick.
I slowly unwrap it and get on one knee. As she finishes the card there is a white piece of paper taped over the last two words of it, upon removal of this white piece of paper she reads "marry me!" and looks at me completely stunned! (her mind is so analytical that all she can think about is that I don't have the ring yet, and how could I be proposing, although that is what this looks like....) So she's done reading the card, she looks up at me, I'm down on one knee and holding this cheezy beanie baby stuffed FROG! I think at first she thought it was a joke and was getting upset at me, but then she noticed the ring around the frog's neck on a shiney gold ribbon.
Without hesitation, I asked the words neither of us will ever forget: "Tamra, will you make me a prince and marry me?" She was so amazed that I had the ring, just then she heard a camera click from behind the bushes, she started to look around and noticed that we weren't alone!
Among the confusion and distraction, I didn't hear her answer and started to worry, so I had to ask again! haha, she said "yes" and we stood up for some pictures. Then my friends left (thanks Jacqui and Josh) and we took a moment to just enjoy each other.
12am Friday night (or Saturday morning, depending on how you look at it) I am walking her to her door. She tells me "today I have felt so much love from you, more than ever, I have never gotten so many roses in all my life, and I love you so much!" I tell her I'm glad because she made me the happiest man in the world today and as soon as she opened the door I started walking back to my truck. She stopped me and was like "Kelly, did you do this?" and I said "do what?" and she said "you mean you don't know about this?" and I said "know about what?" Haha she told me to look inside the door and I did. This is what I saw:
A steady path of white roses with orange tips, layed perfectly on the floor, sprinkled with hershey kisses, in a path to her room. So just when she thought it wouldn't get any better, it did. She was floored by the amount of love she felt from me that day and I was overwhelmed with gratitude from all of my friends and family that helped make it happen as smoothly as it did. I love her and I can not wait to marry her and spend the rest of Eternity with her in my arms.
January 10th, 2009 can't come soon enough! Love you babe, see ya real soon!
Kelly "kBlock" Householder
