Will You Marry Me?

I recently saw something about a blog party on my friend Tawny's blog.  The blog party is hosted by Jen at mimi bella boo.  The party is to share your story of how you got engaged and what happened.  Thanks for this idea Jen.  With this being Valentine's weekend and all, I thought it might be fun to share.

Here's my story...

I spent the summer in Australia with my family.

I met a boy there.

Oh. Wait.  That's not my story.  That's Sandra Dee and Danny.
Please tell me you know what movie that is from. 

Our story goes something like this...

In August of 2000, my grandparents took my family on our first cruise.  Jake's family was on that same cruise.  Our families were seated next to each other in the dining room.  On the second to last night of the cruise, Jake's brother Dustin approached my sister and I, asking if we would pose James Bond style in a picture with him in his white tuxedo.  (It was formal night)  We giggled, and said yes. 

Don't laugh at our outfits, this was 10 years ago.  See the swarovski crystal tattoo on my arm? Remember those?

After meeting Dustin, he introduced us to his brother Jake.  My sister and I hung out with them all night.  We went line dancing, to the club on the ship, and we hung out after dinner the next night too.  They were great guys, and we thought it was too bad they lived in Idaho.  We exchanged emails, and I never thought we'd see them again.

7 months later, Dustin and my sister had kept in touch.  Jake and I exchanged a handful of emails, but that was it.  In March 2001, they drove to California with some friends during Spring Break.  My sister asked me to go with her one night to Huntington Beach, to meet up with them and have a bonfire.  I had a date, and reluctantly broke it off so that I could go with her.  She and Dustin had chatted on the phone quite a bit and she was eager to see him.  I said I'd go, but if she left me alone with this guy Jake who I don't even know, I was gonna kill her.  Of course the minute we get there, Dustin and Erika go off on a walk, and here I am with this guy I met for a couple of days nearly 8 months ago. 

Once Jake and I got to talking though, something just clicked.  I felt like I had known him forever.  We talked and laughed the night away.  We had so much fun sitting by the fire getting to know each other.   I didn't want the night to end.  My sister and I talked about those boys all the way home that night.  I was so happy when Jake called me the next afternoon to ask if we wanted to have dinner with them that night.  I got off the phone and did the happy dance.  They drove to my mom's house, and the four of us went to Miguel's Sr. for dinner.  Then we came back to my parent's house and watched Remember The Titans.  It was then that we had our first kiss. 

The next morning they were driving back to Boise and I wished Jake didn't have to leave.  I knew it sounded crazy, but I told my sister that night, "I think I'm going to marry him". 

Jake was still in college, finishing up his rotations for the pharmacy program.  We spent a lot of time talking on the phone, and sending mail and emails to each other.  In May he flew out for my birthday and met my whole family. I fell even more in love, and I cried for days when he left. I immediately tried to figure out when I could fly to Boise next.  I went for the weekend in June and met his whole family.  I was living with my best friend Kelly in an apartment during this time.  Before I flew there, Kelly helped me pack and watched me try on every single outfit I was going to bring. So nice to have your best friend also be your live in stylist help too right?

 We flew back and forth visiting each other for the next several months. 

On December 8, 2001 I worked in the salon all day.  I was super tired after work, but that night my family was all going to Huntington Beach to have a bonfire.  My grandparents were bringing their motorhome, and we were going to celebrate my cousin Timmy's birthday.  After work I changed into jeans, an oversized sweatshirt, and a beanie.  My boyfriend wasn't gonna be there, so I figured who was I trying to impress.

I talked to Jake on the way to the beach.  Told him I missed him so much, and that I wished he could come to all of these things with me.  He said he wished he could too.  He told me he had just finished up skiing at Bogus Basin, and he was going to go to Red Lobster for dinner with his Mom.  I told him I'd call him when I got home, and we said goodbye.

My family acted odd on the drive down to the beach.  My Mom had been frantically cleaning her house prior to leaving.  I had no idea why because no one was coming to her house.  When my Mom saw me she said, "Oh, you're dressed casual."  Yeah.  We're going to the beach right?  It seemed odd.  Why did she care how casual I was dressed? When we were about 10 minutes from the beach, my Dad called to tell everyone.  Again, odd.  We don't usually announce our arrival. 

As soon as we got there everyone else seemed to be acting odd.  My Grandma and Papa gave me the biggest hug, all my cousins were staring at me, they all threw a bunch of beach chairs in my arms, and told me to hurry and bring this down to the fire pit where Uncle Dave was sitting. I looked at everybody and just thought what in the world is going on?  I told Timmy Happy Birthday (this was his party remember) but he just kept smiling at me.  Weird. 

So I drug the beach chairs down to the fire pit, looking back over my shoulder a million times to see my entire family all huddled next to each other smiling and shooing me on.  I get down to the fire that they said was ours, and there was a man sitting in a chair with his back facing me.  The man did not look like my Uncle Dave so I thought this must not be it.  I turned around to ask my family which fire pit, and they all waved their arms at me and said go on, go on.  I started to set the chairs out, and all of a sudden that man sitting there got up and turned around and smiled at me. 

It was Jake!

Here, in California!

Not at Red Lobster in Idaho.

He was here...

...and he was getting down on one knee!  I was shaking, and I just couldn't get past the fact that he was here.  All I could think of on the drive to the beach was, I wish Jake was here.  I wish Jake was coming to this bonfire at Huntington Beach, where we had our first date.  And here he was!

I don't remember verbatum what he said, all I know is he said he knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me, and then he asked "Will you marry me?" 

I said "YES!!!!"

After we had our moment, and I slowly began to believe that he was actually here, we made our way back up to the motorhome, where my family was clapping and yelling and hootin' and hollerin'.  Then I saw Jake's Mom come out of the motorhome and give me a hug.  I couldn't believe she was there too!  It was such a suprise. 

That's Diane (my mother in law) in the red sweater.  In the top left picture I was saying to her that I can't believe you guys are here!  I can't believe I had no idea!  I really thought Jake went skiing today!

It meant so much to me that Jake had my whole family in on it.  And now, looking back, it is so special that my Papa (my Mom's Dad) was there to celebrate too.  He was a great Grandpa, and an incredible man.  He passed away from lung cancer 7 years ago.  It's hard to believe it's been that long.  That night, Papa popped the cork on the champagne, and filled all of our glasses.  With the whole family gathered around he raised his glass and toasted to us.  It was such a special moment.  I will never ever forget it.  My grandparents have 11 grandchildren.  I am the oldest granddaughter, and the first to get married.  It was a special day.  It kills me that I do not have a picture of my Papa from that night.

Left to Right- Diane, Jake, Me, my Mom, my Dad, my brother Drew, and my sister Erika

Jake, Diane, my Grandma, my Uncle David, and my Aunt Glenda

There's a little story that goes with the picture above.  My Grandma has always told my sister and I that there are just two kinds of diamonds.  Omigods, and canardlys.  What are those you might ask?  Well, Grandma says omigod, is for when you see a diamond that is so big and beautiful you say "Oh my God".  And when you see one that is not so big and beautiful, it is probably so small you can hardly see it,  a canardly.  Grandma said I definitely got an "omigod". 

After our champagne toast, and lots of hugs and congratulations, the whole family was hitting the road.  I was still like, what?  You are leaving now?  What about Timmy's birthday?  They laughed and said this was not for Tim's birthday, and now we're leaving and you and Jake are staying the night in the motorhome alone.  What?  We were?  My sister had packed me a bag, and Grandma and Papa were going to pick us up in the morning and we were going to meet up with everyone again for brunch at the Yorba Linda Country Club.  Another fun suprise! 

I was so incredibly excited to be staying the night with Jake alone.  And do you know that within 5 minutes of everyone leaving, he was passed out asleep already!  I guess he had been a bit stressed, and nervous, and he was worn out.  So I stayed awake all night staring at my beautiful ring. 

The soon to be Mr. & Mrs. Hass at the country club in the morning.

Again, do not laugh at my jeans, shoes, or shirt.  It was a LONG time ago people.

That's my Papa with the white hair.  I know you can't really see him, but this is my only picture of him from that weekend.  I wish I had one of us with him.  The rest of the people in this picture are my cousins, and my Uncle Tim.  I think Papa and my cousin Matt were watching a "game" on his little tv there.

My Mom's good friend Anita took engagement pictures for us at a golf course in Temecula. 

And on July 13, 2002 we became

Mr. & Mrs. Jacob Hass

It was a happy day.

It's been a happy almost 8 years of marriage.  Now one house, one dog, and two kids later, I don't think I could be happier. 

I knew I was gonna marry him...