Chapter Three* …will you marry me? [Proposal: Part 3]

This is the story of how the Hubster and I met, fell in love and were married within 8 months…

….and lived happily ever after*

I know that many of you have been waiting for this chapter since I started writing out how the Hubster and I met. If you’re a new reader, you are welcome to read this chapter first as the ending is obvious (we’ve been married for nearly 3 years now), but if you’d like to see the rest of the story, you can read it HERE.

Proposal: Part One (pre-dinner)
Proposal: Part Two (dinner)

Tuesday, March 15th, 2005 (after dinner)

By this point in the evening it was nearly 7pm, and it was a chilly March evening. As we drove (and I waited for the car to warm up) I huddled deep into my black wool coat and rubbed my hands together inside my favourite white mittens. We were quiet as we drove back in the direction of my house, and as I leaned back into the seat I remember feeling so utterly at home with him.

He looked over at me bundled up like a little Eskimo, laughed and asked me if I’d like to go get a hot chocolate at our favourite little Tim Horton’s before we headed back. We often did this… it was just down the road from where I lived, it was usually quiet and hey, I heart chocolate and his company. Could things be better? I assumed that we’d get the hot chocolate and head back to my place and put on a movie or something like we usually did.

We decided to do drive thru to save some time, and once we had it in the car he started heading back in the direction of my house. As we approached my street I sipped my hot chocolate and waited for him to slow down to make the turn. Annnnnd I waited. I glanced over at him to see him staring straight ahead as if he was deep in thought about something so I figured he would do a man-thing and remember the turn 2 seconds before he had to make it.

…but then he drove straight through. haha! So, I immediately began teasing him for missing my turnoff. I assumed that he had been so deep in thought that he had just forgotten that he needed to turn. That’s when he turned to look at me, smiled and said:

Hubs: “Actually, I have something that I’d like you to see. I found something for you.”

My curiosity was completely peaked. I didn’t recognize the neighborhood he was driving through, but shortly after he pulled into a parking lot just outside a park.

Me: “A park? What are we doing here?”

Hubs: “Yes. Now look closely.”

Me: “What am I looking for? I don’t see anything…”

Hubs: “Look. Over there.”

Me: “What? I don’t see… *looks again* …SWINGS? YOU FOUND SWINGS IN MARCH??”

Let me explain. Most people wouldn’t be excited by the prospect of swings, especially not a 19-year old university student, right? WRONG. Swings are pretty much my favourite thing EVER. When I was little my backyard connected to a community park that had a huge swing set. I spent HOURS on that thing… I absolutely love the feeling of soaring through the air. It’s always had a really calming effect for me… once I get a good rhythm going and get some height I close my eyes and just swing. There is nothing like it. I still go on swings as often as possible.

So again–why was this so exciting? In March of 2005 I was living in the city, so playgrounds weren’t as easily located as they were living in the Great White North or in Btown. Also, because Canadian winters are so long and snowy most cities take down their park swings during the winter months so the swing sets look so bare and lonely. They don’t usually replace the swings until late May. The Hubster hunted through the parks near me in the City until he found one that still had swings up that weren’t completely covered in snow. So, needless to say, I was a little excited. :)

As soon as I saw the swings I ran for them with the Hubster laughing as he walked behind me. I was already swinging when he reached me, but he caught the chains and stood in front of me. He held my face in his hands and bent down to kiss me softly. Then, he darted behind me and gave me a HUGE push and I started soaring toward the sky. The stars were unbelievable that night. You often can’t see them in the City due to the smog, but the cold cleared the air and the sky was covered with them.

After about twenty minutes of talking, laughing and swinging he asked me if I’d like to go for a walk through the park. He took my mitten-ed hand and we started strolling along a path lit by streetlamps spaced every 50 feet or so. He suddenly got very quiet and thoughtful so I started singing some silly Anne Murray song that was stuck in my head to try and make him laugh. After about the 10th time I hit the chorus he stopped me underneath a street lamp and gently placed his hand over my mouth…

…and slowly bent down to one knee.

(if I was going to put a cliff hanger to this post, it would have been right there. haha KIDDING)

As I watched him bend down on one knee (and not to fix his shoe) the Hubster told me that my eyes opened to the sizes of saucers. Underneath the soft light of the street lamp he took my mitten-ed left hand in his, reached into his pocket and brought out a small, white box. Inside that small, white box was the most beautiful ring I had ever seen. He then looked up into my eyes, and said:

Hubs: “Shop Girl, I love you. I love being with you and spending time with you. I’ve been happier these past few weeks with you than I have ever been before… you would make me the happiest man in the world if you would be my wife. Will you marry me?”

The Hubster says I said yes seven times… but I’m pretty sure it was eight. :) He pulled off my mitten, and I said:

Me: “Oh crap! Where is my ring?!”

I wish I had said:

Me: “I love you! I love you! I love you!”

haha! Remember how I told you that he had been playing with my hands in the restaurant? The sneaky devil managed to get my ring off without me even noticing!! He started laughing and told me that he had a replacement for me, and slipped my new white gold, princess cut diamond ring onto my finger.

(You can click on pictures to enlarge them) (“Our lamp” right after he proposed…)

After only 51 days of being together the Hubster asked me to be his wife for time and all eternity. And when I said YES (all 8 times) there was absolutely no doubt in my mind that he was the person I wanted to spend my life with. And I haven’t looked back since. :)

Shop Girl*

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