Lisa's Ramblings: A Tuesday Night Proposal

I'M ENGAGED!!!

So here's the story that everyone's been waiting for! Sorry it took so long to get this posted, but with only nine weeks to plan a wedding, I've been a little preoccupied to say the least. I apologize to those friends who had asked me to tell them how it all happed and I hesitantly declined and told them that it would be easier if I could write it all and then they could read it instead of me retelling the story 100 times. Those of you who have been engaged know exactly what I mean when I say how quickly you get tired of telling the engagement story over and over no matter how good it is.

I will start out by saying that despite how obvious all the events were leading up to the life changing question, I did not see it coming.

It was a Tuesday, so like any Tuesday, I went to work. When I got there, my coworker told me that Dave was just there and he left something on my desk. I was confused because I had just spoken on the phone with him and he didn't mention dropping anything off at my work. What I found on my desk was a small handheld video camera and a note. The note said:

I'm sorry all this work stresses you out. I'm sorry sometimes I don't understand. Help me. With this camera, record a few minutes a day in your life so I can see all the exciting or not exciting things in your day. I LOVE YOU! Dave.

Now before you get as confused as I did when I first read this, here's the back story. If you have read any of my previous posts, you would know that I worked two jobs. You would also know how stressful and crazy my life was during that time. I am also writing this in past tense because I have since quit. I will explain all that at a later time so that only one story is being told right now. But for the past 5 months, David has put up with my mood swings, mental break downs, and lack of time to spend together. He is so sweet and I am a lucky girl to have him. Anyway, about a week before I got the note on my desk, I quit my second job for various reasons but still had 2 weeks to finish up there and at the same time commute from Lehi so the stress level was kicked up a notch. My initial thought when I got the note was, “This is a weird but sweet way of Dave reaching out to me trying to cheer me up and understand what's going on right now.” I left it at that and went back to work. A little later, my coworkers and myself were called into a meeting and toward the end of it, another coworker knocked on the door and told me that there was gentlemen here to see me. Of course I thought it was Dave, so when I walked into the area I work in, I was surprised to see a tall, skinny kid holding a bouquet of roses. Before I could say anything, he asked me if I had the camera. I had to think for a moment to remember what he was talking about but then it came to me and I got it from my desk. He told me to turn it on and start recording. In my confusion, an enthusiastic coworker (by now a number of people had begun to gather) volunteered and grabbed the camera and began to record. Before I knew it, I was standing red faced while the kid read the note that Dave wrote. I thought about writing what the actual note said on the blog post but I decided against it. Remembering the reactions from the others listening is enough to know that some people just won't get it. And why should they? It was full of inside jokes and silly things Dave would say but if you didn't know him may sound, well...weird. Plus having the mono-toned kid reading them outloud didn't help either.

After the note was read, I was somewhere between amused, flattered, and completely mortified. Somehow though, I was able to get back to work and focus again. But before I did that, I tried calling and texting Dave to tell him thanks and how embarrassed he made me and received no answer to either. I brushed it off and decided that telling him in person would be better anyway.

Two hours later, in comes the same guy with a bigger bouquet of flowers. My face returned to its former shade of pink as he read another even more embarrassing and awkward note while being recorded by another entertained coworker. I was left completely speechless. If this was Dave's attempt to be sweet, the roses would have done well. Now I knew he was going above and beyond to get a laugh and a good story. I tried calling him again to ask him what he was thinking, but again, no answer. At this point, many coworkers were teasing me about how Dave was going to propose and I had to keep shooting the comments down really truly believing that this was not was was going on. I just laughed and forced myself to brush off the gestures as Dave being Dave and wanting to be silly.

Two hours later, lo and behold, same guy, more floweres, same protocol, same red face, same crazy note this time filled with Seal lyrics and sappy lines meant for a romantic comedy. As cute and sweet as it was, it was now becoming too much. Had I known what was to come, I would've soaked in all that cute and sweetness, but I was not longer thinking Dave was doing all this for the message of sending me love and support. What I was thinking, is no reflection of Dave. It is just a perfect example of my negative thinking during my especially stressful state. What I was really beginning to think was, Dave did something bad. Couldn't really think of what he could've done, but all the flowers and over the top public cheesiness was totally out of character so I began to make up things in my head. Needless to say, getting back to being focused on my job was a hard thing to do after that. Dave was still not texting me back or returning my calls so I had to stop myself from getting irritated by thinking, “He's obviously NOT ignoring me...”

He was definitely not ignoring me because two hours later, on the dot, in comes a different guy with an armful or yellow flowers and a note in hand. It was the fourth time and by then, I was really thinking this was an early apology for something. Once again, no reflection on Dave, just a perfect example of my negative thinking. He was still not answering or texting me back so that further solidified my idea that he was just waiting to apologize in person. I feel so bad now thinking back at how I couldn't give Dave the benefit of the doubt and I could've just really enjoyed the day that I would remember forever. But instead I just caused myselft worry and anxiety and finished up the day at my first job very much distracted.

I had never hated going into my second job as much as I did that day. Instead of being able to get off work and meet up with Dave and figure out what the heck was going on, I had to go back to work, sit at a desk and answer phone calls like nothing was going on. I was pretty distracted at this point thinking about all kinds of scenarios and all the things I would say when Dave would finally answer his phone or text me back. But my thoughts were inturrupted about an hour into work because I was suddenly presented by the same last guy with TWO more bouquets of flowers. I was dumbfounded. Since the camera was still in my car because I thought that there would be no way he would send flowers to my second job, I whisked the guy out of the office and had him follow me back into the parking lot to get it. As he read the note, I laughed, felt less embarrassed due to the lack of audience, and my anxiety began to decrease a little. I started to think that this should be expected from a guy like Dave. Afterall, it will be a great story to tell. After the flower guy left, I decided to calm my irrational thoughts and wait to hear the explanation from Dave himself. I focused back on my job and before I knew it, the last two hours went by and I was getting ready to clock out. I did find myself thoughout the last two hours, looking back and forth to the door and anticipating the next arrival. But no one came. As I walked to my car, I decided to text Dave and let him know that I was leaving just in case there were more flowers on its way as the pattern would suggest. I didn't expect a response also in accordance to the pattern but within about 30 seconds I heart my text alert sound. It read: “Wait!” I laughed to myself and rolled my eyes and texted him back asking him if I should turn around since I had just left the parking lot. He again quickly replied that said to turn around and go to the back of the parking lot. As I drove to the back, I looked around for another awkward guy holding flowers ready to read a ridiculous note while being recorded. But instead I saw David's car and him standing out in front of it. He was holding a red long stemmed rose.

He had a mischevious look on his face so as soon as I pulled up to him and he opened my car door, I raised my eye brows and said blantantly, “What did you do?” He laughed at me and asked what I meant. I repeated my question with the same demanding tone and look and he laughed again and said, “We're celebrating!” I now rolled my eyes and asked him what we were celebrating. As soon as I asked he began to sink down to what should have been his knee but I immediately grabbed him by his elbows and lifted him back up and I begged him not to do this... Let me explain my actions.

For the past couple months, David had found a new pastime in teasing me with fake proposals. In the most random places he would tell me things like, “I need to ask you something...” or “Lisa, will you...” or “I have something for you...” He would always accompany these remarks with either pretending to pull something out of his pocket or starting to go down on one knee. I had gotten used to his teases and even warned him that if he kept it up, that I would never think he was being serious even when he really was. And thats exactly what happened.

As I was saying, I started to pull Dave back up and he must have known what I meant when I said not to do it because right then, he pulled out the little box and opened it up for me to see and finally understand what was going on. As soon as I saw my ring and realized what the whole day had been about, I burst into tears and cried. I'm not talking a couple of tears of joy but a real sob. Somewhere in between my pathetic crying, Dave managed to tell me that he loved me and wanted me to be his wife. He then asked me if I would marry him and after composing myself a little, I finally got out a yes.

And that's how it happened.