September 12, 2003 was the night I had dreamt of for years. There were times I never thought it would happen. I had given up on the dream for a time, but 10 years ago the man I'd prayed for most of my adult life asked me to be his wife.
My husband and I met in November, 2002 and went on our first date a month later. After only 2 dates he bought a Christmas ornament that said "Our First Christmas Together, 2002" that he didn't show me until after we were engaged. After only about 4 dates Steve was telling his best friend since 3rd grade that he'd met "The One" and was asking his nieces how they'd feel about having me as an aunt (I'm only 6 years older than the oldest).
In February, 2003 he told me he'd turned down a job he'd wanted for years because it would mean moving to CA and "There's someone worth staying for." (Never mind I was a flight attendant with free flight benefits so we could've made it work). He didn't tell me about the job offer until after he'd turned it down.
In March, 2003 we talked about how we knew we were going to get married, but (in his words), "I'm not ready to ask you, yet." Since we were 26 & 36 I was a bit confused as to what he was waiting for (we both had jobs, he was established in his career, he owned his house, etc. so I couldn't see what he was waiting on). Even before the conversation I knew what he was thinking because 3x in a week he'd mentioned he wore a size 10.5 and wanted a solid gold band.
From the time of that conversation I mentally started calculating WHEN we could get married. I'd have thoughts like "Ok, if he asks me by April we can get married in September." When April came and went it was, "If he asks me by my birthday we can get married in November." I tortured myself with those thoughts for MONTHS.
In mid-July it was HOT (Phoenix in July is it's own brand of crazy stick-your-head-in-the-oven HOT) and we decided to walk around the mall that was across the street from my apartment to take advantage of the air conditioning. While we were there he ended up taking me into a few jewelry stores. I was so nervous I ended up trying rings on my right pointer finger! :) Silly Heidi.
I found a ring that day, but he told me to keep looking to see if there was anything I liked better. (Our deal was that I'd pick out the setting, but he'd pick out the diamond).
A few weeks after we'd gone looking at rings he had a rough day at work and called the person who'd offered him the job in CA and asked if it was still available because he was interested. I found out about this when I was on a layover in the Las Vegas airport and was listening to a voicemail from him where he ended his message by saying, "As for us, we'll still be together. I guess it just means getting married earlier than we'd planned." I was thinking, "Um . . . I don't know what you're planning, but I'm ready NOW!" I joke he proposed to my voicemail that night :)
About this time my parents moved from my hometown in California to Arizona. Because of commitments in CA my dad stayed behind there for a few months while my mom moved earlier to start work.
Over Labor Day weekend we had gone to his best friend's wedding reception and had tickets to see "O" at the Bellagio while we were in town. (His friend lived in a suburb of Las Vegas). I had thought for sure we were getting engaged while we were there. WRONG.
That was all just the background. Here's where the story gets good :)
One Sunday in September we were back at the mall across the street from my apartment and stopped back in to the jewelry store to see if I still liked the ring we'd first seen a few months earlier. While we were there Steve started looking at wedding rings for himself (He surprised himself when he liked one that wasn't solid gold, as he'd previously thought. He also found out he wasn't a 10.5)
The next night my mom and I had dinner because Steve met with his accountability partner on Monday nights. While at dinner I asked my mom if she wanted to see the rings we'd picked out so we went to the mall. We walked in to the mall and headed straight for the jewelry store my Steve and I had been at the day before.
When my mom & I walked into the store we were helped by the lady who had helped Steve & I the day before. The lady recognized me and said "Oh! I have your ring right here (on her finger). I need to put it back because someone else was just looking at it." My mom suggested I call Steve and tell him he needed to come buy it before someone else did. The saleslady said, "Yes! Call him!", but I refused. I didn't want to call and say "Come buy my ring before some other girl gets it." My mom and I left and wandered around a bit more.
As we were leaving the mall parking lot we were at a red light and my mom said "Isn't that Steve's truck?" He was in the next lane, one car length ahead of him. Because he lived 30 miles from my apartment there was only one reason I could think of that he'd be there. I pulled out my cell phone and, when he answered his, I asked "So . . . what are you doing at the Chandler mall?" He asked, "What makes you think I'm at the Chandler mall?" and I told him "Because my mom and I are right next to you at the red light" BUSTED! He then asked, "Well . . . since you know I'm down here, can I come over? I'll be over as soon as I hit up the drive through". My mom dropped me off at my place and headed home to give Steve and I some space.
Once at my apartment the story came out. He said, "Well, you probably know what I was doing there." Uh huh :D
Steve had cancelled accountability to buy my ring. He'd spent over an hour selecting my stone and went to his truck to transfer money and to get his checkbook. It was during the few minutes he was at his truck that my mom and I walked in. The saleslady wanted me to call him because she wanted him to know I was there. Just after my mom and I left he walked back in. The ladies who were working got very excited and were telling him "She's here with her mom! You just missed her! We wanted her to call you so you'd know". One lady rang up his transaction while the other stood outside the store watching for my mom and I. At one point we passed back past the store and the lady who was ringing him up basically shoved him into the back room so I would see him. If it weren't for my mom noticing his truck at the light he would've made his escape without me knowing. Steve also told me he was going to pick it up Tuesday night since the stone still needed to be set so he asked if he could come over that night. Of course, I agreed! :)
That Tuesday night was torture because I knew he had it in his possession (come to find out it was in his pocket the whole time we were hanging out). Actually, the rest of the week was torture since I knew he had it. :)
Thursday night we ended up buying his wedding ring. Yes, I bought his before he gave me mine :) Believe it or not there's more to THAT story that I'm not sharing since this is long enough.
Friday night we went out to dinner afterwards we decided to go on a drive into the forest to go see the stars. Later he told me he wished he'd had the ring on him because it would've been the perfect place to ask me, but he was still holding on to his "plan" and our star gazing trip was an impromptu one so he wasn't prepared. After we got back to his house that night we just were sitting together. At one point he asked me, "So . . . would your dad be ok if I called him tomorrow??" A little while later he just came out and asked, "Will you marry me?". OF COURSE I said, "YES!!". We kissed and then he went and got the ring out of it's hiding spot.
In the end he decided not to wait just for the sake of a plan and we got engaged while sitting on the couch his parents had handed down to him when he bought his house in 1997. :D
That was 10 years ago today :)
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