Engaging memories…

Today is a special day for me. Eric and I got engaged exactly 11 years ago tonight! It was such an exciting, romantic, and COMICAL event! He took me out to dinner at a fancy Italian joint.

He kept staring at me, all lovey. I thoroughly enjoyed it all, the ambiance was PERFECT, right out of a movie, but I expected nothing except maybe he'd hold my hand or attempt a kiss at the end of the night. Little did I know....

We drove up to Mt. Timpanogas temple and walked around. It was a little nippy, so I thought I'd take advantage of the weather and complain that I was cold. He caught right on and grabbed my hand. I thought, "success! our first hand holding!"

Little did I know.....

We walked around the temple to the back where there are a series of benches in a half moon shape. A gorgeous site with tulips everywhere. We sat on the bench, completely enjoying each other's company, and he sweetly said, "I have a surprise for you in the car."

I was coy and said, "Really? What is it?!?!"

"A calling card, so you can call your mom. You're going to want to call her after tonight." (see, back in those days, everyone did NOT have cell phones. I had just moved to Provo the night before, so I had no long distance on my apartment phone. We used things called calling cards, you spoiled little 21st century people).

I said, "Oh that's so sweet! Thank you! How did you know I needed to call her? We have NO KNIVES at home, and I need her to bring some next time she comes. Oh, and I could use some dish towels too."

He replied, "That's not the reason why you need to call her."

I replied, "Oh?" then I got a sinking feeling in my stomach and thought, what's going on? He's not really going to do IT, is he? We just held hands for the first time! Wait! Back-up, back-up, back-up!

Then, before I knew it, he hopped down on his knee, pulled out the ring, and said, "Amy, I love you. Will you marry me?"

For 23 years I'd been dreaming of this perfect moment, how I would act, what I would say....Well, I was caught off guard, ok? Don't judge me, I was in shock! I'm sure my eyes were popping out of my head (poor Eric). I probably looked terrified because that's exactly how I felt. I blubbered out, "I...I....I don't know? What do you think?" (We laugh together, of course he thinks I should say yes!) then, I proceed to mess it all up and say, "Yes...maybe?"

I can't remember what else was said, but I remember laughing a lot together that night, and saying things like, "I bet our future children are watching us from Heaven and laughing at their silly mommy."

But honestly, you would have been in shock too. It was quite a jump from best best friends to engaged couple, don't you think? From holding hands for the first time to GETTING MARRIED. I had just moved to Provo to “explore” the possibility of a relationship with him. We had been flirting with each other, sure I'll give you that, and he did write me a sweet letter the week before proclaiming his love to me, but you see, I'm the daughter of Susan Holmes, a black belt in the art of flirtation. I had at least a dozen boys wrapped around my fingers who declared love almost daily (but, to clarify, I didn't love any of them like I did my Eric or I wouldn’t have gotten up and moved 300 miles on the pretense of “school”), so it didn't sink in...

  

The even funnier part is the fact that he still believed I hadn't kissed anyone yet. See, way back in high school we made a pact to wait till over the alter of the temple for our first kisses (not specifying who would be on the other side of said alter, but I think we both had our secret hopes for each other). I never took it seriously, just a cute joke, but apparently he had. Oopsy! He had saved his lips for his bride, but I had lost my lips forever years hence. He had wanted to kiss me that night, I was dying to kiss him. But, we both thought the other wanted to wait till the wedding day! Neither of us wanted to tarnish the other's lips, so hand makeout sessions and cheek kisses were frequent and delightful for the next 4 months till the wedding day. It was so pure, quaint, and squeaky sunshiney clean!

What a great story to tell our children, right? We were both highly tempted to just move a few inches over and connect those longing lips. There was a very very strong magnetic pull, but each time we resisted, we put off the natural man/woman and pulled away (for the other person's sake), not realizing that we BOTH wanted to kiss! Ha! First lesson in communication, eh? But, what an amazing first kiss that was over the alter of the temple! I will never ever forget it! And we haven't stopped kissing since....

 

Love you, my Eric…