All in all...

So my engagement story, 

AWESOME!!!

At least I think so anyway.

I'd rather tell that story over my wedding story every time.

Of course only the first main part about it,

lol,

everything else is just in the past and really doesn't matter.

I love my family and my in law family.

That is why it is easy for them to offend me and to make me mad.

The important thing is that I get over it really fast,

even though sometimes it isn't fast enough,

and sometimes it's not quite before I say something I regret.

Just the same, I hope they know I love them!

:D

The story continues...

Most stories get better and better, this one doesn't.

Sorry.

We all know that one of the first steps after getting engaged is to tell the people you love the good news.

Generally the people you love will share in your joy, unless of course they believe you are making 

a huge mistake.

As it happens Phil and I were not making a huge mistake in getting married,

we were making a huge mistake in not eloping immediately.

I do not recall the telling of my family very clearly.

I think I basically told the members of my family casually and individually as I saw them.

I think that had we all been together there would have been some kind of standing ovation.

Like when I announced to my family that I was pregnant the first time.

(Or maybe that was when I told my Mom I was engaged....)

Yes, nearly a standing ovation with applause and everything!!!

Although, 

My Dad told me,

"Oh, don't get married!"

You did Dad, don't deny it!

Lol!!!

But as the father of the bride he was the only one who can get away with saying that.

Phil's family on the other hand....

(Now Graves family please DO NOT take this in the wrong way.)

....absolutely suck at receiving good news.

We gathered you all together, 

so lost in our bliss we hardly noticed your skeptical frowns at first.

It didn't take me long, it took Phil longer.

I started to notice that no one was smiling,

no one looked excited,

no one even jumped or whooped for joy.

I don't know why.

Perhaps because you didn't know me well.

Perhaps because Phil is the oldest and the first.

Inexperience being the culprit.

Whatever the case, as Phil told our story and the only comment was,

 Nate's asking if the diamond was even real (It is.),

mean!

I hid my face, holding back my tears.

I was so horrified, wondering what kind of family I was marrying in to.

(Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorrry, sorry.  It is just part of the true story!)

When we left, Phil and I were both heartbroken.

Why we didn't plan for our own private wedding then and there I don't really know....

Phil came home with me to my apartment, he slept on my couch that night.

He wasn't about to go home to his uncaring mean family.

You have to understand that an engagement is very big news,

much like the news of a first grand baby.

It calls for celebration,

toasts,

smiles,

cheers.

We got nothing.

****

Once upon a time

we got married.

We were young

and far to harried.

Being the love

of each others lives.

We ignored the wounds,

 you cut with your knives.

****

So there we were...

So there we were, Phil had proposed marriage, and I had accepted.

Fast forward to that evening.

Well by the time we finished flying around the heavens it was evening.

And getting later by the second, as is usually the case...

I had pretty much lost the opportunity to look hot on our date and settled for putting in contacts, 

and changing my clothes.

We then raced down to Springville hoping to catch Phil's mom before she left for work.

We missed her, tried to catch up with her before she went into work and missed her again.

So we gave up on sharing the news and headed up to the basketball game.

Michael Jordan, thousands of screaming fans, and a whole lot of awkward proposals 

on the basketball court at half time (strangers) later,

and we were heading to a movie.

Pictures of pictures, yeah they suck and they are reversed notice Michaels number 23.

Phil's work had given him tickets to see Daredevil at the Jordan Commons theatre,

so we decided it would be fun to go seeing as it didn't start until after the game was over.

Not long after though.

We raced from the then Delta Center to Jordan Commons only stopping at a Taco Bell,

(It was Taco Bell wasn't it?)

for dinner, which we ate in the theatre.

Taco Bell.

After that glorious proposal?

Yeah, I didn't care.

Food was food.

We ate our food enjoyed the movie and relaxed.

Our spirits were high and happy,

they wouldn't stay that way.

Though tomorrow will tell why....

Best story EVER!!!

Eight years ago I was 19 years old.

I was living in my own apartment.

I was working at the Hogi Yogi,

"taste it love it crave it"....

I was attending my first semester of college.

I had a very sweet boyfriend.

It happened to be a bright and sunny day that day,

just like today.

My then boyfriend Phil had made plans for us to go to a Jazz basketball game that night.

The Jazz would be playing the Wizards, 

Michael Jordan would be playing and it would be his last time to play the Jazz.

I was excited to have a chance to watch this master of the game play.

Because I didn't own a car and the Hogi Yogi was located around 5 miles from my apartment

my darling dearest took me to work and then planned to give me a ride home.

He wasn't working that day and told me he had plans to go and have his car brakes looked at.

I told him to pick me up at two o'clock.

Fortunately (for him) at some point during my shift my boss told me I was actually to work until three o'clock.

I grabbed the phone and called Phil as soon as I heard, which was not long before two o'clock.

I asked him where he was, he said he was still in Springville.

I breathed a sigh of relief, good he wouldn't have to wait an hour for me.

I told him to wait until three to pick me up, 

I told him he'd need to take me straight home so I could shower, change, and do my hair and makeup.

You know, so I looked good for our date.

At right about three o'clock Phil pulled up, instead of waiting in his car he came in to wash his hands.

Surly dirty from working on his brakes.

"Did you get your brakes figured out?" I asked.

"I looked at them." he left it at that.

Later I found out that what he meant was that he had looked at the brake pedal so as not to be lying.

We headed south toward my apartment, though Phil took the freeway which I thought was a little odd.

We approached the freeway exit to my apartment and Phil passed it.

I thought maybe he was just distracted,

"Oh!  You missed it," I said, "well, just take the next one."

But he passed that one too.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"You'll see."

The man got off on the least likely exit,

an exit to nowhere basically.

We drove out to the middle of huge fields and nothingness near the shores of the local lake.

I had no idea what we were doing, I thought maybe he was going to propose, maybe he'd get down on his knees in the middle of  a field and tell me he'd give me the whole world. 

(while motioning to the surrounding mountains, earth, and sky) 

Or something equally as cheesy.

I really thought that!

Much to my surprise he didn't.

Instead he pulled into a small local airport.

I was like, what are we doing???

My sister called me right about that time and asked what I was up to.

I told her I wasn't sure what was going on, that Phil had taken me to an airport and that I had to go.

She squealed in delight, saying something about how 

she knew what he was planning, and then we hung up.

With me wondering what on earth she was on about.

My sweet darling led me out of the car and up to a young man who was a friend of his and who would be our pilot on a very small airplane.

I think it was a four seater.....

We climbed aboard and readied ourselves for take off.

I loved every single second.

I thought it was the best Valentines day surprise ever!

Up in the sky

flying through the icy air

the sun shining down on us.

It was glorious.

As we flew around I gazed excitedly out the window.

Like a little kid looking through a display at a candy store.

I was in heaven.

Not long into our flight I heard the pilot say something.

We were all wearing these giant head sets so we could actually hear each other.

I looked up at him and noticed he was motioning for us to look out the window on "that" side.

I glanced over unsure what I would see,

there far below us in a brown and barren field were...

...words...

Large white block letters covered the field in a message.

MARRY ME

it said.

I gasped!

Looking out all of the other windows at other planes flying in the area I wondered,

"Ah how sweet, someone did that for someone!"

I glanced over at Phil to see what he thought of this spectacular scene to find him looking at me expectantly saying,

"And Rose says?"

Suddenly it all fell over me, my mind comprehending his meaning.

"Someone" didn't do this for "someone".

Someone did this for ME,

Phil did this for me!!!

I laughed out loud! 

What!!??

Me!!??

I don't remember if I said anything because to me the answer was so totally yes.

I remember reaching for the box that Phil had pulled out of his pocket,

I knew there would be a ring in it, I didn't know what it would look like.

I grabbed for it and opened it, it was the exact perfect ring I had wanted.

I pulled it out of the box and slipped it on my ring finger, perfect fit.

Such was my excitement it didn't occur to me to let him put it on me as has been tradition.

I am sure I hugged and kissed him and told him yes over and over again,

"Si, Si, me gusta, ME GUSTA!!!"

Of course the story doesn't end there,

stay tuned as the story continues tomorrow.

Even though this has been the best part.....

:D