Engagement

At the beginning of 2010, I let Chase know that one of my New Years resolutions was to ask her to marry me.  Beyond that, however, I wouldn't give her any hints at all about when to expect it, though she tried her hardest to get any clues out of me.  We spent pretty much all of our free time together that summer when she was out of school, and she really really really hoped I'd propose before she went back to school. But, the time came and I went with her back to Memphis to help her settle for her last year of college and she gave up hope of being engaged before school started back.  But I had different plans for that weekend.

I talked with her Dad on Thursday, I think, and asked his permission to ask Chasity to marry me.  He's quite a bit taller than me and was in the process of cutting up big pieces of meat when I asked him, and when I did ask him, he accidentally cut himself.  :-o

It was great though.  He gave me some great advice and talked some about the importance of recognizing and treating marriage as the major, life-long commitment that it is.  And then he said that he would be honored to have me as a son-in-law.  And said that while he can't/won't be able to tell me what to do, he will always be there to help with what he can, as will his sons.  So it was really nice.  In the end he asked me when I was planning on asking her, and I said that weekend. I think he was kinda surprised, but said that was up to me.

Earlier in the week, I'd suggested to Chase that we go to the park on Friday.  She didn't really want to fit it in with other stuff on Friday though, so said Saturday.  I SO didn't want to wait all through Friday being SO excited and kinda restless and knowing she would be just as impatient as I was if she knew, but I couldn't give away that it was a big deal, so said Saturday sounded good.  So, Saturday morning we got ready to go to the park.  Chase didn't even know that I'd bought the ring (or what ring I'd chosen), and as far as she knew, I hadn't had any chance to do so.

When we were just about to head out the door, I "remembered my camera" and went upstairs to get it.  The boxes that they give you the rings in are too big to hide easily!  And Chase was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs.  So, I put the box in my camera case and carried it and my camera down and took a picture of us.

She was thirsty so we stopped at a gas station to get a drink and while she was inside I put my camera in its case and left the ring in its box in my pocket.  When we got to the park, we started walking along by the lake, and I was telling her how she is like a treasure chest. How the deeper I dig -- the more I get to know her -- the more beautiful treasures I uncover and the more I realize just how infinitely valuable and precious she is.  Then started talking about how I don't know what the future will bring. Where God will lead me -- rather back to Zambia, to some other country, somewhere different here in the US, or just here. How I don't know what all of His plans for me are.  And then I told her that I do know one thing for sure though, and that is that I want to spend all of the rest of my life, wherever it may be, doing whatever I may do, with her.  And by this time we were standing in a gazebo by the lake, and I got down on my knees, brought out the ring, and proposed, "Chasity Duncanson, I promise to love you every moment, forever.  Will you marry me?"

And she said "Yes!"  (After what seemed like quite a long delay where she was just holding out her hand, waiting for me to put the ring on already and not realizing I was waiting for an answer!)

Chase and me, right after we got engaged