Tag Archives: Wedding

An Unexpected Visitor, Mace, and an Engagement Ring

13 Oct
“When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”  ~Nora Ephron, When Harry Met Sally

Why, Hello Fiance

Just a typical Thursday night in July, I had come home from my summer clerkship, gone on a run with the pup, and made some dinner.  I was at court with one of the attorneys that day so I couldn’t wait to kick off my heels, and just relax.

I was planning to go to Nashville the next day after work, so I took the suitcase out of the closet and began the familiar routine of getting everything together.  After all the weekend trips, and the miles traveled, I could practically pack in my sleep.  But, as I was packing, I couldn’t help but get excited that  this would be one of the last times I’d make this trip before The Boy moved up to Cincy.

I just finished packing when one of my dearest friends from law school called saying she wanted to get together.  She had been in Africa all summer for her internship, and I could not wait to see her!  I hung up the phone and decided that I should probably pull myself together and get out of my old high school basketball shorts and my favorite t-shirt.  I knew she’d thank me :)

While I was getting ready, The Boy texted me and said he was finishing up dinner with his Dad (who was in Nashville for the week) and would call me in a bit.  I set the phone down and noticed that Caesar the Wonder Dog wasn’t sitting outside of the bathroom like he normally does when I get ready.  I looked around the apartment to make sure he wasn’t getting into trouble, and found him sitting right in front of the door with his head cocked to one side.  What a strange little dog.

I went back and continued getting ready, and was trying to figure out what to wear when I heard Caesar start barking.  At this point it was about 9pm, I wasn’t expecting anyone,  so I just assumed he was barking at the neighbors that had just moved in across the hall. I didn’t think much of it and went to find something to wear.  But then I heard a knock at my door…

OK, so again, it’s around 9pm.  I wasn’t expecting anyone and now I was a little unsure of what was going on.  I went to my room, and grabbed my phone and my keys (with my pepper spray compliments of The Boy’s Dad, since I go to school in downtown Cincy).  Looking back, I’m not real sure why it didn’t cross my mind to just not open the door if I didn’t know the person.  Instead I guess I was planning on opening it and macing them?!

Yes, I'm marrying him even though he's a Bengals fan. We all have flaws ;)

I went to the door and looked to see who it was.  Through the peep hole, I saw The Boy.  Wait…what?!?  I could not figure out why he was here.  I was going to Nashville the next day. He just texted me saying he was in Nashville with his dad…

Needless to say, I was at this point thoroughly confused, and I’m pretty sure I blacked out for a bit, ha. I slowly opened the door, paying no attention to the fact that I had just released the wild beast who was now jumping all over The Boy because he was so excited to see him.

“What are you doing here?!” I asked, still in my basketball shorts and ratty T-shirt.

He then got down on one knee, as he was trying to palm Caesar to keep him out of the way, and asked me to marry him.  Cue second blackout of the night.

I started smiling, and laughing excitedly and The Boy said that I asked, “Are you serious?!” about 4 or 5 times.  HA. I’m a little slow on the pick up some times apparently :)

And I of course said yes!

I gave him a huge hug, and could not stop smiling.  I couldn’t believe it.  I was completely surprised!  He’s way too good at surprises.  If I had to propose, I wouldn’t have been able to keep my  big mouth shut.

I finally put my keys and phone down (he had no idea I was about to mace him, ha), and looked at him and said, “But I’m all packed for Nashville.”

“Jack, we can go to Nashville this weekend if you want,” he said.  Which made us both start laughing.

I started asking questions about when he knew, how he planned it, etc. and then it dawned on me I hadn’t even looked at the ring?!

When I asked if I could see the ring, he laughed and said, “Of course you can, it’s yours you know.”

Come to find out, he had known for awhile that he wanted to ask me to marry him but waited to ask until he could go to Atlanta to ask my parents, and had gotten the ring, all without me knowing a single thing.  It meant so much to me that he took the time to talk with my parents and the ring was absolutely gorgeous.  I mean, I would’ve married him if he gave me a paperclip people, but The Boy does good work.  And it is so special since he picked it out.  Boy’s got taste.  He’s a keeper.

I texted my friend, who was at this point probably wondering what had happened to me, and we headed to meet her.  I ran into the place she was at where he boyfriend (now fiance) told me she had just gone to the bathroom.  I ran in, and The Boy still makes fun of me for the girlish shrieks he heard from the bathroom when we both saw each other.  He said everyone in the place turned to look in our direction.  Ha.

I lived out of my suitcase that weekend, but I didn’t mind one bit.

In the months since, The Boy has moved up to Cincy, we’ve both started school, and tried to work on wedding planning in between.  We’re still figuring out catering, the honeymoon destination and colors, but I do know that one year from today, I get to marry my best friend. October 13, 2012 can’t come soon enough.

Home to Me

25 May

“Isn’t it perfect how the memories feel the same” ~Josh Kelley

Home is more than the house

Hello friends!  So much has been going on lately! It’s been great to have my friends help me out with the graduation series this month to give me time to pack, finish up at work (tomorrow is my last day, agh) and try to get my life in order to go back to Hotlanta for the summer before law school.  But I’ve missed you all!

Being faced with leaving my home here in Nashville, I’ve thought a lot about the idea of home and what makes something a home.  Sure, it’s the location, but it’s so much more than that.

Grandad's Bench

This past weekend I went up to northern Michigan, through Traverse and up M22 to the lake house for my lovely cousin Katie’s wedding.  I’ve been going there for the summer with my family since I was little and it has always  been my favorite place on earth.  It’s waking up to lake, the air, the beach, and the small town where the place to do business is the bakery over a hot cup of Leelanau Coffee yes, but this house holds so much more.  It’s family dinners around a huge cherry table, cousins running rampant, and the well-loved bench that sits overlooking the lake.  It’s the laughter that fills the vaulted ceilings, my grandfather’s books that fill the bookcases and my grandmother’s easel with her latest painting on it.  It’s the love and the memories that make this home.

View from the bench. Best compliments are a hot cup of coffee, a cool morning and conversation.

A couple of years when my grandparents died, the house had to be put on the market  which absolutely broke my heart.  There are five brothers and with all of them living far away, the upkeep and cost of the house would get too burdensome.  I understood but secretly hoped it wouldn’t sell.  One economic downturn and housing market fail later, we still have the house.

It’s been good and bad.  Of course, I love being up there but grandparents weren’t there, the books were left untouched on the shelves and the paintings left unfinished.  It’s been a lot of work for the families.  Kids went to college, people went up at different times and things just changed.  I just had a different feel.

I’m not going to lie, I was excited to go to Michigan this past weekend because I ached to be at the lake but I was a little nervous about being up there with all these people I didn’t know.  What would it be like?  Well…let’s just say that this weekend reminded me why I loved this place in the first place.

Cousins

Katie’s wedding was absolutely gorgeous and I had the honor and pleasure of standing next to her as she starts this new adventure with Justin.  That’s what family is.  Her parents were up as well as my Uncle and his wife who married Katie, my cousins and my great  uncle and great aunt.  There were big dinners around the cherry table, laughter filling the room and late night talks that lasted till 2-3 in the morning.

The wedding party were awesome.  Stephanie and Jeff, you are hilarious and I had a blast getting to know you. Road trip soon? And Lady Logan, thank god you were there giving me direction :)

Two Aunts

It was making new friends and connecting with family I haven’t seen in so long.  I loved staying up late and laughing with my aunt.  I’ve missed these people! And apparently my boy cousins are all giants and somehow I am STILL the shortest in the family even though I’m the oldest.  It was so great to see them and hang out with them.  I got to meet Ellie, Katie’s cousin on the other side who rocks and who does crazy long distance running.  We’re going to have to get her to write a post.  Ellie, I think you are fantastic!

Ladies!

I am so excited about the lake this year after that trip.  I’ll be able to be up for two weeks this year with my family, uncles, aunts and cousins I haven’t seen in years will be up to play king of the bongo and the Boy will be up with his family! I can’t wait to show them my home. Justin, Katie’s new husband said something up at the lake at the wedding that has stuck with me…my family are my friends and my friends are my family.  I couldn’t agree more Justin and to me, that’s what makes a home.

So as I get ready to leave Nashville soon I am comforted by the fact that home is the people.  Home can be in different places.  Home is where the heart is is taking on a whole new meaning.

What makes a place home for you? Where is your home? Is it different than where you physically live?

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