Those are the very words he said, but what did we do in between February of my senior year of high school until the next June? I remember lots of phone calls, sitting together in church, getting together to watch movies [still on VHS], and writing letters.
Once I told a co-worker that my boyfriend was a pastor’s son. She said, “Oh, they are the wildest guys, aren’t they!” I was like, “Umm, not mine.” I think her opinion of me changed that day. Oh well. He really wasn’t wild.
One day when I came home from work my mom mentioned that my boyfriend had been there that day. I was surprised because he hadn’t mentioned it to me at all. He brought a piano stool that needed fixed and……..he asked my dad for my hand in marriage.
We went to the mall with my mom and shopped at some jewelry stores, but I didn’t find anything that I really liked. There was some I would have settled for, but who wants to settle for an engagement ring? I know that some of you knew what kind of ring you wanted since elementary school, but I didn’t have a particular kind in mind. I guess I was hoping for a sign that said, “This is the ring design you won’t mind wearing for the rest of your life.”
Then we found out that his mom was giving us the diamond his dad had bought her in 1965 with the provision that it be passed to our son at the appropriate time. Knowing our cost was down made it more fun to look at rings.
I went to a jewelry store by myself and was lucky enough to get a nice saleslady that wasn’t much older than me and was patient. [Remember I hate making decisions.] She took note of my size and a few rings that I liked. I took her card and gave it to my future husband. Now the decision was back in his hands and he could decide to get the more expensive ring or not.
I knew that he had picked a ring and it would take a week to size it and set the diamond. So 5 days later when he was late arriving for a night together I wasn’t real suspicious just kind of irritated that he hadn’t called. He couldn’t call because he couldn’t explain that the ring was done sooner than expected and he was going to be late because he was picking it up.
We ate supper with my parents and I was glad to just relax after working that day. He had brought a box of fudge and as soon as we finished eating my mom cleared the table and asked if I was ready for dessert. I remember saying that we could wait a bit to try it, but my mom really wanted to have some fudge right then. “Okay, if you really want to try it.” Then she brought me the box still closed and a knife. That was unusual for my mom who is a good hostess, but I didn’t think much of it.
When I opened the lid of the fudge box my engagement ring was laying on top of the fudge’s plastic wrapping. My mom knew it all along. My husband says that I put the ring on my finger too fast for him to ask the question, but what did he expect from the girl who knew she was going to marry him over a year before. 
I took it back off, he asked me properly, I answered, and he put the ring on my finger himself.
He still calls me sweetheart, and that ring is still on my finger. One time he had to rescue it from the shower drain, but that’s a story for another day. It has been resized since my pregnancies, but it’s still precious and a design I don’t mind wearing every day.
It would be another year till our wedding day. We were one of those crazy couples who celebrated our engagement each month so I’ve got more to tell you next week.
The links for the rest of my story are on My Romance page.
Did you pick your engagement ring? Is it gold, silver, or something else?
Possibly related posts for you to enjoy:
I didn’t pick mine…. in fact we never even looked at them together. He picked it out all by himself!! That is what I always wanted, I didn’t know what kind a ring I wanted but I just wanted him to pick what he liked! I was pleasantly surprised …. he did a great job!
I’m glad it was a pleasant surprise and not a yucky one.
Mine is a gold princess cut with small diamonds going down both sides. My mom has his proposal on camera!! They kinda scared me to get me back to the house and when I walked in there he was waiting for me on the other side of the door!! (such memories, thank you for sharing yours!)
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Of course he has good taste – he picked you didn’t he!
I didn’t pick mine either. We looked together once, but I mainly showed him styles I didn’t like (you know, the styles that just look wrong when on your finger). My only requirement was that it be set in gold because I wear a gold ring on my right hand that my grandmother gave me for my 16th birthday. (It’s a family heirloom circa 1902.) Anyways, my diamond is round with 5 small round diamonds on each side set in the band. My wedding ring also has a band of diamonds. And this year, at Valentine’s, we added a 3rd band that’s slightly different than my wedding band but still has the round diamonds set in the band. So, all together, I’m carting around 33 diamonds. No wonder my hand gets tired. LOL
Kara Ss last blog post..I Went Krogering!
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Oh, your poor tired hand. LOL
Oh, what a sweet story! I didn’t pick mine either! Ours was a long distance relationship. We dated for a whole 3 weeks before we were married so, we didn’t have time to shop for rings. I loved the one he picked though.
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Wow! 3 weeks. You’ve got to blog about it.
I love hearing your story! It’s so neat because I knew you way back when and wouldn’t have ever guessed you and Joe would end up a happy married couple. You must be patient to have waited over a year to get married!! Joe & I met in Sept. 03, started dating in Feb 04, got engaged in May 04 and got married in Oct 04. 2004 was a GREAT year
I didn’t pick my ring out but my hubby had a good idea of what I liked. Joe knew a diamond expert in Florida and bought a stone from him and then he designed the setting which is white gold. It’s totally unique which I just love.
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When I told one girl that we were engaged she actually fell on the ground because she was laughing so hard. Your ring sounds pretty. One of a kind is so special.
I am enjoying reading these posts, Jendi; thanks for sharing them with us
) I guess the best way to describe our story is that it was a “whirlwind courtship”. We started courting in Feb05, engaged a month later, and married in May. There wasn’t a lot of selection off-base at the Japanese stores, and the Base Exchange didn’t have anything we liked, either. When we got married, my parents gave us their original wedding bands, and that’s what we wore.
After we had been married about 3 weeks, we went to the States (I hadn’t actually met his family, so it was a little nerve-wracking… I remember thinking, “What if they don’t like me??? We’re already married, so if they hate me, they’re still stuck with me for a daughter-in-law! That’s so awful!” Thankfully, his parents are very sweet and we get along wonderfully!)
Anyway, just about a week before we left to go back to Japan, we went to some shops and looked around for almost 2 hours before finally settling on one. Still wasn’t much selection and we were pressed for time because we were heading back to Japan, but I’m pleased with my rings. I had the jeweler take my {mom’s} wedding band and cut it to match the other rings, so I actually have three rings — the two that were in the set we purchased, plus my mom’s ring on top — all soldered together. It’s not a very common design, so I’m glad we got the one I have; it’s a little more unique, especially with my mom’s ring added to the mix
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Sorry for the novel-sized comment, lol! I don’t think any part of our story is “short” because with every single step there was military red-tape or Japanese law or something else that requires further explanation, lol!
Arlenes last blog post..Naptime laughs
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You should blog about this! That’s neat that all 3 are soldered together and you don’t have to adjust them separately. You did marry fast – even with all the red tape!
I didn’t pick my ring. In fact, I told Joseph that I wanted a tiny little solitaire because everything else he made me try on looked too big to me on my short fingers. He turned around and got me the most beautiful ring in the world. It is three diamonds in a setting that he designed himself and it is white gold.
Chocolate and diamonds. He knew what he was doing
I like your story. It’s got a homegrown romantic feel.