Wednesday June 6 th 2007

Engagement Night

Background:

- For my 26 th birthday Dave gave me a hot air balloon ride. I was informed that the date for the ride would be July 2 nd , 2007 – Our anniversary.

- Tuesday night (June 5 th ) my Grandmother was taken to the hospital for chest pains.

The Big Day:

- Dave calls me around 11:00 a.m. to check to see if I was okay and to see if I had heard anything about my Grandmother. I told him, she was fine and was being sent home. 

Dave had already called my Dad to make sure I was still able to go for the surprise Hot Air Balloon Ride.

- 3:13 p.m. Dave shows up at my work (The National Golf Club) with a stem of orchards. He tells me to pack up my stuff, we are leaving. He informs me that he has already spoken to my boss and I am okay to take the afternoon off. I pack up my stuff and clock out.

- We walked to the car, where Dave has picked up an outfit for me to change into. There was a pair of blue jeans, black t-shirt, black sweater, running shoes and my spring jacket.

- We start to drive. Dave informs me that we are a little early for where we are going, and asks if I would like something to eat. We grab a small bit to eat at Subway.

Dave doesn't eat the usual Pizza Pizza when suggested, and also only eats ½ a sub and doesn't even finish that.

- We start driving up Hwy 27 towards Aliston. At this point I am thinking he is taking me up to the new house where he is going to propose.

- On the way up there I start asking questions – when will I be back? Are we staying over night? Is my car going to be okay? Are we going to make it home to watch the Stanley Cup Finals? Etc... Some where during my questions Dave slips up and mentions something about the Hot Air Balloon. Now I have figured out the plan. No more engagement – I think.

- We drive up to Hockley Valley Golf Club, where we are going to go on the Hot Air Balloon Ride. We arrive there around 5:00. We are 1:45 minutes early. We decide to go for a walk around the facilities. We start by making our way to the 18 th green, where we stand and watch a group of golfers finish their round. Then we decide to take a look at the ski runs. We go for about a 20 min walk through the ski run and over to the 17 th hole.

- When we get back from our walk around the facility, Dave suggests a quick putting game, so we head over to the practice facilities. We had a fun game of closest to the pins using as tricky of pins shots as possible. Of course I lost, but had fun fooling around.

- At about 6:20 we head over to the meeting area for the Hot Air Balloon Ride. When we get there, we meet another couple, who is trying for their 12 th time to get up in the balloon. She got this gift for her 40 th birthday. (She is now 42 – shity). They tell us that if the weather isn't 100% perfect they won't fly.

- At about 6:35 the company we are taking for the Hot Air Balloon Ride shows up. They get out of the van and do the first of 2 wind condition tests (the release a helium balloon into the air – very scientific). The first test looked good. The pilot starts briefing us on the procedure of getting into the balloon, how the balloon operates and what to expect during the flight and landing. The company started to inflate the balloon, when they got almost to the end the pilot does a rip test and ripped the balloon. So the flight was cancelled.

- We got back into the car and started heading home. Dave was extremely quite and extremely up set.

Thinking to himself, where can I pull over on the side of the road and propose. Is there a beautiful landing or opening. Then he decided that he would wait until the next opportunity to get up in the balloon.

- We drove back to The National, where I picked up my car. We decided we would go back to his house and watch the rest of the Stanley Cup Finals .

One the way back to Dave place, he called his parents to let them know he had not proposed and not to say anything when I got there.

- I got to his house before he did. When I got there his Mom gave me a big hug and told me she was sorry we didn't get up in the balloon, but there would be another chance. We talked about how disappointed Dave was. Julie told me how excited Dave was about this surprise and how he had been up all morning pacing around the house, waiting to come get me. She also told me how stressed he was, because he was worried I wouldn't be able to go, because of my grandmother.

- We watched the rest of the Stanley Cup Finals (Anaheim Won). The whole time Dave was quite and pouting, but was holding my hand – which was a little out of the ordinary, but not an extreme.

- After the game finished, we decided to head back to my place for a little bit. I left first and Dave said he would meet me there.

Dave makes sure my parents are in bed, before coming into the house.

- When I got home I put my flowers into a vase and waited for Dave to show up. He arrived about 20 minutes later. We went down stairs to my room to watch some TV. We were lying on the bed, just talking when he looked at me and said “you are so cute.” The next thing I know he tells me, he thinks he left his wallet in the car and need to go get it.

Dave makes the decision he can't wait any more that he needs to propose to me tonight.

-When he comes back, he hands me an envelope, and tells me to imagine we are up in the hot air balloon.

- I open the card. It is a Winnie-the-pooh birthday card. In the card it reads:

“As your birthday continues, this is the last stop. I hope you are enjoying this adventure in the sky. I love you with all my heart, you make me so happy, and because you do, this is the easiest decision I've had to make… (You can consider today Labour day)”

I have been telling Dave for months, that he had until Labour Day to ask me to marry him or I would.

- When I finish reading the card I look up and there is Dave on one knee with the ring in his hand.

- I can't even speak. The first thing I do is grab him and give him the biggest hug ever. Then I accept the proposal.