I'm BACK!!! (with a story in tow)

So, it’s been months and months since I have written. Life happens and then you forget to write!?

Anyways, since we’ve last chatted, life has changed bunches. I have a new job! I’ve been to Poland, Italy, Napa, and Cancun! We’ve celebrated big birthdays, anniversaries, prom, and the holidays. Ned’s son graduated from high school (You may recall that I nicknamed my bf Ned).

But, most recently, Ned and I have become ENGAGED! Ned is now my fiancé!!! Doesn’t that sound fancy? We’re planning a wedding and all sorts of fun things.

And since I just wrote up the story for the proposal for our wedding site (of course I have one!), I’m going to share how Ned proposed. From my perspective.

ENJOY!

For those of you who don't know what this Flying Saucer and plate business is, let me give you a quick overview: Flying Saucer is a pub in central Austin that is known to serve many different types beers. For every 200 different, unique beers you taste (drink) at the Flying Saucer, you get a plate with a saying of your choice.

In December 2011, we both celebrated our first plates (although Ned was probably already half way to his second plate). Mine said “Beer is always a good idea” (in reference to Audrey Hepburn’s quote from Sabrina, “Paris is always a good idea.”). Ned’s plate said “I did this for her” and pointed to my plate with a huge arrow (insert collective “Awwwww” here.) So, for your second plate, you try another 200 beers, and you get a different colored sticker (yellow for #2) with a new saying (if one so chooses)… and so on for the remaining plates. Ned had finished the 400^th beer months ago, but somehow, we could never figure out when to have the plate party. I thought nothing of it really. Ok – now that we’ve established that…

So, I was anxious to for him to propose in recent months for months. I may or may not have been a tad bit annoying. I picked up on some clues that things were bound to happen. I will hold off divulging how much I knew, but let’s just say – I knew he had the ring.

In mid-May of 2013, Ned and I finally settled on the date of his plate party. I knew he was going to go turn in the paper work that next weekend, so when a friend of ours texted me to say she KNEW when it was going to happen, I was suspicious. When I asked what his plate would say, Ned’s response was, “Much of the same.”

Insert the Matron of Honor’s amazing abilities to manipulate me change my mind: She emailed me back and forth all week and basically convinced me there was NO way he was going to propose at the plate party. In fact, according to her, it could be months before he did (imagine me groaning and rolling my eyes every time I read that). I still held on to a tiny bit of hope, but really, I was losing hope it was ever going to happen.

Day of: We had a double date with the MOH and her hubby right before the plate party. Ned was acting normal – I didn’t think anything was weird or suspicious. Did I think about that it could happen? Of course. I still thought there was still a REMOTE chance.

Party got started at the Saucer. His parents, my parents, my brother, MOH and hubby were there. After some time, Ned decided to get up on the bar (a ritual that’s part of the party) to toast his second plate. Yay! Well, after the toasting and he got down from the bar, I thought OK – he’s definitely not proposing today. 

That’s when everyone in our party seemed to make a mad push to go see his plate in the other room. I wanted to sit down back at our table. Ned called me over, and I couldn’t understand the big deal. I even asked, “Doesn’t it same the same thing?” Ned said something about it being yellow now. I just thought to myself, “Ok, ok, I’m coming. None of these people have been to a plate party so they don’t realize that the plate is not that big of a deal.”

When I walked into the room and approached the plate, I immediately noticed that it didn’t say the same thing. First hint: No arrow. Then, I saw accents. Wait – that’s not even English. That’s Polish. And that’s when it hit me: HE WAS PROPOSING. Suddenly, I realized he was down on one knee with the ring to my right, and everyone was staring at me. At first, I was laughing, then I was choked up with emotion. 

I looked down at him, and here’s roughly how I remember it happening:

Ned: “What does it say?”

I look up and translate: “Will you marry me?”

Silence (me in total shock).

Ned: “Are you going to say anything?”

I nodded shortly after – my brain was blank!

In the end, I found out that everyone was in on the entire scheme. MOH and hubby were biting their nails on their way to our date. My mama and dad had known about the ring from the moment that I knew he had it. And of course, they helped him come up with the right phrasing.

It was the best proposal ever (but of course, I’m biased)…

Next post coming soon!