Tuesday, January 15, 2008

The Night I Proposed

Martha's side of the story: It was New Years' Day and my plane was arriving back in Las Vegas around 4:30pm. I had been very eager to get back to Vegas and see Jared ever since I left a week and a half prior to this day. My plane landed and I headed toward the baggage claim ready to see my boy. I got there and waited a few minutes for him to arrive. Jared came to me and I noticed that he looked very nice. He was dressed up in slacks and a dress shirt. He came up to me and gave me a kiss and a big hug. I did not want to ever let go of him again. I had missed him so much.
Jared took me back to my house where he told me I needed to get dressed up too. I really did not feel like doing that, because I had just spent the day in airports and on planes. However, I eventually complied. He waited downstairs while I put on make-up, did my hair, ironed my clothes, etc.
We went out to Lowry's for dinner. I must admit that I have never had a boy take me to a fancy restaurant before. I give kudos to Jared for taking me. However, I think I spent a little more time at the restaurant feeling uncomfortable about the price of the food than anything else. However, when Jared informed me that we were eating there off a hefty gift card, I had no problem. It was very nice. I got to eat what was probably the most tender prime rib in existence.
Jared and I left the restaurant and drove me to a park I had never been to before. This was a really cool park. It was decked out to look like an old town in the Wild West. Of course, we had to play on the equipment. There was no question about it. Resistance would have been impossible. At this park Jared also gave me a choice of two things we could do. We could either play on the swings (one of my favorite pasttimes) or we could hike up the hill at the edge of the park. I chose the swings. Jared must not have liked my choice so much, because he instantly began talking up the hike, telling me about the great view and other perks of hiking up this hill. I figured he must really, really want to climb up that hill, so I adjusted my choice to match his desires.
Jared also had a gift that he had apparently been waiting to give me. He started telling me about this mystery gift even before I left for Idaho and continued to bring it up every day when we got to talk to each other. His referred to it as a gag gift and claimed that when I opened it I would most likely blush and then slap him. This concerned me a bit. Jared decided that I had to open this gift at the park, so as we hiked up the hill he carried the gift with him. We got to a park bench inside a wanna-be adobe building near the top of the hill and he prompted me to open the gift. I didn't want to open it, mostly because I just got Jared back and I didn't want to open a gift that would make me want to slap him. We stayed up there for a while and he pointed out the view and made sure I saw where the temple was.
After some time passed, I finally agreed to open the gift unsure of what I could be. I lifted the lid of the box and found another box. I opened that box and found another box. This continued. After opening several boxes. There was a pair of sapphire earrings and a matching necklace. Jared helped me to put on the necklace, but left me to put the earrings on myself. The funny thing about this was that I usually put earrings on with a mirror, but didn't have one on hand. Jared kept shining his flashlight on my ear thinking that somehow that would help me (what a dork!). Anyway, so, I continued to open box after box after box. Inside the smallest box was a ring. I was surprised to see this, because just a couple days before Jared and I had discussed marriage and he had expressed to me the fact that he was not sure if it was right for us to get married or not. So, I guess I was a little concerned even though I knew that I wanted to marry him. Jared then got down on one knee and popped the question. Then I couldn't help but ask Jared if he was really sure about this. He apparently did not appreciate that reaction. He explained to me that he was sure and that he had told me he wasn't sure previously in order to throw me off. Well, that was all I needed, so I told him that I would marry him. Following that we called my parents who didn't believe me and texted some friends to tell them the good news.
That's the story. Jared and I are now planning a wedding. Wow, I never thought the time would come that I would be getting married to a boy I loved and now it IS happening to me.


Jared's Side of the Story:
Well my side of the story is easier to tell. I picked her up at the airport all dressed up in slacks and a button up shirt, real casual dress because i had some plans for the night. We left the airport and went to her house so she could change into casual clothes and we went to Lawry's. It was an amazing place to eat!! The spinning salad was so cool and I have never had better food. We had small talk while there just enjoying the velvet and leather seats that we were sitting on. The days prior I had been bugging Martha about the "gag" gift I had for her to throw her off. So I mentioned it every once in a while so that she would not catch on to my plans. I originally planned to take her to the temple but ended up having to go to a park because the temple was closed. So..... She did not want to be in the dress clothes anymore, so we went to my house and changed real quick because it was quite chilly outside. We went down to Mountain's Edge Park. It is off of Blue Diamond & Buffalo. The park is decorated to look like an old western town and it is nestled behind a small hill. We enjoyed playing on the playground and walking around, and I knew the spot that I wanted to propose was going to be on the hill. There is a very nice little covered sitting area on the top of the hill that was going to work perfectly. So I convinced her to go to the hill and hike up it even though she really did not want to. We walked to the top and talked for a while. It was quite chilly and a little breezy but not bad. After a while I gave her her "gag" gift. It was a big box, actually it was 10 boxes in a box. So Martha had to work to get to it. after the first five and a little dismay that her present was having the chance of being smaller rather than bigger she found a sapphire stone necklace and matching earrings. This got her hopes up and she said that she liked them. I was hoping so because it was her birthstone. She went through the next few boxes and finally got down to the last one. In which I was prepared to go to the knee as she opened it. She opened the box to find a small ring, just the right size because of my magnificent shopping skills. The ring had a triangle cut Sapphire stone with two diamonds on each side. She asked me what is was and I got down on one knee and told her that it was my love, and asked her to marry me. The most romantic moment of my life (at least I hoped), was shot when her response was and I quote "Are you sure?" Talk about shoot a mans horse. lol. I explained to her how I felt and she agreed to marry me. After that we began telling everyone. So that is the story, what a story to tell the kids, lol.

3 comments:

Jan said...

Ah, loved reading your stories. You guys are so lucky to have found each other. And Jared -- just FYI -- when Mark first told me he loved me, my romantic response was "Why?". I guess girls just want to know that you really ARE sure! Yay for you guys!

Kylea said...

Hey Jared thats so great that your getting married. You know who I am you just haven't seen me in 4ever. Its me Kylea Custer I haven't seen you since that going away party before your mission. I can't wait to meet Martha if I ever do but I'm pretty sure I will. She seems to be a good girl from what I've seen, heard, and read. Well anyways tell the fam hello and I'll see you guys in the future.

i said...

Hooray for you guys! I've been waiting to hear the news ever since I saw those cute farm house pictures! Congratulations.

Christmas 2007

Christmas 2007

The Martha Story

Okay, this is a long story on how I met Martha and got my first date with her. First of all you have to know that it took a lot of work. We first met each other at a Family Home Evening in the Robindale ward. It was a swimming pool party that niether of us were swimming at. Mind you I was dating another girl at this time that I had decided that I was not going to persue a relationship with anymore, but she felt that we were getting married (Ha, I was not ready for that). Martha did not want to be there but her roommates forced her into coming (now I bet she is glad that she went) and I came to give the spiritual thought. That was actually suppose to be my last time in that ward. We ended up sitting across the table from one another eating dinner on the back patio and I noticed that there was something different about Martha. So I began talking to her and I invited her and her roommates to a party the next night at a friends house. Before the party we were suppose to make brownies at a friends apartment. But that did not work all that well since Martha decided not to show up. Sooooo..... I had to ask which neighboring apartment was Martha's and another girls so that I could find out where she lived to make sure that she would come without getting caught by the girl that I was dating at the time. I get over to her apartment only to find her roomates, Maria, Brittney, and Laura. I invited them and got a hold of Maria's phone number to give her directions for latter on that night. I go to the party only to find Martha there laying on a bean bag looking prettier than ever. She even came with a friend of mine that had invited her. So through the night I was trying to get her to pay attention to me but it was kind of hard due to the fact that my buddy Mark was flirting with her on the bean bag trying to get her number. But I was set on talking to her. As the night progressed she ended up by me while we were playing a card game. This is where I laid on some heavy flirting but Martha did not pick up on that, she only wanted to cheat off of my cards. The night came to close and she was getting ready to head home. Well Martha and her roommates needed a ride home. I offered but Mark(the other Mark), the guy who she had originally come with offered to take them home as well. I started telling Mark that I was heading that way and could take them home with no problems. I even tried to give him a hint and said "Go on home, I'll take care of it." I did not even have a reason to go over that way other than to get Martha's number. I was telling them I needed something at Wal-mart when I really didn't. But that did not work because Mark did not pick up on that hint. So that night was a night of no hint pick up's. The sad thing is that I had to try and do this without getting caught by the girl that came with me. At that point I realized that I was interested in Martha. It took a few phone calls to her roommate Maria to get her number and actually talk to her to set up a date. I finally did and we had a blast. I took her to the state line roller coaster and we walked around the mall. It went well, and I even got her home by 7:30 pm. Which she thought was wierd, but I guessed it peaked enough interest to get me a second date(that day was my parent anniversary). From then on my manly charm has won her over. That is how we met, talk about a lot of work on my part. Sheesh!