Need I say more?
.........................................................................and now updated more than a month later.After telling Jasmine many times that I needed to talk to her father (Jim) in person before I could officially ask her to marry me, I got to the point where I couldn't wait any longer and started make plans... secret plans.
For our post Valentines day trip we went to napa valley and sampled some of the local wines. On the trip, I made sure to bring Jasmine to a jeweler to get her finger sized and to find out what kind of rings she likes. The trip to the jeweler was new for Jas, she was shaking a little, and cried a few times, but I made sure I comforted her by holding her hand, whispering in her ear, and rubbing her back.
Needless to say with all of this, She knew that I was going to propose, she just didn't know when.
I gave it about a day after Jas left to start building her ring on a web site. I know everyone says to never buy a diamond you haven't seen, but it turned out beautiful. I ordered it, and had it about a week later. After the ring arrived, I couldn't help but tell Jasmine. in fact, I taunted her with the box several times on skype, and sent her a photo text of just a little tiny corner of the ring's band (the part for resizing that looks nothing like the rest of the ring). I told her I was going to hide the ring, or give it to my neighbor Charles because I didn't want her snooping around my apartment for it (even though I know she wouldn't have) during the more than a month period of time she would be living in the same area as me before we could go to Wisconsin and I could talk to her Dad.
I was nervous and waited until the last minute to call her dad. I ended up calling him after my Monday preaching class on March 5th... well, about a half hour after the class because I had to calm myself to the point where I could call him. OK, I'm ready... ring... ring...ring...ring I got his voicemail.
After leaving what I felt was a fairly professional and respectful message about wanting an opportunity to speak with him, I set my phone down, and tried to occupy myself in other ways. Thank you Hulu.
20 minutes later my phone rings "Dad" (Jasmine texted me his phone number from her contacts and I hadn't changed the name yet... kind of funny). I answered, and had a brief and thankful conversation (no really, I must have said thank you 30 times). It was very brief because I am pretty sure he knew I was so nervous.
I hang up, jumped up and down a few times, happy that step was over, I had his blessing, I had the ring, and I was going to ask Jasmine to marry me.
The next day I had to go to New Testament Exegesis in the morning, then head straight to he airport to fly standby on a United airlines buddy pass to Denver. I got there extra early because I was flying standby and wanted to be first in line. I was! I would be in Denver at 6:30 and Jasmine would be there waiting for me. as I sat waiting for the flight, it seemed like every flight attendant and pilot who works for United walked up wanting to fly standby.
My buddy pass was not as high priority as them, so I watched my name drop down the list from 1 of 1 to 9 of 9. Only the first three standby passengers got on the flight. I would not make it to Denver by 6:30 this evening. After some talking to the lovely United gate ladies, they let me know I was moved to the list for the next flight, and it left in three hours. I headed to that gate, and ate a candy bar.
Two hours later the gate personnel called me up to give me my boarding pass. Yay! After asking if I wanted to sit in the middle seat in the front of the plane or the back, I let them know I would take whatever was easiest for them. I think they appreciated this because they sat me in the economy plus seating area right behind first class. I had about three feet of leg room, it was amazing.
The flight was kind of a blur for me, it was fast, just over two hours, a lot of turbulence on the approach to Denver. As soon as I got off the plane I headed to the bathroom, took the ring out of the cardboard box, and put it in my pocket, then rearranged it for a while so it wasn't sticking out.
I put my carry on bag and my laptop case over just one shoulder so I could easily drop them, and headed to the tram that would get me to the main terminal.
Jasmine called me while I was on the Tram saying she just got to the garage, and was going to hurry so she would probably get to the greeting area outside security around the same time I did.
I got off the tram and walked with blinders on, I didn't know what was going on in any direction. I walked with purpose, and headed up the escalator. I scanned right to left at the top of the escalator thinking I may have to wait there for Jas, but there she was. Beautiful as the day I met her.
I walked over, dropped my bags, and gave her a big hug. She said something, I have no idea what. and I continued to hug her. When I let go, she started to pull away so we could walk to the car, i grabbed her and pulled her back close, and whispered in her ear "I can't wait any longer for this."
I took a step back, dropped to my knee, pulled out the ring and asked her if she would marry me... She didn't say yes. She just teared up, and started nodding.
People in the greeting area began clapping, I stood up, and fumbled with her hands to find the left then placed the ring on her finger. a perfect fit, and it looks so good on her. I hugged her again gave her a gentle kiss, then we walked away from the clapping crowds now feeling like we were on the spot.
Around baggage claim I made her look at the ring because she didn't even look at it before, she just kept looking into my eyes as I proposed and when I put the ring on her finger. I love this woman!
