On the second day of Christmas, my true love sent to me...
Two sparkling gems,
And a flamingo in a tutu.
As soon as I saw Margaret’s version of the Twelve Days of Christmas, the first thing I thought of was the first Christmas my husband and I were dating. The Christmas I HOPED he would propose to me.
At the time, his parents lived in Washington, D.C., and we drove up to spend the holidays with them. As we neared the city that night, traffic was horrible. Cars were lined up for miles, streaming headlights and taillights in both directions. And out of the blue, my husband said, “Looks like rubies and sapphires.” And I said, “Do you mean rubies and diamonds?” So he corrected himself, then changed the subject.
But it got my brain clicking. I mean, he never talked about diamonds and rubies and sapphires. So of course, then my mind took the giant leap that he was going to propose at Christmas! I was ecstatic! I could hardly stand waiting till Christmas day.
And then the day rolled around. And, oh my gosh!!! He handed me a small package. Jewelry box-sized. And then I ripped the paper off. A jewelry box!! I nearly hyperventilated. Ever so slowly, I cracked the lid open… and then I found…
Earrings. Sapphire earrings.
I almost cried. But I put on a good act. At least I thought I put on a good act. But later, his mother told me she was sorry. She could tell I was disappointed, that I was probably hoping for a ring. I admitted that, yes, I was, but I loved the earrings.
Little did I know that, while we were visiting, he had informed his parents that he was going to ask me to marry him. And at some point, he called my parents and asked their permission. He proposed about a month later on the one-year anniversary of our first date. And he did so very romantically at the exact spot we met (by a water fountain in the youth ministry building!). :)
So all’s well that ends well. And once I got my diamond ring, I ended up loving those earrings.
So what about you? Does anyone have any holiday stories of proposals? Weddings? Falling in love? Any favorite proposal scenes in books?
Be sure to leave a comment to be entered in our drawing for a $50 gift certificate!
At the time, his parents lived in Washington, D.C., and we drove up to spend the holidays with them. As we neared the city that night, traffic was horrible. Cars were lined up for miles, streaming headlights and taillights in both directions. And out of the blue, my husband said, “Looks like rubies and sapphires.” And I said, “Do you mean rubies and diamonds?” So he corrected himself, then changed the subject.
But it got my brain clicking. I mean, he never talked about diamonds and rubies and sapphires. So of course, then my mind took the giant leap that he was going to propose at Christmas! I was ecstatic! I could hardly stand waiting till Christmas day.
And then the day rolled around. And, oh my gosh!!! He handed me a small package. Jewelry box-sized. And then I ripped the paper off. A jewelry box!! I nearly hyperventilated. Ever so slowly, I cracked the lid open… and then I found…
Earrings. Sapphire earrings.
I almost cried. But I put on a good act. At least I thought I put on a good act. But later, his mother told me she was sorry. She could tell I was disappointed, that I was probably hoping for a ring. I admitted that, yes, I was, but I loved the earrings.
Little did I know that, while we were visiting, he had informed his parents that he was going to ask me to marry him. And at some point, he called my parents and asked their permission. He proposed about a month later on the one-year anniversary of our first date. And he did so very romantically at the exact spot we met (by a water fountain in the youth ministry building!). :)
So all’s well that ends well. And once I got my diamond ring, I ended up loving those earrings.
So what about you? Does anyone have any holiday stories of proposals? Weddings? Falling in love? Any favorite proposal scenes in books?
Be sure to leave a comment to be entered in our drawing for a $50 gift certificate!
Missy
Posts
Oh thats so cool and Im glad he did propose a month later.
ReplyDeleteNo such luck with me still haven't found anyone. but I know about trying to act like you are not disappointed about a gift.
family asked mum what I wanted and they all but told her they had bought a particular book.
When I got there gift it was the wrong size and something totally different I had to act like I liked the gift but it was something i really couldn't use or want.
My husband proposed officially at Christmas but I knew I was getting a ring because we had talked about getting married. He went home (Tulsa) to pick it out and brought it with him when he flew down to Biloxi to spend some of the holidays with my family and me. I wouldn't let him get out of the airport without giving it to me. He'd planned a romantic dinner, but those plans went out the window because I was so excited and impatient to get that ring on my finger. We've been together now 38 years.
ReplyDeleteMissy,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great engagement story. I felt like I was reading a book and then got to the black moment when you got earrings. Glad the HEA came right after.
How fun, sapphire earrings! :-)
ReplyDeleteYou're lucky, I got a Dilbert calendar, LOL! I never did get that comic... ;-) What can I say, we were young. :-)
Probably my favorite proposal scene would have to be from the Anne books by L.M. Montgomery.
ladyufshalott at yahoo.com
What a great story, Missy. Alas, I have no great holiday proposal stories. Not even a good proposal story. Sigh. Mine could barely be considered a proposal, much less romantic. But he does have his moments :-)
ReplyDeleteAhhhhh. How awesome.
ReplyDeleteMy sweet hubby, on our tenth Christmas together he got me a new diamond ring.
I 'bout fell over. We're not much into gifts, so when he pulled out a tiny red box.....I was like, "What???" Sure enough....
It was great.
Hey, thanks for the post...it was a great topic.
My first ring came from a pawn shop and so I bugged my husband for years about it. I felt like he should love me enough to buy me my own ring. We were young and a month out of college and it was all he could afford at the time.
ReplyDeleteAbout eight years later he bought me the most beautiful diamond and gave it to me at Christmas in front of his whole family. I was so excited. Do you know I lost it three months later working in our garden? The diamond came lose from the prongs and I had a hole in my old work gloves.
Since then I've decided it was meant for me to have the ring we were married with. It doesn't matter where it came from, our love shouldn't be based on that. I guess age does bring a bit of wisdom. He's proven his love in so many other ways.
Jenny, yes, it is hard to act excited when you're disappointed. But I guess we never want to hurt someone's feelings.
ReplyDeleteWe're just too nice! :)
Missy
LOL, Margaret! I would have been the same way if I had known he was going to give me the ring. I would have been dying to see it. :)
ReplyDeleteWe're at 22 years now.
Missy
Yeah, Pamela. I was pretty glad he proposed so soon after. I had already started hoping for Valentine's Day! :)
ReplyDeleteLindsey,
ReplyDeleteI died laughing over the Dilbert Calendar! :)My husband loves that one, and I've never really enjoyed it either. I probably just don't keep up enough.
I'm going to have to pull my Anne books out now to try to remember that proposal scene. Love those books!!
Missy
So, Mindy, what did he say? "Let's get hitched?"
ReplyDelete:)
You've got me curious. LOL
Missy
Lynn, that sounds wonderful!! I mentioned to my husband that a nice multi-stoned anniversary ring would be nice for our 10th. And I hurt his feelings! I felt horrible. He said he thought my original ring would have more sentimental value. So I let it drop. But we did end up picking out a ring guard to add two small diamonds on each side. :) He could live with that.
ReplyDeleteMissy
Jenn! How awful to lose it!! But like you said, maybe that first ring should just be a reminder of what love really is. (kind of like my husband felt, as he was still in seminary when he bought mine.)
ReplyDeleteMissy
Well, after two and half years of dating, it was time to fish or cut bait. We were kind of on the outs because he kept trying to tell me how to raise my girls. I was of the opinion that if he didn't want to be part of our lives then he had no business telling me how to raise them.
ReplyDeleteSo one day he called and asked what I was doing. I was a bit snippy. He asked if I wanted to come over. I asked why. He said, "Well, I was thinking maybe we could pick a date." After I picked my jaw up off the floor, I did my best dumb blonde routine and said, "A date for what?"
"To get married," he replied. And that was it.
Oh, and to make matters worse, he didn't even sound happy about it. Like it was something he was being forced to do. Well, I showed him. I said yes :-P
ReplyDeleteLOL, Mindy! Well, you're right, it's not exactly romantic. But hey, it's worked out well.
ReplyDeleteSounds to me like an idea for how to write a fun male character. :)
Missy
Oh Missy...what a cute story! And how kind you were to put on "an act" about those earrings! ~ I had a Christmas wedding (Dec. 18) and I can honestly say, it was the "wedding of my dreams"!! The church was already decorated for Christmas (a huge live tree and poinsettias all along the front) but with the added wedding flowers, candles etc. it was GORGEOUS! Even the weather that day was nice (the previous weeks we'd had some bad weather) so I was VERY THANKFUL! ~ Blessings, Patti Jo :)
ReplyDeleteAwh Missy, I'm reading your post with tears in my eyes because I could just see you trying to be brave and look thrilled while your heart was in shock. Oh, the build-up...
ReplyDeleteDec 20th will be my 32nd anniversary. But, when I rec'd my proposal, we were both in the military living in a co-ed barracks (women on bottom floor, men top 2). He said he was thinking of getting an apartment downtown and asked me to move in with him. I balked. I might have been a backslider at the time, but I still had my morals. I told him so and then he proposed. After I said yes, he said he would have preferred to get married but was too scared to ask first - being that I was such a career woman and didn't take guff from anyone. I guess I didn't make him feel too secure, eh? Wow, have things changed in this house!
Patti Jo, it sounds like such a beautiful wedding! I've always thought the Christmas decorations would make a gorgeous backdrop.
ReplyDeleteIt also saves money on flowers! :)
Thanks for stopping by.
Missy
What a great story, Anita Mae! Shows the value of communication, doesn't it? :)
ReplyDeleteMissy
Oh, Missy! You would think a guy that close to proposing would have the good sense not to give you jewelry in a ring-size box!
ReplyDeleteSorry, can't top this for a romantic proposal story. I'm sort of like Mindy--can't remember actually being proposed to. We just sort of started planning our future together and then chose a date. We're coming up on 37 years next spring.
Wow, Myra. 37 years!! That's amazing. So obviously, it's not the proposing that counts. It's all the little things through the years. :)
ReplyDeleteMissy
Hi, Missy. Ah, love. The stuff of novels, huh?
ReplyDeleteWhen my husband proposed to me...well...we went shopping for the ring together, so no great surprise there. But I did tell him I wanted him to ask. I wanted a proposal. So, we drove home and, sitting in the car, which was apt because we were highschool sweethearts and our whole relationship had been in that car.................
...............he asked. I said a predictable YES. Then I said, "Are you going to ask my Dad's permission?
My husband to be's answer, "Nah, Jack'll let me marry you."
Be still my heart. :)
It's been 32 years this January.
Missy, I loved your proposal story. We ladies do tend to jump ahead. :-)
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I met in September at a job we had during college. I could tell he was interested, but he didn't ask me out until Dec. 2. I bought and wrapped a nice pen and pencil set, but he didn't get me anything. I never let him know and returned it. I was very disappointed. I would've loved those sapphire earrings, Missy. :-)
Janet
This is going to be a really unusual story about my parents. Long ago in Laredo, TX my grandparents were friends and each had a child - one had a boy and one had a girl - and they thought these children (who were almost adults)should meet. The girl was to meet the boy at his house (and here I'm a little blurry on why)and she found him on the roof of the house with a telescope looking at the stars. And a few years later they married and lived happily ever after for 50 years. Would have been longer except my father died. He always swore it was love at first sight for him.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great story Missy! I've enjoyed reading everyone's post on this topic.
ReplyDeleteHow fun, Mary!! And the best part, you got to pick your ring out! :)
ReplyDeleteMy hubby had to have my roommate do spy work to find out my size. :)
Missy
Oh, Janet, you poor thing! I bet that was a heartbreaking Christmas. I so remember all that angst: Do I get him a gift? Do I get him a card? Should it be mushy? Should it just be funny? How do I sign my name???
ReplyDeleteOh, boy. I don't think I'd want to go back there again! LOL
Missy
Ellen, such a fun story! Makes me want to sigh really big.
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to know love at first sight can happen.
I once knew a couple whose moms had met in the hospital (having their babies--a boy and a girl) and became friends. They always kidded about their kids marrying someday, and they did!
Missy
Hey, Debbie. Thanks for stopping by. We can sure get some book ideas today!
ReplyDeleteMissy,
ReplyDeleteI don't have a holiday story but I sure loved yours! Your husband sounds so clever and sweet! Way to Go Terry!!! How many years have you been married?
Love your lovely post today. So heartwarming and sweet.
ReplyDeleteI received my engagement ring in December since it is my birthday and it was a surprise for me. We married 5 months later and have been married for 38 years this May.
My husband proposed with an elaborate and surprise proposal which was emotional and beautiful. He set up the music, decor and props which were backstage at the drama department where we originally met. He lead me into the area with the music starting with Paul Anka's Diana, then Andrea Bocelli's Amore, and gorgeous background music which took my breath away. This was his way of saying how much in love we were and are. I am married to the love of my life and he is a pediatric resident.
ReplyDeleteMissy --
ReplyDeleteI loved your proposal story -- you have an observant mother-in-law, too.
37 years ago at midnight on the first of October my hubby and I tore an envelope in half and wrote notes to each of our parents. Stopped at both our homes and got our suitcases and eloped. We had our Valentines wedding all planned, but couldn't wait. To this day we wonder what was said when they found the notes!!
ReplyDeleteChristy, thanks for stopping by! It's been 22 years. :)
ReplyDeleteTraveler, that's wonderful!! That would be a perfect birthday gift. We also had a 5 month engagement. It about sent my mom over the deep end because she didn't have long to plan an out-of-state wedding! :)
Wow, Diane! What a true romantic! I bet he'll be the type to always remember your birthday and to make anniversaries special. :)
ReplyDeleteMissy
Janet, you're right! LOL She knows me well. :)
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, Lilac!! An elopement is the ultimate in being romantic in my book. I love the way you left notes!! :)
ReplyDeleteMissy
Mindy, LOL. I loved your story.
ReplyDeleteAnita Mae, congratulations!!
Margaret
aww what a sweet story! I loed it!
ReplyDeleteSarah (rebornbutterfly)
Thanks for stopping by, Sarah!
ReplyDeleteMissy
Ugh, I can imagine how disappointed you were that Christmas day! My husband proposed by giving me a jewelery box for Mother's Day, and inside the box was my engagement ring, which I totally didn't notice at first. He actually had to point it out to me. :)
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Mimi B
mnjesusfreak at gmail dot com
Okay, Mimi. I'm trying to envision this. Did you have to take the box apart to find the ring? Or are you saying it was so small you didn't see it?! LOL
ReplyDeleteMissy
It's so fun hearing everyone's story. My DH and I also shopped for rings together. He stopped by my work one day and asked what days I had off the next week and said, "Let's get married". The best part was we were in Hawaii (I was working, he was a Marine),we got married exchanging Hawaiian wedding leis under the flowering trees in front of Iolani Palace. Wonderful place for newlyweds! It's been 30 years since then, I would love to go back some day.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful story, Mary! Not many people get to marry in a tropical paradise. I hope you get to go back someday!
ReplyDeleteMIssy
My boyfriend-now-husband and I had dated for over a year when he asked me if I would marry him. I didn't want to give myself to him in marriage so easily. Anyway, I thought girls were SUPPOSED to play hard to get. So I told him "no." I know he was disappointed but never dreamed he would have dumped me because I gave him a wrong answer. A few weeks later he asked me again. Again I said "no". I can't remember where we were during those two places of proposals. Then he asked me out to DINNER. He had NEVER taken me out to dinner before. I remember the dress I wore and where we went to eat. Elegant place. Then he took me to a back mountain road, parked beside a small stream and asked me again. I told him "yes" this time. He was ecstatic. This was close to Christmas by this time of year. Then I set the date for almost a year away! He didn't care. I said "yes". He wanted to seal the deal so we went shopping and he bought me a promise ring until he could afford a real engagement ring. I still wear both rings after 33 years of being married.
ReplyDeletePam Williams
cepjwms at yahoo dot com
Pam, I just love that story!! And how cool that you still wear both rings. I love it!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your story!
Missy
I loved reading these comments as much as the original post! Awesome.
ReplyDeleteMy husband was trembling when he proposed. I mean teeth-chattering kind of trembles. Never ever saw him do that before, nor since. Never dreamed he'd be so nervous and thinking I'd say no.
LOL. I am sure there are days now he wished I would have. LOLOL!
Cheryl
LOL, Cheryl! How sweet that he was quaking in his boots! :)
ReplyDeleteMissy