How God Brought Us Together - Part Two

THE SUMMER COURTSHIP

The days of summer progressed, and so did our relationship with one another. The emails continued, but they got shorter because we were talking so much. The calls got more frequent, and we began to see each other every weekend.

We started to pray together. Mr S emailed me a list of items to pray for.

We also started reading two Christian books which Mr. S purchased for me. We started to talk about the future. We were surprised how closely God was knitting our hearts. I think we all just knew.

He had not confessed his love for me, although he made sure I knew how he felt. He always talked about how red roses meant love, and he knew that I loved roses. On the day before my birthday a vase stuffed with beautiful red roses and other filler flowers arrived at my house. The card read: "Red!!! What does that mean? I forget. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow."

When he asked my Dad if he could officially court me, my Dad gave his consent readily (after a serious conversation of course!). He became a part of our small family and I became a part of his big family.


ENGAGEMENT


On October 17, 2003, I was supposed to go spend the weekend in Mr.S's neck of the woods. I was going to a birthday party for his cousin. This was my first time spending an overnight in North Jersey. I noticed that Mom said "I love you," to Mr S when we were walking down the driveway, but I didn't think anything of it.


We went past the exit we were supposed to turn off on, and when I asked about it, I was assured that "we could go this way too." He pulled into Liberty State Park and I was enjoying the lit up buildings ... it was beautiful. I was fine until he pulled into a parking lot and stopped the car. He asked me if I wanted to take a walk. I wasn't sure what he was doing. We always discussed everything we did before we did it. We always cleared everything with my dad too. I told him that I didn't want to take a walk. He was shocked! He said that he needed to stretch his legs and after he walked around and got his jacket out of the trunk, he told me that there was something he wanted to show me. I was uncomfortable (spontaneity is not my strong point), but I went. We walked onto the bridge and he showed me the Statue of Liberty. It was breathtaking in the dusk. Then I felt a drop land on my nose.


"It's raining," I announced.


"It's not," he said quickly.


"Bev, your parents know we're here," he finally said, sensing my inner thoughts.


"They do?" I said, ready to cry with relief, "why didn't you tell me that?"


"Because it was supposed to be a surprise," he answered smiling down at me.

We started to walk along the bridge hand in hand. He stopped and told me that he wished he could show me how much he loved me.



I started to realize at that moment what was going on.


He told me that he was going to show me, and next thing I knew, he was down on one knee in front of me. He was holding a ring in the air ... it was sparkling in the overhead lights.


I don't remember what I said. It was an indescribable feeling.


But yes --- we still had to attend the birthday party. So we got back in the car -- we were both giddy, and drove to his house. When I walked in, my parents and my sister and his family and some friends were there! It wasn't a birthday party but an engagement party for us. It was a perfect ending.


The next morning, we went to breakfast at a friend's house. There, we saw our two friends who had gotten engaged the very same night! Mr.S and the other guy - the very same one who had alerted Mr.S to sit at our table at the banquet - had planned all this to perfection. We got engaged simultaneously, and not far in location from one another. You can imagine what a gleeful breakfast this was.

By the way, we also got married within three months of each other and had our first children within three months of each other. We are currently planning their wedding:-) They beat us with the second child though, theirs is due in just a few weeks!

That night, we went to The Manor for dinner. A wedding was going on outside and we sat at a distance and dreamed and planned about us.

Thus ends my narrative about the courtship and engagement.

I think I will post about the wedding on September 25th as that is our actual anniversary. And yes, I'll include a few pictures.