As a follow-up to my post from Friday.....
I did it! And she accepted! And the best thing about it all was that she didn't know it was coming!
I made the reservations for a very nice restaurant on the Country Club Plaza called "Plaza III Steakhouse". I told them that it was going to be a very special evening; I would be proposing. So, they put us in a booth away from the "regular" dining area and I asked for a single red rose to be on the table.
Patty and I dressed up rather sharp for the evening. She had no idea what was coming, but I think the kids were suspicious! Tommy told me, "Hey! You look spiffy!" after I was ready. And, when Michael and I were in the basement finding Patty's jewelry to wear, he told me, "By the way, my mom LOVES emeralds. She's crazy about them. Just a little advice I thought you could use!"
The dinner was wonderful, but I was so nervous (my stomach was doing flip-flops) I kept dropping things and really didn't know if I could go through with it. And the booth was a huge wrap-around seat that you have to slide into when you sit down. I nearly knocked the vase over when we first sat down! I was sooooo nervous that I really thought "I can't do this!" I almost chickened out and picked another day.
Because of the odd seating, it took me awhile to figure out how I was going to propose. So, before we ordered dessert, I said that I had to use the restroom. As luck would have it, so did Patty! Perfect! I just wouldn't sit where I had been before.
When we got back to the table, I fished the box out of my jacket and put it in my pants pocket as Patty was sitting down. My "prepared speach" was gone from my mind, so I just did what I could remember. I began with "Patty, we need to talk." and ended with "I can imagine what it would be like spending the rest of my life with you and your children. What I can't imagine is not having you in my life." Then, I got on one knee and asked her to marry me!
Her reaction was priceless! She took a quick breath with a little "Oh!" as I opened the box. She said "Yes I will!" and snatched the box and had the ring on her finger before I knew what was happening!
The evening was wonderful and I'm so happy that I didn't back out! We're very excited and so are the children. We told them when I took Patty home. Of course, they were sure that something was up, and they were right!
I very happy that God gave me this family, as unworthy as I am. I know that I'm blessed already and that He will continue to shower blessings upon us all!
Thanks for all the prayers!
JMJ
I did it! And she accepted! And the best thing about it all was that she didn't know it was coming!
I made the reservations for a very nice restaurant on the Country Club Plaza called "Plaza III Steakhouse". I told them that it was going to be a very special evening; I would be proposing. So, they put us in a booth away from the "regular" dining area and I asked for a single red rose to be on the table.
Patty and I dressed up rather sharp for the evening. She had no idea what was coming, but I think the kids were suspicious! Tommy told me, "Hey! You look spiffy!" after I was ready. And, when Michael and I were in the basement finding Patty's jewelry to wear, he told me, "By the way, my mom LOVES emeralds. She's crazy about them. Just a little advice I thought you could use!"
The dinner was wonderful, but I was so nervous (my stomach was doing flip-flops) I kept dropping things and really didn't know if I could go through with it. And the booth was a huge wrap-around seat that you have to slide into when you sit down. I nearly knocked the vase over when we first sat down! I was sooooo nervous that I really thought "I can't do this!" I almost chickened out and picked another day.
Because of the odd seating, it took me awhile to figure out how I was going to propose. So, before we ordered dessert, I said that I had to use the restroom. As luck would have it, so did Patty! Perfect! I just wouldn't sit where I had been before.
When we got back to the table, I fished the box out of my jacket and put it in my pants pocket as Patty was sitting down. My "prepared speach" was gone from my mind, so I just did what I could remember. I began with "Patty, we need to talk." and ended with "I can imagine what it would be like spending the rest of my life with you and your children. What I can't imagine is not having you in my life." Then, I got on one knee and asked her to marry me!
Her reaction was priceless! She took a quick breath with a little "Oh!" as I opened the box. She said "Yes I will!" and snatched the box and had the ring on her finger before I knew what was happening!
The evening was wonderful and I'm so happy that I didn't back out! We're very excited and so are the children. We told them when I took Patty home. Of course, they were sure that something was up, and they were right!
I very happy that God gave me this family, as unworthy as I am. I know that I'm blessed already and that He will continue to shower blessings upon us all!
Thanks for all the prayers!
JMJ
