Happy Halloween!

Today, Halloween 2008, marks the 10th anniversary of Mommy & Daddy's engagement. I was a Junior at Duke, and much to our dismay Daddy had left a few weeks earlier to attend some very long military training in Texas. We decided to meet in San Antonio for the Halloween weekend. Daddy picked me up at the airport and I remember he was acting pretty strange. He took me to the San Antonio River Walk, which is a very romantic spot, so I figured he was in a decent enough mood. We strolled along the River Walk and stopped at a little bench on "Marriage Island," the location of the first Catholic mass ever held in San Antonio in 1691. Legend has it, if you get married or engaged on this island you will have a happy marriage.

So anyhow, we were sitting on this bench watching the river boats go by when I tried to hold Daddy's hand (which was in his pocket holding my engagement ring, unbeknownst to me). He didn't want to hold my hand, and I thought for sure he was going to break up with me, right there on Marriage Island. All I could think was, "I can't believe this guy! I flew all the way out to San Antonio to see him and he took me to Marriage Island to dump me. What an ass!" While I was busy thinking all of these nasty things, Daddy was going on about how much he loved me and how he couldn't imagine life without me. Worst breakup speech ever. It did make a good engagement speech though. Finally he got down on one knee, pulled out a little box with a gorgeous diamond inside, and asked me to marry him.

I was so shocked (remember, I was thinking his little speech was going to end in me flying home to North Carolina single) that I responded, "Really?" Luckily Daddy kept his cool and said, "Yeah, really." Then I got my wits together and squealed, "Yes, yes, yes!" and gave him a big kiss just as one of the tourist boats floated by. The Captain said over the loudspeaker, "Did she say yes?" and we got to wave and smile, assuring them I didn't break Daddy's heart. I'm certain there are pictures of us in a vacation scrapbook documenting some couple from Idaho's 1998 vacation to San Antonio.

The rest of the day was spent making calls to our families, who, to their credit, did not freak out at the thought of their 20 and 22 year old offspring promising to marry each other after 4 months of dating! If you pull that I might have a conniption fit. Luckily Daddy and I knew what we were doing ;)

Happy 10th Anniversary to Mommy & Daddy!