Dear Friends,
Well, there may have been some other stuff going on in the past couple weeks, but by far the biggest news is that I asked Kate to marry me...and she said "YES!" It seemed to be a big hit when I wrote about how Kate and I met...and a lot of people have been asking me the engagement story. As a result, let me tell it here...although I'm sure the story will be told many more times in the coming years.
It was this last Friday, Oct. 15th, and it was our regular date day. I had made sure that we were set up to be alone together for the day's entirety. I was staying at a friends house in Seattle so that I could be closer to Kate's house, and I got up early so that I could go buy some red roses and make it over to her house before she woke up. Her extremely helpful roommate Janette let me into the apartment early in the morning; I set up a trail of rose pedals from Kate's bedroom door to the living room table. On the table I left a simple note telling her that I love her along with the roses...trying to start off the day with a little romance without making it obvious what I was building up to do.
After she woke up and read the note, we went to The Flying Apron...her favorite coffee shop where we ate a light breakfast and did our devotionals together. An hour later we went right next door for our full body massages at a place she loves. At this point we were both completely 100% relaxed just enjoying each other and the beautiful day. And God certainly blessed us with beautiful weather! The air had a slight chill to it, and the sun was shining bright. We had the perfect Fall-Seattle day thanks to the Man Upstairs. Ultimately this was my goal: to get Kate completely relaxed so that she could enjoy the day. I also recommend this technique to any guys who like me know that asking a beautiful girl such a huge question can be nerve-racking. The easy day put me in a relaxed mood too.
After our massages we got some food from the local grocery store and went back to her place where we cooked an awesome brunch together. This activity...simply cooking and being close to each other was one of the best parts of the day since we are still living over an hour apart. Time together doing everyday things is truly special. We enjoyed the food, and then we relaxed at her place for about an hour. The weather was thankfully still gorgeous, and we went down to Green Lake which is within walking distance from her house. It is a beautiful lake with plenty of more private areas right on the water...with a view of Mount Rainier's top and the Olympics too. We got halfway around the lake, and by this time her ring (which had never left my side within the past 24 hours) had begun to burn a whole in my pocket. We found a nice little pavilion by the lake with cement steps leading right down to the water. We sat down by the water for a few minutes, and I had planned to go through a series of scripture passages which had given me confirmation and encouragement for our relationship in the past months. I fumbled my words, and felt like there really was only one appropriate thing to do. I brushed the rest of the speech aside and simply asked her "Will you marry me?" Kate said "yes", and we ended up spending some more time down by the lake looking through John 15, and just talking about all the new excitement and joy we had.
After I proposed, we still had plenty of time in the day. After a couple phone calls and a load of texts, we both turned off our cell phones and promised to take the rest of the night for each other. We both got ready for dinner, and Kate came out looking absolutely beautiful as usual. She's the type of girl who can take your breath away every time you see her. I walked her down the street to Mona's Restaurant. We ate some awesome food in a romantic setting where a live Jazz band ended our night together.
The best part of this story is that my opportunities to be romantic and sincere are just beginning. I look forward to the next few months of our engagement, and I hope that Kate and I can get time with all of you who have been involved in our lives...either separately or together. Thank you all again for your continued support and prayers!
