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How We Met
She says...
We met on the Internet! Yes, Benjamin and I met on the Internet at
ChristianCafe.Com. (For all of you
single folk, check it out! We did, and now you're reading our wedding
website!) Basically, we both posted our profiles on ChristianCafe, which
allows you to post pictures and answer questions about yourself. Benjamin
happened upon my profile, and that's when our friendship began! (So glad he
found my profile!)
Thanks to Benjamin, proof of our first e-mail dates back to November 24, 2002.
We developed our friendship by randomly e-mailing and chatting with one
another on IM (instant message) and occasionally talking on the phone.
Being the helpful guy that he is, Benjamin helped me with my resume, and we
continued to talk more and more. By the end of May 2003, we decided that it
was time to meet in person. Benjamin happened to be going through town June
14th, so we met! Where did we meet? My favorite store of course! Super
Target at the Star Bucks Cafe in Ankeny! Who knew I'd get my first teaching
job (in Avoca, IA) and meet my future husband (from Iowa City, IA) in the
same week?! The Lord works in mysterious ways, even 200 miles apart! .
He says...
When my friend and roommate Sean (also a groomsman) told me of this Christian
dating website, I wasn't jumping at the idea, but by signing up, I earned him
some free time on the service. I met Stephanie early on, and we were buddies
and chatted online and on the phone for months.
When Stephanie walked into Star Bucks, I was speechless (and you know how rare
THAT is). I won't say that I knew for sure in that moment that I would marry
her, but I was VERY impressed and VERY attracted to a girl I already felt was
a pretty good friend. I definately wanted to pursue the relationship.
The Proposal
He says...
After only a few months of dating, all I was trying to figure out was when I
should propose and when we should get married. We had discussed it, we fully
intended to get married, but we weren't sure if we should wait a year or not.
As December rolled in, I was certain I would propose in January.
I wanted to get the ring from my family friends at
Crosbie Diamond and Gems, but I
had to find a good excuse to go to Iowa City. Bingo! My sister had a choir
concert one night. I drove in, picked out Steph's Christmas present (earings),
then picked out the ring. I had the ring in hand just a week later, but even
before I had it, I knew I wouldn't be able to wait till after Christmas.
I decided I would have to find some very sneaky, very romantic way to propose
right before we left for Christmas vacation, since Stephanie was coming to
Christmas with my family.
The perfect time was obvious; we were alredy planning on going to my
work Christmas party. I made sure the car was clean, John Mayer was in the CD
player, and that we had plenty of time to stop off at the lake so I could
propose somewhere special. We were all dressed up and I'd been rehearsing what
I would say all day long, so we were ready to go.
It was cold as we stood by the lake. I was nervous as I started my
speech... I kept thinking "she must know"! But when I got down on my knee,
she was completely surprised, screamed "what are you doing?" and jumped up and
down as I told her I was asking her to marry me! Finally I got off my knee
and she said "yes"! I couldn't let her cry, though, because we were on our
way to a dinner party. :) Twenty minutes later, I introduced Stephanie for the
first time, as my fiance, my bride to be!
She says...
Little did I know, when I was getting ready for Benjamin's work Christmas
party the night of December 19, 2003, that Benjamin's "Hurry up, we need to
get going," really meant "Hurry up, I'm going to propose to you!" I step it
into high gear, and we are out the door to 801 Grand for an elegant Christmas
dinner. Seat belts on, car starts, and John Mayer is playing in Benjamin's CD
player. If I remember correctly, I commented on the music. "John Mayer...
we listened to this on our first date!" All is well, we're on our way to
downtown Des Moines. (Benjamin is thinking with a smile on his face, "Yes
dear! The same music as our first date... I'm sneaky... I have a plan!")
Benjamin says, "Since we don't have time to go out to dinner tomorrow night,
can we drive by the lake and look at the lights?"
"Sure... if we have time," I reply.
So, we pull up to Gray's Lake, which we
had walked around 6 months before in 90 degree, muggy weather. This night,
however, was probably in the 20's. We get out to walk around for a bit,
brr... I cling to my man, and we look at the Des Moines skyline. Then,
Benjamin starts saying all of these wonderful things. Still, I have no clue!
Benjamin saying wonderful things to me is not out of the norm. He's very
romantic and always says sweet things to me. So, I'm still oblivious to the
entire situation! He starts talking about miracles... how I was a miracle
baby, how his life has been a miracle, and how us being in each other's lives
has been a miracle... a gift from God. He then tells me how he wants to start
a new miracle! He gets down on his knee and pulls something out of his
jacket! I ask him, "What are you doing?!", start screaming and jumping up and
down. I was a mess... a happy mess! =)
Basically, I was totally shocked, amazed... had no clue, and still didn't
believe him. I thought he was going to pull out a fake ring or something. The
poor guy is tired from being on his knee, gets up, and is like... "Well?" I
continue to 'freak' out and finally with the hugest smile on my face say,
"YES!! Yes, I will marry you!" I give my future husband the biggest hug ever
and ask, "Who knows about this?" "Well," he says, "My family, everyone at
work, your parents, and Audrey." Yay!! He asked my parents, got down on his
knee, proposed at the same park that we went to on our first date, and picked
out the most beautiful ring... all without me having a clue. He's a girl's
dream come true... my dream come true!
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