Background:
Greg and I did not go to the same school together.
We weren't even in the same city.
We got to know each other in high school because I was dating his best friend.
The best friend and I didn't make it past our first year of college together. We were not a match made in Heaven.
Greg and I met up at a Steak N Shake the first week we were back from our first year of school. We wanted to catch up. And as they say, the rest is history.
More Background:
Greg and I had never spent a New Year's together. Every year, the weekend after Christmas is spent in Ohio with my mom's family. For the 3 years that Greg and I dated, this always fell on New Year's.
Also, we had talked about getting engaged in the Spring because he didn't have the money to buy me a ring. I was okay with that.
However, on Christmas, I was secretly hoping for a ring, and when it didn't come, I was pretty sure he was serious.
The Proposal:
Greg was going to come to Ohio with me the year he proposed, but then his parents planned his graduation party on January 30th. (He graduated in December, so the choices I guess were slim due to his enormous family and the multiple Christmas' they have.)
Needless to say, he didn't come, and to top it off, I couldn't attend his graduation party.
Apparently while at this party, he announced to his guests that he was going to drive the 7+ hours to Ohio to propose to me.
The next day (New Year's Eve), Greg set out on his venture. I actually talked to him multiple times that day, asking him how his party was, what his plans were for the night, etc. He did good, real good. :)
At about 5 pm EST, there was a knock on my grandparents' door. Not unusual. My grandmother is big with the YMCA and she always had people stopping by to give her this and that. Plus, it was still the holidays.
Oh, I sure wish all of my readers knew my grandmother. She's not one for surprises. And by that I mean, she's not usually surprised. She answered the door, said "oh, hi Greg. Come on in", and shut the door behind him.
* Side note: No one knew he was coming. Not even my parents. It SHOULD have been a shock to my grandmother. *
I was in the den watching Little Miss Sunshine with my family. My Mom was in the kitchen and did a double take. Was it really Greg? Did he really drive 7 hours to be here? Crazy Kid.
He walked down the steps to greet me and I was in shock.
Questions were asked:
What are you doing here?
How did I not know you were coming?
How did you find the address?
Answers were given:
I'm here because I miss you and I want to spend a New Year's with you.
I wanted to surprise you.
My mom asked your mom for your grandparents's address to "send them a Christmas card". (I think they had only met once at this point...maybe.)
So he came under the guise of celebrating with me. Not a proposal, but a New Year's celebration. And he wanted to spend it with my family. Crazy kid.
So, we ate dinner and did our normal family charades (literally) until the big moment. Silly string went off, poppers went off and blowers were blown.
Then he said he had a gift for me.
We had already done the Christmas present thing, so a New Year's present seemed silly.
And then it hit.
He led me upstairs where we could be alone and he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.
I said yes. :)
That night we spent the night in our sleeping bags, in the same room as my sister and parents and drove home together as a newly engaged couple. :)
The rest, they say, is history!
LOVE IT!
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