The proposal

Everyone told me that if I helped pick my ring that it wouldn’t be a surprise. Well it was, a big one! This is the story of when Jon proposed to me on August 11 2009. We always talked about wanting to get married this coming summer, but I didn’t know if it was actually going to happen. Jon knew he could not propose until after my sister’s wedding, August 9.

So in my head, I thought that he better do it right away if we want to start planning a wedding for the following summer! In May, we were in the mall here in Windsor, and Jon casually said, let’s go look at rings. I thought he was joking! But we did, and then again in Montreal. We picked a design that we both liked, and that was that. He did go back the next day with my mom, to meet with the diamond guy. I never imagined that he was actually planning to buy it! I decided that from that day, I would never mention it again.

I tried not to think about it, but in the back of my mind, I knew that it could be any day after August 9. Samara’s wedding finally came, it was beautiful. We got the regular ‘you’ll be next’ comments, but I never imagined how soon it would be. The next day we were at the brunch, and I saw Jon go over to my dad and whisper in his ear. I thought to myself, oh my god, but I didn’t want any surprise to be ruined, so I looked away, and did not mention it to Jon. Normally, I would have ran up to him and asked what he was talking to my dad about! I am very proud of myself. It turns out that he was indeed asking both my parents for their permission. Jon had told them earlier that he was planning a surprise for me, but he waited in person to tell them what it was. After Jon was being sneaky asking me when I’m going up north, and who would be there. Again I told myself not to ask questions. In my head I was going crazy, I didn’t know if I was imagining things, or if this was actually happening!

I went up north Monday afternoon, and Jon was going to come up on Tuesday. Tuesday afternoon the phone rings, its Jon and he says his car started smoking and he pulled off the highway in Ste Adolphe D’Howard. My initial reaction was annoyance, because I was enjoying myself relaxing in the country! My dad took the phone and got the directions. (he was in on it) We ran out the door, followed by my mom who claimed she wanted to get groceries on the way back. As we drove there, all I kept saying was that it’s not fair, why did this have to happen to Jon. We arrived at a gas station and we didn’t see his car. I got so mad, and started yelling at my dad that he didn’t get good directions, and that we didn’t even know which car Jon was driving! (at this point, I really had absolutely no idea!!) My dad went in to ask about another gas station, but he was really making sure he knew where the special location was.

We then pulled into a driveway, and once again start yelling that this isn’t a gas station. My dad says it’s an information center, and get out of the car. I looked ahead, and saw a lake, and a gazebo. That’s when my heart dropped. I thought to myself this could be it. My dad was walking back to the car trying to hide a smile, he had just given Jon the signal that we had arrived. My dad awkwardly walked around the car, he was trying to figure out how to get me out. Finally he just opened my door and said come walk. At this point, I thought 99% it was it, but I didn’t want to say anything in case it wasn’t! It turned out that it was a boat marina.

I looked up and saw Jon standing in the distance, he was in a brand new outfit, (a pink polo shirt and white capris, I always wanted Jon to get a pink polo shirt, and I had just bought him a pair of capris and loved him in them). That is when the saxophone player that Jon hired started playing our song, Maybe I’m Amazed. As I walked to him, my parents went back to the car. That’s when I started crying hysterically, what a sight. I walked to Jon and we started dancing, there were a lot of ‘oh my gods and I can’t believe its.’ I then noticed that he had a party boat all decorated with streamers, and our video camera set up. Jon tried to give the musician a signal to stop playing, but he was so involved in his music that he didn’t see it. Finally he stopped and Jon got down on one knee. I must have been shaking like an idiot! He gave me the most beautiful ring, and then he said, which is your left hand!

We walked onto the boat and I noticed that he had roses, champagne, party sandwiches, raspberries and other snacks. (People always laugh when I mention the party sandwiches.) My parents came down, and then there was a lot of screaming and hugging and making phone calls. Samara had left on her honeymoon that morning, but Jon called her the night before to tell her. When he called, she yelled I knew it! She had also seen Jon talking to my dad at the brunch. Michael had been in on it the longest. Jon and I went out alone on the boat, and I had so many questions about how, and when. I still don’t understand how he organized this all from Windsor. Where did he find the place and a musician? We went back to the dock and then my parents came on the boat for a little bit. When we got back to the house, all my cousins were there so it was very exciting. The whole thing was perfect!

I know Jon would be upset if I did not mention one other part. He was trying to figure out a way to get me to the marina. He decided to make up a fake Lululemon sale in the Laurentians. He even had one of his friends call and leave a message in French on our answering machine. Not to mention, he made Michael get him the number of a calling card so I wouldn’t be able to trace the call. Unfortunately, I listened to the message once, could not understand how Lululemon got my number in Windsor, and forgot all about it. At that point, Jon created a fake letter with the Lululemon logo, header and footer. Sometime around then, he decided this was all crazy, and decided to go with the broken car. Ironically, his car battery did die the next day.