14 Years and Still Going Strong

Today is our 14th anniversary. Last year we were able to duck out the weekend before. This year we won’t be able to go away until July. It’s a long story that involves a seemly permanently booked hotel and inconvenient soccer tournaments.

Since our “official” anniversary trip is so far off we have been rather low key about the whole thing. None the less, marrying Larry is still one of my better decisions.

He proposed to me 15 years ago by the side of the road, amongst the wild flowers in the teeny, tiny town of Vermont, WI.

I was oblivious when he picked me up from work that day. As he drove out of Madison I didn’t even notice we were going the opposite direction from home until we were out of the city limits of Madison. I was puzzled at first, but I was enjoying the ride. It was a beautiful spring day in Wisconsin.

After a while he pulled over so we could enjoy the view. As I admired the pretty wildflowers he snuck to the back of the car and pulled out a very special bouquet out of the trunk. He then came up to me, presented the flowers, a little ring box, and got down on one knee to ask me to marry him.

I was utterly surprised.

The biggest surprise was the ring.

I knew at some point he would ask, but I never expected to get a ring. He was a poor grad student, with very little spare change. The ring has a large marquise cut diamond with two smaller baguettes flanking it on a platinum band. My first thought was “Lord, what bank did he knock over to get this ring.”

Then I cried and said yes.

Larry then escorted me to the car and drove us to a little park nearby. He had me sit at a table and then returned to the now seemly magical car trunk. He pulled out a delicious fried chicken dinner and a bottle of champagne. It was a truly romantic proposal.

I then found out that the ring was his, then recently passed, Grandmother’s engagement ring. It is a very special ring because his grandparents loved each other to the very end. Larry’s mother had inherited it and she in turn gave it to him. It is a beautiful ring with an even more beautiful past.

I still love you Larry.