Celebrate like it's February 19,1999

I'm linking with Ruth Ayres, and her weekly link up.  Read More about that here.  And then join in!

(A story inspired by all the Valentine's Stories last week.)

A group of college students have been preparing.  

A dinner theater.  Think 70's Midwest Church basement.  Funny Songs.  Funny Skits.  Lots of spaghetti.  

All planned by college students; all in their early 20s.  (I couldn't type that part without laughing.)

I was totally clueless.  

I was focused on spaghetti and the upcoming trip to Florida.  Mission oriented with fun thrown in.  Habitat for Humanity and some other work as well with a home for babies who were HIV positive.    Even back then, I wanted to save the world.  (Still do.)

And my parents were especially attentive this week.  Calling me all the time.  "Dad took a week off work."  (A semi-driver.)  "Bill and Marlys are coming too."  

My 21 year old self:  "Mommmmm!  Don't come up here.  It's not that big of a deal."  

It was that big of a deal.  

So the theater went off without a hitch.  The dinner part...not so much.  I remember how long people were waiting for spaghetti!  It seemed like an eternity.  

I had planned the last skit of the night with my then boyfriend, Shawn, and that night I was insistent that we just cancel it.  Insistent.  Just let the people go home, we aren't doing it.  

If you knew me then, you'll know that it took Nathaniel and a "Dude!  You are doing the skit!"  to quiet me down.  Something in his tone.  I brushed it off, clearly he was just passionate about the people and their spaghetti and their dinner theater.  

It wasn't about the spaghetti.  

So we do the skit.  We mimic The Newlywed Game.  Old couples, Middle Aged Couples and Us at the ripe old ages of 21 and 22.  Of course we won the grand prize.  

It was supposed to be a care package for Florida.  Flip flops, a towel, sunglasses.  Cute right?  

It was an engagement ring.  

I.had.no.idea.  

(Everyone else did.  They had been planning it for weeks.  And not one of them had caved and told me!  Traitors!)

Right there, in front of at least 100 people, my Shawn gets down on one knee.  I think he asks me to marry him.  I know I said yes.  And then yelled for my Mom and Dad.  :)  Who were in the back.  Because they knew too.  

16 years later, I'm thinking about how this just keeps getting better.  

He's simply the best.  The Best.  The best husband.  The best friend.  The best daddy.  The Best.  

Here's to many more years together.  Happy February 19th!  

Joy!
Kendra