We're Getting Married!

We met at a friend's house our freshman year of college. I was in the kitchen making breakfast crepes the way my mom taught me. Stone says he remembers being introduced to me, but that I seemed busy (I must have been, because I don't remember it!) He says that he thought I was pretty and thought to himself "I gotta see what this girl is about." We became close friends over the years and he later admitted to me that he had a crush on me since that freshman year we first met! He never thought it was going to happen.. honestly neither did I! He was a sweet guy friend who (I wrote in my journal) was so respectful of women and had a deep reverence for me. That foundation of trust led to me saying yes when he finally asked me on a date!

We were walking to class when he stopped and looked at me intently. "What do you want to do later?” he asked me. “I’m not sure,” I replied. “Okay I’ll plan it, I’ll plan the whole thing. It will be like a date, it will be a surprise. Be here at 2:20. No 2:30, I get out of class at 2:20 and I‘ll wait. The man should wait for the woman.” I didn't know what to make of what he had just said but I nodded, smiled and walked to my car a little unsure what I just agreed to. I thought as I went about my day... I have to make sure this is what I hope it is. When I came back at 2:30, after giving myself a pep talk about how to phrase this subtle DTR, the first thing he said when I got close enough was “Are you ready for our date?” Okay, so he made his intentions clear.. I liked that. But I was still never asked. I replied as he hugged me, “You know Stone, if you want to take me on a date, you have to ask me.” “I thought you already said yes” I laughed, “I agreed, but you never asked me.” “Addie,” he held me at arms length and stared into my eyes intently, “Do you want to go on a date with me?” “Yes.” I replied, “Thank you for asking me.”

Stone is romantic. He is also very simple, two things I love about him. Our first date was simple, a long walk in our favorite park. He shows me he loves me in very thoughtful, small ways. Once he left flowers and a note at my door for when I got home and waited around the corner to surprise me. Once he showed up at my class everyday for an entire semester. One time I woke up to a clean kitchen and a living room filled with dozens of balloons each with a sweet note written on it. He has recently started showing me affection by laying on the ground to kiss my feet and then saying "It is an honor to kiss the feet of God's daughter." So I knew when he asked me to marry him it would be romantic and simple. We were at our school’s Newman Center on a Sunday and He took me outside during a Family Weekend gathering because he said he wanted to be alone with me for a minute. He took me to the Mary grotto where we had planted flowers earlier that week (little did I know, for this moment.) He prayed with me and when I opened my eyes, he was down on one knee! He took my hand and told me that he wanted to marry every part of me, that he wants to lead me and our future family to heaven, that he knows God made me for him, so that together we could become saints. Before he could get out the full question I said "YES!" and turned around to see about a hundred people, including both our families watching! Talk about a story to tell the grandkids one day!