Come Celebrate With Us!

I was going to a big Christmas party and begged my friend to fly home from a trip early to be my wing man. I was ready to meet someone and knew this could be the place. We showed up in our best festive outfits and as we reached the top of the stairs I immediately saw a tall, handsome boy with very long hair talking to a friend and we locked eyes. A few minutes later, I asked that friend who he was...'Caleb! Have you met Alison?' And then she promptly walked away. We talked easily and quickly learned of our mutual friends and connections. Over the course of the party we kept finding one another, chatting and laughing as if we'd been friends for awhile. The party moved to the dance floor and again, we found one another there. We danced with our friends and my cheeks hurt from smiling so much. As I drove away from the party with my friend, I saw he had started following me on Instagram. The next morning I sent him a message and thus began the days of happy hours, afternoon walks, long talks, beach adventures, so many memories.

A few weeks before we met, I was told I’d be set up soon. So, the night we met, when I walked into a Christmas party on the fourth floor of an old, nearly abandoned industrial building with a bunch of strangers, I was keeping an eye out for her. I had noticed her a few times before stopping to talk to her. The minute we started talking, we started connecting. She put me at ease effortlessly, and has done the same ever since. The way she talked about life – her world adventures, her incredible jobs, her beautiful family and her love for Jesus – she instantly gained my respect and admiration. I’d never heard anyone talk about their family the way she did. After that, I just wanted to listen to her stories of world travels, incredible jobs and her childhood with her brothers. I spent hundreds on a co-working space I didn’t need, just in order to get the chance to possibly run into her. Unbeknownst to me, she would wait around until I showed up. I was in the middle of a job transition, so I used the excuse of a wardrobe makeover to get her to come shopping with me. Shopping trips were followed by Happy Hours and the next day I’d remember something else that I needed her opinion on and the cycle would repeat. Soon we were spending time together every day without the need for an excuse. After that, it was our mutual desire to find the best nachos in the city and take day trips to the coast and the gorge and the mountain where we found the time for our connection to grow.

We headed home a day early from a weekend with friends and he asked if after a good night sleep, we could still have an adventure the next day and make the most of the weekend. I said we could play it by ear. :) (I had no idea the plan I was interrupting.) I woke up the next morning still not feeling great but not wanting to disappoint him, we set out for Astoria, one of our favorite spots to explore. We got coffee, strolled around town, shopping at sweet shops for Christmas gifts and vintage stores for treasures. He was super relaxed and the plan felt fluid, like we were just being fully spontaneous. The weather was gorgeous so he suggested a walk on the beach which sounded amazing. We drove to a spot where we had gone on one of our first adventure days together, a place that has a big shipwreck right on the beach. It's a part of the coast where you can drive on the beach so he drove for awhile until no other people or cars were in sight and stopped the truck facing the ocean. He suggested taking a selfie, which we often do, and set up the camera on the front of the truck. After trying several times for a good shot, his face always looking pained, I asked if we should take one facing the water. Unbeknownst to me, he then set it to record video, walked over and put his arm around me. As we stood there facing the water, I could feel his heart pounding as he stammered over this words. I froze. He started saying really beautiful things about the significance of this place and our adventures together and I remained frozen. Then he pulled away and started reaching into his jacket as he was getting down to one knee. Unable to believe it was actually happening I felt my chin quivering and the one thing I could get out was...'shut UP!' I've watched the video and know he goes on saying sweet things but I can't, for the life of me, remember a word. I squealed out a YES and then cried from excitement, love, relief and so much joy.

Earlier that week, I lied about my plans and had gone to ask Karen for her blessing and for Grandma Shirley’s custom ring. My first plan got set aside for a better one when my lady got sick and wanted to go home early from a weekend away with friends. I made her promise that on Sunday I could take her to the coast. That morning, we went back and forth about plans, and I knew I couldn’t force it. She had to be surprised. If it seemed like I was forcing the trip to the coast, she’d catch on. The plan took shape and we were off. I felt nerves creeping up, but was able to hide them enough to keep her distracted so that we could walk around to Christmas bazaars and vintage shops. We had to be back for a surprise engagement party with family at 6, so we’d need to leave by 4. At 2:45, I realized that my time was dissolving quickly. We hadn’t eaten yet, but I said we wouldn’t want to miss a walk on the beach and she was all in. Early on, I told her I’d found the type of person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. Now, I was able to say confidently that I had found the person I wanted to spend it with. I drove us out onto the sand and down to an empty area where we could be alone. Throughout the day, I was sure she had seen the round ring box in my pocket, but when I pulled the custom abalone box out with a knee in the sand, she still seemed surprised. I’m still not sure if she said yes, but her body language and emotions seemed to speak for her.