THURSDAY AUGUST 21, 2014

 It was our 5 year anniversary.  And for the last 6 months my own mother and sister were badgering me about proposing to Emma.  My mother kept dropping hints about grand-kids and reminding me about how I was not getting younger.  My sister bluntly (as if she has any other way to talk) told me that I wasn't going to find anyone better and to hurry it up already!  

So I gave up all hopes of Emma Watson returning my emails and decided that destiny had brought into my life the Emma that was meant for me.

Little did anyone know that I had spent the last several months looking for the right ring.  I did not want to settle for just any old flashy ring.  I had to find one that matched her heart and soul.  Once I saw the ring and held it I knew it was perfect for Emma.  It only took 3 months of singing Tracy Chapman songs and collecting tips on the redline but I was finally able to buy the ring.

The big day has arrived and I have chosen to propose at our spot in the Chicago Botanical Gardens.  By our spot I mean the first place I told Emma I loved her.  When I woke that day, I felt great and full of confidence and love.  This was going to be a great day. 

Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans.

As we drove up to the Gardens the sky turned a darker shade of nasty with each passing moment.  When we pulled up to the gate to pay we were told it was free because the register went down.  Luck was on our side! Or was it...

Ten minutes into walking through the Gardens it started raining.  Hard.  Luckily we found a small housing structure to hide under and avoid most of the rain.   The rain let up and we hurriedly walk through the Gardens to find our spot.  When we got to it, there was a family there admiring our favorite view of the Gardens.  I was anxious for them to leave, it started to look like it would rain again.  Finally they left, slowly.

As I turned to say something to Emma, thunder cracked and it got dark in a hurry.  IN seconds the sky opened up and it poured down on us.  I had no plan B, it was now or never.  I walked her a few steps over to the bench where I first told her I loved her.  I pulled a map of the Gardens out of my back pocket and ripped it in half.  I put one half down on the bench so she could sit and I put the other half down on the ground and kneeled.  I handed her the umbrella and pulled the ring box out of my pocket.  At this point without the cover of the umbrella I was soaked in moments. 

I opened the ring box and said " I love you, will you marry me?"  We were both in tears.  I heard her say Yes!  Holy shit.  She said yes!

Of course it stopped raining after that and didn't rain again for the rest of the day.  The photo on this page is from that day.  This is our spot.  If you click on it, it will enlarge.  If you look at the sections of reeds all the way to the right, you will see Mother Nature gave us our blessing by putting a yellow heart shaped leaf on the reeds.