I got the best brithday present ever:  a cruise to Mexico!  Kerry suprised me with the trip.  I was so excited about going I could hardly stand myself. 

Finally the day arrives and we leave for Florida where we will get on the cruise ship.  Again, I am so excited about everything!  I had never been to Tampa or Mexico, so this trip was amazing to me.  We had a great time in Tampa and an even better time once we got on the ship. 

We won a trivia contest and even a little money at the casino on the ship.  It was so much fun and I was stoked about getting off the ship in Cozumel. 

We awoke aboard the ship on Saturday, June 12th in Cozumel, Mexico.  We rented a Jeep and away we went!  So much fun riding around, not really knowing where we were going. (Or I had no idea where we were going - I know now that Kerry knew all along). 

The natural preserve we drove to was stunningly beautiful!  We stopped a few times to check out the scenery.  It started to rain but it didnt matter - we were having a wonderful time roaming around.  

We stopped to snorkel, which I had never done before, so I was little nervous.   I have a very healthy respect(read : fear) of sea creatures.  While out in the middle of the ocean, our guide casually points out a shark below us!  Kerry says you could have heard the scream I let out a mile away!!  I was terrified - I think I walked on water for a bit but I calmed myself down enough to enjoy the rest of the excursion.  I tried to get a picture of the shark but no luck.  We did get to hold sea turtles though :-)  I still had no idea what Kerry was planning.  ( FYI - Kerry claims the shark was a baby.  I say it was every bit of 6 foot long.)

After snorkeling, we ate fajitas on the beach.  We finished and Kerry said "Lets take a walk...".  So off we go.  There is literally no one else around - beach is entirely ours.  We walk away from the snorkeling hut, so that we couldnt really see it anymore.  Kerry asked me to get something out of the bag.  I bend over to search for the item and when I turn around there he is - on one knee - asking me to be his wife.  I was so shocked I almost passed out!  The ring was GEORGEOUS, just like him!  I was crying I was so happy!  Of course I said yes immediately!!

It was perfect in every way.  I dont think you could have scripted it better!  I had known for a long time that I wanted to marry him - that he was everything I had been looking for.  He is my best friend and I am truly blessed and honored to marry him. 

The Planning

I had begun planning the proposal in January.  Looking for rings trying to decide when and where.  I had no idea of what I was looking for all I knew was that I wanted it to be over the top. 

I knew that when I "popped the question" I wanted to be romantic and secluded.   I looked at every location in the country and I finally landed on Cozumel, Mexico.  I had discovered that they had private beaches where you could literally not see anyone for miles.  So, I found our place.  I lined up a private snorkeling tour and had in my mind asking for her hand after a long walk on a private beach. 

The Stress Begins

I didn’t want to ruin the surprise. I had planned our trip and planned to give it to her as a birthday present.  This way we could go and she wouldn't suspect anything. So I book our trip and start everything in motion and as life goes...I find myself having to start a new job after a fourteen year career.  We are talking nose bleed stress right.  This is not to mention all of the emotion that goes in to the thought of asking someone to tolerate me for the rest of my life. So, now I am trying to learn a new job and ask for time off before I even start.  I was going crazy! During this whole time I am keeping it a secret from my best friend.  All she knew was that I was stressed, about something.  I just kept telling her it was the new job. I had called her parents and luckily got their blessing, then told all of our friends and family, I told people at my new job, even her son...everyone knew….but her. 

The Ring

Everything is done but the ring.  For months I have been looking at rings, reading, looking, reading and looking.  By the time I give her the trip I had already returned one ring.   After all of my research I knew what I wanted.  I had picked a ring and had the settings customized. It was to arrive one week before our trip.  The ring shows up and I freak out.  They sent the wrong size, diamonds are no where near what was promised, they sent the wrong ring!  I am into scramble mode.  So, I go all Kerry on them and they are jumping through hoops to try and get this ring to me before our day. 

The plan is that we fly to Tampa, and then leave Tampa to Mexico.  The company overnights the ring and I get it literally four hours at the hotel in Tampa before we depart for Mexico.  Remember, I started this process in January.  Soooo, now we are on our way to Mexico ring in pocket, everything has finally fallen in to place. 

The Big Day

Okay so we go into Mexico and rent a jeep to take us to our private beach.  It was fantastic except for the fact that I wasn’t feeling very well.  I was having trouble breathing, sweating, and trouble concentrating.  Yep, what I didn’t know then that I do know, I think I was having a panic attack.  Now after all of this there was no way I would back out because I knew for a fact that I was sure that I wanted to ask her to marry me.  I was just very nervous and I don’t get nervous.  I plan and plan and plan so that I am prepared and confident, but this wasn’t a sales presentation or a management meeting and I guess I didn’t realize that emotions could be a factor. 

We are driving down the coast line toward a light house in our topless jeep and you guessed it, it started pouring down rain.  We are soaked, I can’t see but its all great we are laughing and having a great time.  I was thinking, uh, oh this kinda screws up the snorkeling and the walk on the beach.  What I have never told Heather was that when we stopped at the lighthouse to get out of the rain I almost asked her right there in the rain.  The only reason I didn’t is that a Mexican walked up and asked if I was a professional wrestler (of which I of course replied yes) and told us that the storm would blow over in a moment.

We did the snorkeling and then went for our walk down the secluded beach.  I asked her to stop and, "let’s just hang out here".  So then I sat down.  She was carrying a beach bag with her that she had sat down on the other side of me.  I asked her if she would get something for me out of the bag.  While she was rummaging through the bag I got on one knee and got out the ring.  When she turned around and saw me she instantly started crying, she was so shocked.  I then asked, "I love you very much, will you marry me" and she said somewhere in the middle of that, "yes baby, of course I will".