"Wheel Yum Air Ream He"

During the summer of 2000, I counseled at the WILDs Camp. Just so happens that Michael Whitcomb and I were counselors on the same teams, so we got to know each other a little bit. He was known as "Whitty" to me, and I thought he was funny. I also thought he wore his pants too tight. We were casual friends- nothing more.
Even though we attended the same college, we hadn't met previous to being at the WILDs. That following year, I would see him around campus occasionally, but we didn't begin officially dating until the following summer. I knew I had found my soulmate and the one I couldn't live without. We both knew the wedding bells would be sounding for us...I just didn't know when he would pop the question! I think I may have tried on rings while we were at the mall once, but the main thing I told him I wanted was to be surprised. I did not want to deal with the anticipation of knowing it was coming because I would get too nervous and say something anticlimatic, I'm sure.

It was at the end of the semester~ the week before school got out to be exact. A Friday night following a very hectic week of school and not much time together. The night began at his church with a Sunday School Teacher's Appreciation Dinner. By the time it was finished, we only had an hour or so to spend at his parent's house before needing to get back to school. I thought we'd spend the time catching up since we hadn't really seen eachother the whole week, but he told me that Matt & Rachelle were there and that everyone wanted to play a game together. (?- not a terribly uncommon Whitcomb happening, but I did wonder why Michael didn't opt out of the game this night).

The game was MADGAB and the couples made up the teams: Matt & Rachelle (still dating at the time), Mom & Dad, and Michael and I. We played in that order, with the guy trying to "figure" out the phrase while the girl held the card, knowing what the answer was. It came to us and this was the first phrase card Michael had to figure out:
I just held the card and giggled as he pretended not to be able to figure it out. Rachelle was clueless about what was going on, so she was looking at the card over my shoulder laughing, too. This went on for what seemed like forever and the thought suddenly dawned on me that this could be really embarassing. I knew Michael didn't want to say this until he was ready to ask for real, so trying to avoid an awkward memory, I asked him if would like to pass. He said, actually, No, I don't want to pass.
And before I could process what was actually happening, he had pulled the ring from underneath the kitchen table (taped there the whole time), dropped to one knee and asked me to marry him. My jaw dropped to the floor and I slowly looked at each one sitting around the table as they waited for me to respond. Finally his mom said "Well, are you going to answer him?!"
Oh yeah. He did just ask me a rather important question. So I said YES. and we made out in front of his family.
Just kidding.
Michael had arranged this whole thing with his dad and had set up a hidden video camera to capture it all. He had flowers in the other room- out of my sight- and candles, a card, sparkling grape juice and chocolate.
A lot of people were shocked when they found out that he proposed in front of his family. But I would not change a single thing about it. It was perfect. AND he surprised me- which is what meant the most to me and he made sure to remember that. I love him so much and still stare at this beautiful diamond that signifies much more than that day I went from being his girlfriend to being his fiance.