Just a little background Rich and I first met in August of 1999 we were taking a Religion class that met once or twice a week in the evenings. We happened to be in the same class. I knew who he was because he also played city league softball on my older brothers team. That was all I knew of him.
One night after institute my friend and I were walking to the parking lot to get in our cars and I hear someone calling my name. He introduced himself and asked me out for later in the week to a Collective Soul concert. We dated on and off for the next 4 months. Things started getting more serious January 2000 and for Valentines Day that year I surprised him and decorated his bedroom (well my parents did) while Rich and I were out on a hot date! I had blown up the night before about 100 balloons one of the little gifts I had given him was a little red book I thought we could write in it whenever we felt like we needed to share are feelings about each other. Fast forward to the month of April. Rich told me he was going to propose sometime in April I think I bugged him everyday that month. When the 30Th rolled around I forgot all about it. It was a Sunday and we would go to his parents for dinner so nothing seemed out of the ordinary. I honestly had no clue that "that night" was going to be "that night" I remember driving home and I reached over to grab his hand it was very cold and sweaty. I asked him several times are you OK? He ensured me he was fine. Still was not picking up on the clues. We pulled into my drive way I went to tell him goodnight and he said wait I have something for you. Oh OK I said he handed me the little red book and said I wrote in it. I told him I would read it before I went to bed. He said no I would like you to read it now. OK! Still not thinking anything. I read what he wrote. He said all these nice things about me and how happy he was and how much he loved being together etc... I remember thinking how nice that was and went to give him a hug and say goodnight again. He said turn the page. Oh there was more.. OK still no clue!! It was like a Ransom note these little cut out pictures to spell out words. I couldn't figure it out at first I think I read it three times. Oh duh "will you marry me???" Then it hit me this is it!! The moment every girl dreams about the man of my dreams is asking me to marry him!!! It was perfect of course I said YES!! Then he pulled the ring from his pocket it fit perfect. I was totally in shock and by this time it was about 11pm. I ran inside woke up my parents called my sisters who lived close by they came over we celebrated it was such a fun night. Rich even got my dads permission on the day before. Way to go Rich!!! Everyone new but me. I guess that is how it is suppose to be. We still have the little red book. It's almost full it is something we will cherish forever and so will our children and grandchildren. I spent .99cents on that little red book and now it's worth so much more!!!
**4 more months**
