Engaged!!

I know this is late... almost a week late, actually, but I've been busy.

Last Thursday afternoon, Naomi Jane Reeves agreed to be my wife and spend the rest of her life together with me!!!!! How cool is that! I am crazy excited (we both are, actually), and I can't wait to see all the neat things that God is going to continue doing in our lives together as a couple. It's been a wonderful last six months, and even though this next few months (we're planning on getting married sometime in October) will be difficult with me living up here in Raleigh and her still down in Waxhaw, I know God has some great things in store for us both.

Even though we had talked about getting married a lot in the last few months, I still managed to surprise her with the question. She was actually expecting it on our beach trip next weekend, and originally that had been my plan. On Monday of last week I went out to lunch with Mr. Reeves and asked his permission and blessing to ask his beautiful daughter to marry me. He said yes, and once lunch was over, I realized that there was no possible way I was going to be able to wait three weeks to propose.

I hadn't bought the ring yet, because I didn't feel right going that far in my plans without Naomi's parents' blessing, so Monday afternoon I went up to Charlotte as soon as I could to the jewelry store. Naomi and I had been up there before to look at rings, so I more or less already knew exactly what I was going to buy. The salesman who had helped us in the past, though, wasn't there, and I didn't want to give 'his' sale away to someone else, so I headed back home, a little discouraged. Next day I was at the store when it opened, and Rick was there, and I was able to order the ring. The one I wanted had already been sold, so they were going to have to find another similar setting and mount the diamonds in it, and size it, too. Rick asked if Saturday morning would be OK. My plans were to leave Waxhaw early on Friday morning to drive up here to Raleigh to move in to my new apartment, so that wasn't going to work. He said he could have it Friday morning, but then I told him how early we were planning on leaving, and said that wouldn't work either. So finally he said he could have it late Thursday afternoon. That wasn't the best for me, because it would mean I'd have to pick it up while we were driving up to watch 'Romeo and Juliet' at the theater in Charlotte that evening, but I agreed.

So Thursday morning came around, and I couldn't wait any longer. I got on the motorcycle and drove up to the diamond store when it opened. I'm glad I did. The ring had been finished the night before, and they apparently weren't going to call me and let me know. So they just had to finish polishing it, and it was ready.

Back down to Waxhaw, and I woke Naomi up and told her I wanted to go for a motorcycle ride, but I wouldn't tell her where. We drove over to Anne Springs Close Greenway near Rock Hill. We'd been there once before, and they have lots of neat places there, including an old silo that you can climb up to the top of and look out over most of the greenway. It's nice and quiet up there, and there's usually a nice breeze, and it's all quiet and peaceful and romantic... :)

When we got there, Naomi wanted to go walk the trail that went to an old railway bridge she wanted to take pictures of, but I said we should climb the tower first 'cause I wanted some pictures from there. So up we went. We were looking out over the fields, with Naomi leaning against the railing and me standing behind her, and I pulled the ring out of my pocket, and slipped it on her finger. I think it took her a few seconds to register what happened, but it clicked when I got down on my knee and told her that I loved her and asked her to marry me. She took her time saying yes, too... It was the first time we'd said 'I love you' to each other, having both mis- and over-used the word in the past and wanting to wait for a real commitment before we said it. So that was weird and wonderful and joyous to finally be able to tell her that I loved her.

Needless to say, we wasted a good while after that standing up there on the tower... praying, talking, taking pictures... just being with each other. We eventually came down, and went for a walk to try to find the railway bridge. We got lost and never found the bridge, but had a wonderful afternoon, anyway.

So anyway, I'm engaged now, to the woman I love, and I feel like the luckiest guy around. Naomi is incredible, and I know that she is the perfect companion and wife for me, and that God has chosen her, and me, to be exactly right for each other, and to teach each other, and grow closer to Him together, and to share the rest of our lives together... I am SOOOOO happy and excited.

Anyway, there's pictures on Facebook, and one here, but if you want more and don't have Facebook, let me know, and I'll get some to you.