Ian had told me that IF he proposed he wanted to give me a memory. He wanted me to be able to tell the story of our engagement. And that he has done.

Romance:  As any one of my friends, colleagues or family members will be able to tell you, Ian is a very romantic man. He has surprised me with Tulips on my birthday and Sunflowers in the middle of the week. There have been notes hidden in my purse, and the famous list of dates. When we were dating he had made it quite clear that since I was his ‘last girlfriend’ I had found a man that I would build the rest of my life with. 

Surprise:  I have to give Ian credit for the surprise factor because as I have found out it's not easy for him to keep a secret. As a matter of fact he could barely contain himself. He picked me up from work and we were off on a surprise weekend. All he told me was to pack warm. Hmmm? Pack warm it is November in Texas, or pack warm because you were born in Michigan? About a mile from DFW he was asking if I was planning to take my mobile with us, and I said yes. That's when he let it slip that we were off to New York. Something about roaming fees, but who knows. He had won big points for just the New York trip, and believe me I was happy at that point. After a long night of travel, and small accommodations, the next day started with coffee, bagels and a walk through midtown Manhattan.  Little did I know what was happening next…? We rode the 3:30 ferry to Staten Island, braving the cold for a few snaps on the ferry, including one with my hair over my face and one that looks like I'm seasick. On the return trip, he suggested we go out the front of the ferry to see the view. Asking another tourist to take our picture, I head to the front to hold the spot. The first picture is business as usual but when he turns to me and isn’t letting go of my hand, I thought, “THIS IS IT!” Not wanting him to change his mind, I slip my glove off and make my hand available for the ring he produced from his pocket. After asking me to wear it and promising to be his wife, several yes’s followed by some hugs and kisses - I was on top of the world.

Fear: Yes, I thought he would drop the ring in the cold river and it would be lost forever.

IAN'S VERSION

Engagements shouldn't be taken lightly. A successful proposal should include equal measures of romance, surprise and fear. On a freezing cold winter afternoon in New York City while on board the Staten Island ferry bound for Manhattan I turned to Sara and asked her to marry me.  She said yes so the exercise should, from that point of view, be seen as a success. By rights though I feel it necessary to elaborate on the ingredients that contributed to that one heart stopping moment.

Romance: We had just had brunch with some friends at a nice restaurant on Park Avenue and decided to brave the weather before heading up to the top of the Empire State building. The cold temperature was also working to our advantage as we were constantly clinging to each other to keep warm.

Surprise: Up until about an hour before our flight left for New York, Sara had no idea where we were going for the weekend.  I just told her to pack warm and look forward to going someplace new. I had every intention of giving her an engagement story she tell friends and family for years to come.

Fear: I had to resist the temptation to drop down on one knee and profess my love for fear that I might not have been able to lift myself back up again. My fingers we so numb from the cold that I was petrified of dropping the ring and losing it overboard forever. This, combined with the fear of not choosing the single most perfect moment, made my heart race and my palms sweat. There was no doubt about her answer though.

To be honest it also helps to have a fourth ingredient - a little bit of jewelry - just so that she knows you're serious.

On October 19, 2001, we're going to be a married couple.  I can hardly wait.