March 5, 2010

Our Engagement

The six weeks we were engaged seem now, like a big blur. The time flew by! Here is a quick list of some of my blurry memories from that great summer of 1997.

1. Jake proposed to me on a Sunday after a Utah Jazz playoff game.
2. The proposal took place next to a cement ditch. Not by a beautiful stream as once thought. (We went back a few years later and found our memories were blinded by love.)
3. Jake didn't ask my dad for permission to marry me because I told Jake I was the one getting married not my dad. Sorry Dad!
4. My parents weren't surprised by our engagement. They figured it was coming.
5. My family went straight to work on our reception plans. They made more tissue paper roses without my help than I care to admit.
6. We took engagement pictures twice because there was no film in the camera the first time.
7. Our boss printed the announcements for free because, well, that's what he did. I could have done them myself though if I had wanted to.
8. I broke things off with another boy when I delivered him an announcement. He had no clue it was over for real until then. Whoops. Not so nice, but I was always taught to date by the saying, "may the best man win." And win he did!
9. I fought in the fabric store in the lace department with my mom. There were tears and all. I didn't want ANY lace. My mom said that a wedding dress isn't a wedding dress without lace. She won.
10. She paid for the dress. She made the dress. She swam in yards and yards of netting. We didn't know anything about big puffy slips at the time. Probably would have made things a lot easier for her if we had. She did an amazing job.
11. Once, I tried on my dress, got it all buttoned up, and then immediately had to race to unbutton it so I could take it off so I could run to the bathroom and barf. Mom would have given up if I would have thrown up in it. That could have potentially been really messy.
12. My curfew changed to 10:00 p.m. as soon as I was engaged. My parents believed that nothing good would happen after that.
13. I finally got my ring while dinning at Pepperidge Farm in Orem, UT.
14. I cut off my semi-long hair after Jake proposed to me. He wasn't so sure about the change.
15. I changed my hair color twice during our engagement.
16. I would visit Jake while he took his turn working in the snow cone shack his family owned and operated. (Snow cones are super yummy if you pour whipped cream on the top of them.)
17. My dad sprained his ankle in the middle of the night while covering our reception decorations to keep them out of the rain. He was in his underwear. Poor guy.
18. My sister was SUPER mad at me during my engagement. Especially the night before I got married.
19. I never doubted if I was doing the right thing. I think Jake might have had a panic attack once or twice though.
20. My dad would come and track me down EVERY night I wasn't home by curfew. That was pretty much EVERY night. He wanted to make sure I got married the right way, in the right place, by the right authority. Thanks Dad!

5 comments:

Yvonne Dixon said...

SUPER cute!! I'm sure everytime you read this you will laugh and/or get emotional. I did, and I wasn't even there. Wish I was. We were in just a financial pickle at the time. Thanks for the post!

mom said...

That was so fun, thanks for sharing!

Jack and Annette Sommer said...

Kara;
Thank you for sharing. Fun stuff for me to read, since I didn't know these fun details. Love is wonderful, love is kind, love is eternal with the right person, the Priesthood authority and of coarse let's not forget the all important obedience to the covenants made that precious day of companionship with our love and the Lord. May you have Eternal bliss.
With Love;
Annette

Mommy Tray said...

Too funny. It brought back memories of my engagement.

Sue said...

what a fun post! although, i now have too many questions to ask here. i guess we'll just have to have a girls' night! :)