Our 9th Wedding Anniversary

Shaun here, using my posting privileges to sneak a bit of mooshiness into Lara's otherwise moosh-free blog (I may be losing my privileges after this, but it will have been worth it).

Lara and I were married 9 years ago today. Circumstances related to family, work, school, finances, etc, have prevented us from properly celebrating our past anniversaries together. And, alas, this one is no exception. I find myself in Utah finishing a surgical PA rotation while Lara and the boys are back in Colorado. It's past 11 pm, and I can't sleep. This day represent the most significant and joyous decision I have ever made (mooshiness, like I said) and it has almost passed me by. So, before the clock declares the start of another day, I would like to tell the story of when Lara said "Yes" to my most paramount of questions.

The event happened in February of 1999 (I think it was the 10th, but Lara may have to correct me). Lara had just returned from her 18-month mission to The Netherlands, during which we had stayed devotedly in touch through letters (I had made my mind up long before she left that I wanted to marry her, and I was not going to let a little thing like a "mission" get in my way).

Lara knew I was going to pop the question sooner or later, and confidently declared that I could not surprise her when the time came. I smelled a challenge, and immediately began developing a proposal so stealthy that Lara would never see it coming...

O.K. So that last line is a lie. I'm a guy, and guys don't typically plan for anything beyond their next meal. Instead, I grudgingly accepted that Lara was probably right. After all, by the time I earned enough money to buy an engagement ring, we would be a common-law married couple and a proposal would be mute.

On Februry 9th (or whatever day Lara deems correct), everything changed. I had just arrived at my work as a Central Sterile tech at Logan Regional Hospital. One of my coworkers needed that evening off and asked if I would be willing to work it alone. In exchange, she would work my shift the next evening. At first, I thought,"Ooo! A night off! I'm going to call Lara for a date!" But then, my Guy Brain fell silent. Romantic Brain had snuck up from behind and throttled Guy Brain unconscious. With Romantic Brain now in charge, a sneaky new proposal strategy began to form. Within an hour, all the details were finalized and I was ready to wow Lara the very next evening. Here's how it played out:

2/10/1999
3:30 pm: Lara dropped me off at the hospital to start my "shift" (She still thought I was scheduled to work and, by dropping me off, would never suspect me of being anywhere else).

3:45 pm: Marilyn, my department's motherly secretary and co-conspirator, drove me to Fred Meyer Jewelers at 7th and Main in Logan. There, I purchased a simple silver band to be used as an engagement ring (the simple band was Marilyn's idea, as she preferred the "big ring" for wedding days).

4:15 pm: Via Marilyn's car, I arrived at Tanpopo, an authentic Japanese restaurant on 1000 North and 100 West. I was escorted to a private room in the back of the restaurant by some college friends who worked there (Craig Randall, my MTC companion was one of them). Once inside the room, they handed me a porcelain doll, which I had given them earlier that day at school (so Lara wouldn't see it when she took me to work). I had purchased the doll years before with the very intent to use it in a future marriage proposal. I wrapped the newly-purchased ring in the doll's handkerchief and returned both to the dress pocket. I then handed the doll back to one friend with the instructions for a later time.

5:00 pm: Lara arrived at Tanpopo. Before leaving the hospital, I had called her and told her that I had forgotten some class notes. I explained that a friend from class worked at Tanpopo and I had arranged with him to meet her there to pick up a copy of his notes.

5:05 pm: Lara was brought back to the private room, where she was SURPRISED to find me! After the initial shock wore off, we both enjoyed some delicious Japanese cuisine and pleasant conversation.

About 30-40 minutes later: Lara was stuffed (or grossed out, I could never tell). I asked for a "box" to put the food in. With that cue, my friends returned with the doll wrapped in a box. They handed it to Lara, who was thoroughly SURPRISED (and possibly a little bit confused)! She opened it and began admiring the doll while I pointed out all its miniature details, including the curly hair, the hand stitched clothing, and the cute little handkerchief. Lara nodded and said they were all really nice. Then I emphasized how I especially liked that handkerchief, to which Lara concurred. Finally, I pointed to the handkerchief and asked if she wouldn't like a closer look. Lara carefully removed the cloth and was KIND-OF-SURPRISED to find a ring inside (my persistence was less than subtle)!

Sometime during the blur that followed: I asked Lara to marry me, to which she replied"YES!" Then, as the British so eloquently put it, she "snogged" me.

And there it is, one of the greatest moments in my life. If anyone had asked me then where Lara and I would be 9 years later, I wouldn't have had the foggiest idea. Well, that's not entirely true. I would have known one thing: I would be with Lara. She is my most beautiful companion. She organizes me, inspires me, and excites me like no other can. I love her.

The mooshiness ends here. Now I can sleep.