Forever Love: The Proposal

As we are making this post, our world is currently turning upside down. A “normal” day cannot be defined and each moment seems to bring more information that is confusing and scary to navigate. Our prayers are with all of the tough decisions that everyone is facing. We pray that creative solutions arise during this time of many new concerns. That working together, with love and proper action, we can minimize this.

We will continue posting our stories in hope that they serve as a little light during the stresses of this time. Believing that confusing situations can bring new perspectives.

Leah and Mark were actually supposed to be together today. Mark was supposed to arrive in Nebraska from Texas yesterday. Leah (with a quivering voice and tear-filled eyes) let me know that she isn’t ready to write about learning that his trip had to be cancelled this week and the pain that came with it. We will be posting about it at a later time, but let me tell you, that girl is strong.

It is Leah’s wish that her proposal story will bring a little joy to you. It was one of the best moments of her life and one she loves to tell. 

Maybe that’s what we should all do right now. Along with taking the recommended precautions to help contain this National Emergency, let’s take a few minutes to reflect on some of our best moments. Smile in gratitude for them. FaceTime with whomever those moments involve. We can stay connected while staying smart. It will look different for a while, and at many times may seem upside down, but we will make it through this together.

——————————————————————————————————————-

Forever Love: The Proposal

*It is important to note that Leah and Mark, in true Upside Down fashion, have a unique relationship. Because of complications with their benefits, this was not a traditional marriage, rather it was a Commitment Ceremony. Both families were honored to help their dream of this experience come to life – from the proposal to the dress to the ceremony. Their Forever Love is uniquely theirs and 100% beautiful. As always, Leah says it best.

I wanted to show you at the beginning of this blog posting that there are other and also more special moments that I have with my Forever Love Mark on the holiday of Valentine’s Day. I want to write this and include this because it is all a part of the love story.

One time in the past, Mark surprise me and had came in town and I didn’t know about it. It was Valentine’s Day in 2010. I was very surprise and excited to see him. We call and cancel my plans for that day and we soak in the day and the moments together.

I have something else that I also want to say and there was another time on Valentine’s Day in 2018 when Mark deliver me flowers and a box of chocolate candy to me when I live in my own apartment. I want to show the beautiful flowers to you in this picture. I keep this picture on my phone to be able to look at it sometimes and remember it.

Valentine’s Day is a holiday to show your love and is a very special day to say how much that we in love together.

It is also a very special day because my sister Megan and my Brother in Law Paul have their baby James to get born on Valentine’s Day 2018.

It was in 2019 that I want to tell you another very special Valentine’s Day of my lifetime. My family was together with everybody all together in the living room for baby James to celebrate his 1^st birthday.

There was a knock at the door and someone had come in town that I had kinda didn’t know about. It was a surprise that everybody know about but I didn’t not know about it.

My family say Leah go answer the door. I was sitting down on the carpet with James and my Mom help me to stand up and go to answer the door.

When I open the door I say Oh Hi Mark How you doin? You very surprise me!

And I give Mark a big hug and I give him a kiss I think. He have flowers in his hand for Valentine’s Day and his mom and dad and family was there too and I was very surprised and I give everybody hugs.

Everybody had know about that they were coming to town and they didn’t tell me and I was the only one who did not know about that.

And that is how it was a big surprise.

Then I had open some presents for Valentine’s Day on the couch with Mark and when I open those presents I was not sure the thing I had seen or saw on the couch that he was holding in his hand.

My heart started and was getting to beat faster with the surprise and Mark he got down on one knee. And I think he say I have love you forever and always in my heart. Will you be my wife? Will you marry me?

It catch and caught my breath away and I say Wow It’s beautiful! Yes! And I think about it and what had happen when he pop the question and I was very surprised. And he place the ring on my finger and after he had propose I say I don’t know what to say. And it keep on take my breath away.

After that we celebrate with sparkling grape juice and all do a cheers with the family. I take Mark hand and we go to the other room and have a special moment together just the two of us to be happy together.

After that we all go out to dinner at Granite City with both families together to celebrate and we get the cookie dessert for the celebration.

Im not sure to put this sad part in here or not but when I had get ready for bed that night I have big tears when I was thinking about my Grandpa and it kind of make me cry thinking of him to not have him be there after I got proposed and also not to be there on my special day at the ceremony. Mark hold me and give me kisses on my forehead and was try to calm me down.

He say Im right here honey don’t you worry. And I say I just thinking about my Grandpa and how he not able to see me in my dress walking down on the aisle. And Mark he comfort me and hold me and be there with me in that moment.

And the next day we went to the church and talk about plans and we start to make decisions to plan the wedding.

Thoughts race through my mind as I read and re-read Leah’s words. Thousands of words that I could write as I recall witnessing my older sister with the man of her dreams on one knee in front of her.

I’d always dreamed of this moment and the many moments that were to come for her, but wasn’t certain they would ever happen.

When Mark’s dad handed him the ring, sneakily while Leah was opening her Valentine’s Day present… Mark didn’t think twice about plopping that ring box right on his lap for the world to see. He had been ready for this moment for over a decade. Who would want to hide that?

The moment that stood out to me was during the celebration in the kitchen following the big moment, with all of their family around, they just needed a moment to themselves. They went to the other room, just the two of them. I imagine them staring at each other in disbelief thinking, “HOLY MOLY. WHAT JUST HAPPENED?” It was such an authentic, natural reaction.

I also didn’t know until yesterday that on Day 1, they found themselves in an emotional moment. I couldn’t be more proud of how my brother man Mark handled it when Leah was crying about our grandpa. He held her. He was with her in exactly the way she needed at the moment. Commitment 101.

Of course, as Leah mentioned, the very next day it was time to start the planning. Mark picked out Leah’s outfit (a shirt that he had made for her years ago with their picture on it, naturally), and it was go time. In our next post, Leah says Yes to The Dress. Let the fun begin.

Here’s to turning our minds Upside Down.