Tuesday, October 23, 2012

But I Don't Want to Go to the Beach | Halifax, NS, Bride to Be

It was a simple request:  Can we go to the beach before it rains?

He had mentioned it the night before.  He wanted to go to the beach one more time before winter came and it'd be too cold.  It's our beach, our special place that we found when I was sick.

Sure, a drive would be nice, maybe we'll head down to Chester, too, while we're out.

Saturday morning he asks if we can go before the rain comes.  It's gray and cold-looking out there, but a drive would be nice.  We shower and dress.  I decide that although beach clothes call for jeans and a t-shirt, I'll put on pants and a blouse.  When he asks why, I tell him I want to look nice for my boy.  I put a little eyeliner and lipstick on - unusual for me who rarely wears any makeup.

And we're off.

Heading out of town on the 103, I ask where should we go?  Shall we go to Peggy's Cove, the beach, or Chester?  He tells me he wants to go to the beach.  Okay, but maybe we can go to Chester and then go to the beach on the way back?

Hmmmm, okay, let's flip a coin, he decides.

He flips, I call it.

Me - "Let's start with the beach.  Heads we don't go to the beach."  I secretly would rather skip the beach and just go to Chester.
Jason - "Heads.  That disappoints me.  Let's do it again."
Me - "Fine.  Heads we don't go to the beach."
Jason - "Heads.  Let's do it one more time."
Me - *eyesrolling* "Fine. Heads we don't go to the beach."
Jason - "Tails!  We're going to the beach."

"Really?  Why are we even flipping a coin?"  *insert lots of eyerolling and sighing here*  "I don't want to go to the beach, but fine, you win, we'll do what you want to do."

Fifteen minutes later we arrive at the beach.  I'm instantly relaxed and happy.  We grab the camera and realize how cold it is.  I throw my sweater on and zip it up nice and tight.  We practically have the beach to ourselves - it's too cold and windy for anyone else to want to be here - just my crazy fiance!

We've spent the last four months planning our wedding.  Our engagement was sort of off the cuff - we had been talking about getting married, but hadn't set anything in stone.  In May, I mentioned to my cousin that we were talking marriage.  When she asked when we would have the ceremony, I didn't have an answer, but told her our special anniversaries that we celebrate.  Out comes the calendar, there, June 28, 2013 - it's a Friday.  Do it.  I went home that night and told my boyfriend that the girls had picked our wedding date!  We called our folks and told them we were engaged! 

Life is good.  We've been enjoying the planning but it's nice to take a day and head to the beach and just hang out without any plans.

Walking the beach I realize how happy I am.   I take some pictures of him.  He's pensive, not as jovial as usual so I pass the camera to him and ask him to take some of me.  I'm relaxed and happy hanging out with my boy.  The waves are huge!  Have I mentioned how much I love living so close to the ocean?  The wind is whipping from behind me and I can feel my hair blowing all over the place.  But I don't care, I couldn't be happier.

How much do you love me, he asks?  I hold my hands up a couple of feet apart - maybe this much?  No, I spread them out as far as they can go - thissssssssssss much!

We pass the camera back and forth, taking pictures of each other.  He asks me to come closer, "take a close up."   I step closer.  "Come closer."  Ahhhh, I know what he wants -  he wants to snuggle up with me on the beach.  Hehehe  I step in close and give him a hug.  He tells me he loves me.

But he pulls away.  Wait, what?  Before I can look into his eyes, he kneels down in front of me.  ON ONE KNEE!  What, what's going on?  He tells me he loves and wants to marry me.  I look down and see the ring.  "Will you marry me?"

I cried.  I turned and stepped away.   I shield my face with my hands.  I step back to him.  I'm not sure, but I think he asked me again.  "Yes," I cried; "Yes!"  I knelt down with him and hugged him.  And cried some more.  At some point he put the beautiful ring on my finger.  

It was perfect.  There was more hugging and crying and picture taking before we left the beach.  When we visited the beach during my treatments, I called it "My Happy Place;" now I call it "My Really Happy Place." 

Does this make our engagement technically official?  No, we were already official - this just makes it wrapped in gold with some of the sweetest memories to hold dear for a lifetime.

These are the goofiest pictures you will ever see of me - but more importantly you will see how happy I am (and that's before he got down on one knee!).  Him, he's just nervous - I wonder if he was worried I'd say no ;-)


















































































































































































































xoxo

...Kare
email:  karenk{at}eastlink.ca