That was the short version, the long version is below:
Yesterday Seattle had some of the nicest weather of the year so far, so I decided to take advantage and do something I've been eagerly awaiting the right time to do for the last few weeks. I've been dating Mehren now for 9 amazing months and every month I've felt more and more sure that she's the woman I want to spend the rest of time with.
So after work, I hopped on my motorcycle and went to pick her up for our first ride of the year together (our first date was a motorcycle ride and we shared countless more together throughout the Summer last year). We crossed the Lake Washington bridge here in Seattle and headed towards Seattle. I asked her where we should go to catch the sunset (although the sun had pretty much already set) and she suggested a few places with amazing views (of which there are many here in Seattle). I pretended to not know where I was going exactly and managed to get us close to a fun spot from our early days of dating called Green Lake Park (we went on a nighttime walk there last summer that later became a very special night to us).
I convinced her we should just stop at Green Lake since the sun was almost gone and we were so close anyway. We parked the bike and started walking around the lake together, enjoying the color-changing and darkening sky as the sun had just set. We stopped and climbed a tree that jutted out over the lake and enjoyed the view for a bit. Mehren and I exchanged some fun "I remember"s and "I love you"s after which she jokingly said, "Do you have a ring or something?" and patted my pockets. I said no way, and that she'd have to be patient cause that wasn't gunna happen for a few more months. She laughed and we decided to continue our walk along the lake.
After some time we spotted
this bench and walked over to sit down and look across the lake. We started reminiscing about our early days of dating and the night we walked around that same park last summer. During that walk last year I had 'borrowed' a rose from the rose bush of a nearby home we passed during our walk and had given it to Mehren (a moment that turned out to be pretty special as she told me later that that was when she knew she loved me). I ask if she remembered my 'borrowed' rose and she said yes. Then I stood up and pulled another rose out of my clothes that I 'borrowed' from her mom earlier that evening. :) She was all smiles. We kept talking for a minute, but I never sat back down. Finally she said, "Can you sit down? You're making me feel awkward." To which I replied, "How bout I kneel down instead?"
Just as I got down on one knee, Christmas lights hidden in the tree behind me lit up. I began to reach into my motorcycle jacket pocket that sits high on my chest (she didn't pat that one down in the tree). The tree's lights were lighting up her face and I could see her beginning to realize what was happening. As I reached into my pocket and pulled out a box, her eyes went wide. I began to share with her the never-ending list of reasons she's made me the happiest man in the world and that I want to spend the rest of this life and the next with her (she told me later she was so taken by surprise and processing so much at the time that she didn't even remember what I said :) ). I opened the box that was in my hidden motorcycle jacket pocket, presented her a
very special ring and asked her if she'd be my wife. (This is where my memory goes) Not sure exactly what she responded, but it was some version of "yes" because next thing I remember we were smiling and laughing and hugging there along the lake.
Right as she said yes and we began our embrace, music began playing from the lit tree. The song was "
Two is Better than One", a song that was one of our favorites to listen to together during our first few months of dating. She was taken by surprised and while laughing and looking around at the tree, exclaimed "What's happening? Where is that coming from?" Just then, fireworks exploded in the sky across the Lake. First one, then a second, then a third and a fourth mortar exploded in the air. "Are those fireworks for us?!" she said, I smiled and nodded my head.
The fireworks stopped firing (and those who illegally shot them off quickly fled the scene on the other side of the lake). Then the music faded away and we just stood there, the happiest couple in the world at that moment, smiling and laughing and hugging and realizing that for each of us a dream was coming true.
After we spent that moment together, we headed back to the motorcycle and quickly retraced our path back to her parents' home. Before I had even brought the bike to a stop, Mehren lept off the seat and ran into her home screaming "I'm engaged, I'm engaged" through her still tightly secured motorcycle helmet with her left hand high in the air. I managed to park my bike and follow as quickly as I could behind her to join her and her parent's in the celebrations (her parents were aware of what was happening as I had spoken with her dad just the day before regarding spending the rest of my life with his daughter).
We then began with sharing our news with our families. Mehren called her Brothers and their wives in UT and her Sister and Husband in Boston and demanded all get on Skpe for a special mid-week Skype session. (Mehren and I both do regular
Skype Group Video sessions with our families on Sundays). We shared the news with her family and celebrated. Then I alerted my family that they should all get online for an "Emergency FST" (FST = Family Skype Time). After confirming to my Mom that is was indeed a "scary" emergency :) and that she needed to finally figure out how to login to Skype without my Dad's help (he was gone on a business trip logging in from a hotel), she figured things out and we shared our news and celebrated with my family.
Well, that's the story and we're so happy to share it. We don't have exact dates and locations for anything just yet, but there's a very good chance that you may be receiving an invite to join us at the Seattle Temple in the first half of September for an even more special time together that this time we hope to share with as many loved ones as possible.
Love you all,
Kris & Mehren (this pic was taken by Mehren's Sister-in-law during Christmas time)
