THE PROPOSAL

Just want to make one thing clear, this is not the story of "the proposal" from the latest movie. This is Mary Tometich's story. Her one and only proposal story. =) It wasn't perfect, but why start our lives out with a perfect story? Doesn't reality have a few bumps along the way? This is the story......

I knew it was coming. I knew he had gotten the ring. He had it with him for awhile. Less than a couple weeks to be exact. I knew he was going to ask me before Christmas. The weekend before Christmas was his last shot. He was going to ask me Saturday night, December 19th. He told me we should go out to eat in Ankeny. He let me pick the spot. For girls I'll add a little part to the story..... Of course I had to wear the same thing I was wearing when he first saw me!! =)

I picked Chips. Little did I know how perfect of a choice that was. While waiting for Jon to park the car I knew it was going to take him awhile to get back. He had to make a call, but what for?

He walked in with a look on his face where I already knew the answer. The surprise he had for me that would happen after dinner, wasn't going to work out. I wasn't going to get engaged that night.

We got led to our booth.

We started eating chips and talking. Obviously I wasn't too excited about the bad news. Jon kept thinking. I encouraged him to do whatever he wanted to do, it was his thing. Why start a life together with the woman trying to lead?

While eating our meal, we talked about the situation. At that moment another idea came to his mind. He quickly dashed away from the table to make a call. He came back with more bad news. That plan might not work either.

Once in the car we were both pretty bummed. Jon was doing all he could to make a plan work, and he was doing a good job of keeping his cool. The whole time I think I was getting an idea of what he was trying to make work, but I didn't want to inform him that I was catching on.

He was trying to get ahold of someone to get into the church--Johnston E. Free! So he could propose to me in the room where he first spotted me. =)

He told me he wasn't going to propose, because his plan wasn't working out. He was really sorry, but he wanted to give me a special story to share. A story I could be proud of. A story with a perfect moment. A special moment. A typical story that all my girl friends would enjoy. I told Jon that I didn't want a perfect story. I looked at him and knew that the stupid idea of having a perfect story is only for fairy tales. My story that God wrote, what could be better then that?

While looking out the passanger window trying not to get too upset about the evening that was unfolding before us.....Jon was driving. He passed the street to get to our house quicker and said, "Let's not go back to your house quite yet." I was thankful. I didn't want to return with my family there, and show an empty finger. (I had already taken off my purity ring on the way to dinner to prepare for it!) But by that time I had already put the purity ring back on....all that driving I needed something to do. He pulled into the JEFC parking lot, pulling up by the door and parked his car. Sitting there, he began talking to me. All I can remember is still looking out the passenger window and telling myself to look at him and remember this moment for the rest of my life.

Looking at my future groom I was so proud of him. He decided to share what it meant to be commited to someone. The symbol of the ring meaning eternal and a true commitment. He talked about when we first met and since then. He told me how much he loved me and how much he wanted to share our lives together. He never wanted to have to leave my sight again. He wanted to marry me. He wanted to let me know that the early newlywed stuff would end at some point, but he reminded me of where our foundation lies. With God all things are possible. He told me so many things that I wish I could remember, but what I can remember is that he truly loves me. He wants to focus on God, and wants to be the man in my life and to be my spiritual leader. He told me he wont be perfect. I never planned on him to be, because how not perfect of a woman he wants to marry!!

He got the ring out and asked me. Before saying yes I shared some thoughts. Before I could say yes I wanted to talk to him about things we could always work on. I asked him a list of things that I wanted in a husband. If he didn't want to commit to them or didn't think they were reasonable, then I knew I wasn't about to say yes to the right man God had in store for me. He didn't have to say "YES!" to everything. Some of those things are tricky because we are all human. But just the fact of hearing his response was enough for me. He told me he would work on it, pray about it, and ask God for help to be able to provide those needs for me. He was honest that he couldn't fulfill my every desire. He couldn't live up to everything I could ever hope for, and I understood. Because I look in the mirror and think the same thing for his case. He just asked a woman who is not perfect in any way, and I wasn't about to hold that against him. Unconditional love is something we can all work on. What better example than Christ Jesus?

OF COURSE I SAID YES!!! I said, "Yes, Jonathan Kaisand, I will marry you!!!"

With a ring on my finger, I was not ready to go home! Not after that eventful night of tosses and turns of feelings! I asked him if we could go somewhere for dessert, and he said yes. We went to Village Inn. I couldn't stop looking at my ring sooo shiny! We talked about every little thing there was to talk about.

Once home my groom-to-be wanted to go on a walk. So on a cold, winter night we walked to the place where we went on our first date. With a hat, gloves, boots, and a blanket we sat on the bench. Well, I didn't wear gloves, I wanted to keep looking at my ring! We were on the bench for quite some time. After awhile we walked back home and happy as ever. But I did forget to mention one thing. While on the way to the park bench, we spotted my dad's car pulling up. We got them to stop and they said, "We wondered who the crazy people out walking were...."

That's when I said, "Hey mom and dad...I want you to meet my fiance Jon...."

They were SOO EXCITED FOR US!!!" =D

Sunday morning we went to church and people were excited to hear about the engagement. I was still not allowed to hear what was going on later that day. After church we stopped by the hospital to see my grandma. She wasn't doing very well, but we wanted to give her some good news! After that we ran some errands.

At 7:00 we had an appointment in Ankeny for something I didn't get to know about, but I had a feeling what it was. Jon was taking me to the Ankeny airport to get my first helicopter ride! It was a blast! We got to see a lot of the city/Des Moines area. Everything with Christmas lights was really beautiful!

Later that night he told me what his original plans were. He wanted to take me to dinner, helicopter ride, and then on the walk that we took on our first date. That is where he was going to propose to me...on that special park bench. It was a wonderful, sweet story. But the way things got changed meant even more. He told me how badly he didnt want other things or people to get in the way of what he truly wanted to do for us. He didn't want anything to get in the way of him wanting to do it that night, Saturday the 19th. I'm so glad he did that! What a great leader! =)

From then on I can't help but look at him and think, "June 13th will be the first day I won't just call you a man in my life, my fiance, my boyfriend, or just a friend. God brought you to me. I get to call you my husband. I get to lift you up in my prayers. I get to one day tell our kids what a great dad they have. I get to look into their eyes and tell them how much their dad loves our Heavenly Father."



"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." Ephesians 5:31