The Proposal

6 years ago today Jesse proposed to me. I know, I know, most people say, "How do you remember that sort of thing?" I really don't have THAT good of a memory. But, Jesse and my relationship did happen to have a lot of "9's" in it, so it was easy for me to remember the dates one year later and I decided to write them onto my calendar after we got married so that I could have the actual dates cemented in mine (and Jesse's) minds (so he would see it on the calendar, remember, and maybe give me a gift or take me out...hahahah...that's really not THE reason, but it is a bonus to having it written on our calendar).

So I thought I would post a blog about how Jesse proposed. It might be a little long, so bear with me.

That morning I woke up with a HORRIBLE fever. I had been sick for a few days, but nothing as bad as it was the morning of August 9, 2002. I knew Jesse and I had a date that night (which was odd that he would specify that we had a date that night since we went out every night, but he didn't usually plan things ahead...so a part of me had some suspicions as to what could possibly happen that night, but it was just a tiny little thought in my head). Anyway, back to me being sick that morning. It was so bad that I went into my Doctor's office, had a fever of 102 degrees, had a strep test that came back positive (that means I had strep throat, for those of you who haven't really gone thru the process of strep throat before, I had it MANY a time as I grew up in a house with 6 kids and we passed it around, and around, and around so I knew what I was in for). It was so severe they gave me the highest dose of Penicillin they could...

When I got home from the Doctor's I knew I wouldn't be able to make it on our date tonight. I called Jesse to tell him. He was pretty disappointed (not with me, but with the situation) and said he'd be over later to see me. I took a feverish nap and woke up to him coming in with my brother to give me a blessing (they asked me if I wanted a blessing, they didn't just TELL me I was going to have one) and I agreed of course...I was in need of some help. It was also the first time Jesse gave me a Priesthood blessing (sweet). Jesse left and told me he'd call me later. A few minutes later I hear Meg on the phone and can tell that it's Jesse she's talking to. She gets off the phone and tells me, "I don't want to ruin the surprise, but I don't know how else to get you to be motivated to go out tonight. Jesse is taking you to the Capitol Theater tonight to see the Broadway touring company in Beauty and the Beast. The tickets are so expensive and he called to see if he could swap the tickets for another night and they told him 'No' so you need to get ready to go out." I was so happy that Jesse had listened to me when I said MONTHS before that I wanted to see the musical Beauty and the Beast when it came to the Capitol. I was still not ok, but I was excited to go. So Meg did my hair and makeup, told me Jesse wanted me to wear a formal (which I was excited about as well, I LOVE to get dressed up), and got me all ready for the night. Jesse then came to pick me up. He had plans for us to go out to a nice dinner, but since I wasn't feeling much like eating he brought me alphabet soup (I LOVE ALPHABET SOUP!!!) and we sat in our formal attire in my kitchen eating soup.

While we were eating I heard my door knock very loudly (it sounded like someone was trying to break down the door) and then I heard the person who knocked run down the steps and drive off in his car very fast. It was odd, I must admit. I hadn't heard anyone do that since my high school days when Meg or I was getting asked to a dance...I went to the door and saw a rolled up map on my porch. I opened the map and was so confused...I didn't know where any of these streets were, or what in the world we were doing...but I went along with it. Jesse gave me a little help and we ended up at the church next to his house. When we got there Jesse slipped a tape into the tape player (that's right, a cassette tape. It was 2002, but neither of us had a CD burner or a microphone to record your voice onto CD's yet...) and his little brother, Clint's, voice came over the speakers. He said, "I hear this is the first song Jesse sang to you, and so I guess that means it's your song. I think you should dance to it..." so Jesse and I got out of the truck with the speakers blasting and danced to "Somebody" by Depeche Mode. Jesse sang to me. As we danced my eyes welled with tears. It was the most romantic moment of my life. My heart was just pounding out of my chest. I really thought this was the night he was going to propose, but I tried not to get my hopes up, just in case I was wrong.

After the song finished Clint came back on and said, "I think you should go to Make-out Point and check out the weather forecast for the night." Well, if you've read any of my previous posts you know that I LOVE MARK EUBANK and I LOVE WEATHER, so I was game for whatever we were going to do that involved the weather (and might I add that we called this place Make-out Point but we had NEVER made-out there, I swear). So we drove to the base of Big Cottonwood Canyon and got to Make-out Point. I jumped out of the truck to find the next "X" and couldn't find anything anywhere. I was starting to feel pretty stupid wandering around (and not feeling so hot either) when Jesse said, "I found something over here." As I came around the truck he opened the back door and there was a TV inside. He pushed play and MARK EUBANK CAME ON THE TV!!!!!!! He said, "Chelsea, tonight is a night where you are going to sparkle like a diamond in the sky..." and continued to read a poem to me (which I found out later was written by Jesse). The poem also mentioned the fact that we were going to Beauty and the Beast. I was so giddy when the video clip ended that I ran around the other side of the car to get in the passenger seat and I heard Jesse from behind and he said, "Chelsea?" I turned around and he got down on his knee.....I started to cry at this point in time as Jesse continued asking me if I would marry him (he was shaking so badly! And he was holding back the tears...which I love...since he NEVER cries. It was sweet that I moved him so much). I said, "YES! OF COURSE!" And we kissed. Of course. It was the sweetest moment of my life.

After a few minutes of laughing and crying and staring at my left hand (I was SO happy that he chose a ring that I would've chosen myself, though he did have Meg's approval after he had narrowed it down to the ring that I now have) we made our way downtown to see Beauty and the Beast. The show was AMAZING and Jesse took such good care of me as we watched it (I still had a raging fever). He brought me ice, and water, and would get me anything else I needed.

We stopped at McDonald's after the show to get some "Hi-C" Orange drink and a yogurt parfait, and then went to Jesse's parents to tell them the news, and then to my parents to tell them as well.

It was the perfect day (besides the being horribly sick, though Jesse should have known what he was getting himself into at that point :) only to be topped by our wedding day.

Thanks Jesse, for making my life so much fun and romantic with such fun memories!

And I would've posted some pictures but we didn't have a digital camera at the time and thus I don't have them on my computer to post them. But here are a few pictures of us throughout the years. (I will post the "proposal night" pictures after I get a scanner AND I will post the movie of Mark Eubank if I can convince my camera guy, who was also my Powder Puff Coach and a Seminary Teacher at Hillcrest High School, to give it to me in DVD format...)

This is a picture of us in 2005. Jesse bought me this dress at a Taiwanese store in Trolley Square and we went out for some Japanese food for some sort of an anniversary or celebration (I don't remember why):
This is us at Disneyland in 2005! Jesse has been so good about making sure I get to go to Disneyland once a year (he makes all of my dreams come true!!!!):
Here we are in April of 2006 at DISNEYWORLD! It was my first time going there and we had a blast with all of my family! In this picture we are waiting in line to go on Splash Mountain:
school and didn't see him for the first 4 years of our marriage. He gave me that dedication sash thing that graduates can give to the person who helped them and inspired them the most to get Here we are at Jesse's graduation from the University of Utah in May of 2006. I was so proud of him! It was just as big of a deal for me as it was for Jesse since I worked to put him thruthru school. It was very sweet of him to give it to me:Here we are at a reception at La Caille (I don't know how to spell it people, if you do and you are laughing at me, then I'm glad I gave you a good laugh :) I had to put two of these in here because it is absolutely beautiful there, and I can't believe that we got to go for free!
Here we are in November of 2007 at Disneyland for our 5th wedding anniversary (and yes, this picture is blurry, but a stranger took it and so I couldn't really complain):

And finally (yes, I promise, this is the last one) here we are at the buffet in the Paris Casino in Last Vegas, NV in March of 2008:
We sure have had fun over these last 6 years of dating and marriage!