ENGAGED!!!!

After 1 year and 9 months, it's finally here...I'm engaged to the most beautiful woman in the world - Stacy Smith.

Basically, I called her up last week and said, "Hey, would you like to go see Derek Webb and Donald Miller in Trussville this Tuesday?" "Sure", she said. So the plans went forward. I went out and bought candles, roses, wine, a white table cloth, set up some background music, and, of course the ring (got it last Wednesday). Upon leaving my apartment in Inverness, I took my driver's license from my wallet and left the wallet in a chair off to the left of this picture. I picked her up at Montevallo around 5:00 and headed for "the restaurant".

About the time we got to Pelham (coming North), I began looking around, asking, "Stace, where's my wallet?" I looked around, and finally made up some story about why I remembered leaving it at my apartment. Understanding I'd need money to pay for our "meal", I detoured and exited at 119 to go back to my apartment. My stomach had been turning knots all day (excitement and anxious knots), but about the time we got to Briarwood High School (5 minutes from my apartment), they started turning consistently. I was ready, but I was anxious.

Upon arriving at my apartment, I left Stacy in the car and went inside to "get my wallet". I walked in, made sure everything was in place (thanks to Adam and Stokes), and came back outside. I opened Stacy's door and said, "Stace, come here. You're not going to believe this!" She was somewhat timid, thinking maybe someone broke into my apartment and trashed the place. But, of course, when she actually stepped foot inside, the tears were instant, and she knew what was in store. I took the food out of the oven and lit the rest of the candles, then pulled my chair up beside her. Not wanting to just b.s. the proposal, I prepared a poem (which didn't rhyme), and the last line (which did rhyme) became the proposal...

...she said yes!