Today’s Proposal story come from Tabitha at Headed in the Right Direction she and her brand new husband were married August 8th!
Here’s her story!
First of all, Joe let it slip (after I bugged him for the zillionth time) that he would be proposing sometime before my birthday (April 5th), so I knew it was coming, but didn’t know what to expect or when. And I really tried not to think about it too much, or assume every little suspicious thing he did was an indication of the impending proposal. I wanted to LET it be a surprise.
So, on March 26th, Joe suggested that we go out to lunch the following day, since my friend and bridesmaid-to-be Megan was going to be in town, and he said I could choose where we’d eat. Coincidentally (or so I thought), my boss asked me to run an errand for him at noon: he wanted me to go to the Elephant Bar to pick up a new catering menu for our event planning files. Totally did not faze me at all; and I suggested to Joe that we just eat there since I had to stop by anyway. (See how he made it seem like it was my idea? Sneaky.)
Joe said it would be his treat, on one condition: I had to dress up kind of nice, because he wanted to “show me off” — as he so enjoys doing. Again, I thought practically nothing of it. I admit, a teeny tiny suspicion arose, but then I thought, “Nah, he’s not going to propose on my lunch break!” He also mentioned he would dress up too, maybe even in a tie.
Fast forward to the next morning, March 27th. I got all ready and prettified and headed to work. Then, within an hour or so of arriving at work, I got the WORST migraine EVER… (Oh, and a little TMI: I also had the runs. I mean, literally, I was running to the bathroom every half hour that morning. Not fun.)
Luckily, I had the greatest boyfriend in the world, and he brought me some aspirin to alleviate my migraine. At noon, he picked me up and we headed for the Elephant Bar. He mentioned that Megan was already there saving us a table, since there was a big lunch rush. Then as we pulled into the parking lot, he said, “Oh, I have to show you something really awesome that just landed out back, so you need to close your eyes until we get there.” I asked him what he meant by “landed” and he reminded me that the Santa Barbara airport is right behind the restaurant. So I figured there was some missile or huge plane that Joe thought was super-cool, cuz he’s a nerd like that, and again brushed off any slight suspicion that this could be “it.”
I should also mention that I was a very diligent employee, because I said, “Well, I need to go to the front desk first to grab that catering menu for my boss; I don’t want to miss the lady I’m supposed to meet!” And Joe said, “I’m sure she’ll still be there, but the thing outside might not be there for long! Let’s go there first.” I was hesitant, but I said okay.
(Oh, and for the record, by this point, my migraine was 90% gone and my bowels had calmed down at least enough that I didn’t fear any embarrassing incidents – phew!)
So Joe began to walk me through the restaurant, with my eyes closed, and I was really nervous about running into stuff or tripping over things, so I was holding on tight to his arm and reminding him to stick close and not let me face plant into a window or anything. As we got out onto the back patio of the restaurant, Joe positioned me, then I heard a subtle, “Shh!” and he said, “Okay, open your eyes!”
I opened them and saw…
Some airplanes. Some helicopters. Nothing that screamed, “AMAZING! EXCITING! REMOTELY INTERESTING!”
I was confused.
Then Joe said, “Oh, actually, you should turn around.”
So I turned around, and there, sitting before me, were about 25 of our friends and family! And suddenly Joe was on one knee, and I was completely in shock, and he said something along the lines of, “We’ve been on quite a roller coaster, and I can’t wait to see where else it takes us in life. Tabitha Rose Petrie, will you marry me?”

“YEEESSSSSSSS!!!” I squealed (while jumping up and down)!

I hadn’t even noticed the ring box he was holding open in front of me, and then he was putting the ring on my finger.

Ack! It was so perfect — the ring, the moment, his words, and the fact that so many loved ones were there to witness it.
My parents and his parents were there, along with a bunch of people from work and our church, friends of Joe’s who I’ve also become close with…and Megan! There were a bunch more people who knew about it but weren’t able to make it, but I was still so excited to know that people were celebrating with me in that moment, wherever they were!
Needless to say, I was one happy FIANCEE!

And then we ate a delicious meal, and then I had to go back to work. Talk about anti-climactic, but hey…I was engaged!! I could have been lost in the middle of a desert and still felt like the happiest person alive.
The end.
Congrats Tabitha and Joe!
If you or someone you know has a proposal story to share send it to ablogofherownATgmailDOTcom!
Small Happy November 19, 2009
A house. A car. A 401k. A white picket fence. 2.5 children. A “worthwhile and fulfilling career.” A designer bag. A vacation fund. Organic groceries. Furniture that matches. A bi weekly manicure and on time hair appointments. A patio. A marriage. A wedding. A nursery. A before baby, before college, before gravity body.
Big Happy. Big, impossible, happy lies in the collection of these things. It’s hard not to get sucked into the list of things we self-impose on ourselves. This check list of happiness for our lives. Every check mark brings with it a momentary pleasure and then a void. What next? What can we concentrate on now? What do we set our sights on? What goals can we strive to achieve?
And while I want a good number of the things on that list, I don’t think I want that happy. I want Small Happy. Healthy happy. I want warm bath on a cool night happy. I want “novel you sink into” happy. I want warm cookies, baby laughter, fresh lilacs happy. I want money to pay the bills and keep me in six dollar wine happy. I want matinee movie happy. I want one expensive dinner a year with The Boy happy. I want I don’t hate my job and I get my weekends off happy. I want christmas newsletters about little league games and ballet recitals happy.
I want library card happy.
I want small, quiet, happy.
And to be content with it.