The proposal and engagement- Part 6 of my testimony

Larry and Wilma were continuing to be in the picture. They went with us to a nearby lake that had a walking path around it and we all walked and talked during a beautiful Sunday afternoon. It was here that we had our first picture taken together.

Larry invited us to come with them to go fishing. Keith had a 1977 Chevy pickup that he had had since he was 15 and had restored pretty much the entire thing. It was painted shimmery gold and had a lift kit in it. We took that truck to the lake. We were driving on the freeway on the north side of the "Cities" and sang to each other the Alabama's song, "How Do You Fall In Love?" with the windows open. It is a song asking how to know when to make the decision to get married. Keith was planning on asking Larry that day his opinion about Keith proposing to me.

The fishing was tons of fun and we got another picture of us smiling from ear to ear with our fishing poles in the water. We all went back to their house and while Larry and Keith were downstairs cleaning the fish, Keith talked to him. I was upstairs with Wilma and was nervous as well, wondering what Larry would advise. Well, let's just say that Larry thought that it would be wonderful if Keith proposed. After they got upstairs, we had a joyous meal of fish and talked about more marriage issues and we received more valuable advice.

But...Keith told me that the actual proposal date was to be a surprise. It drove me crazy!!!

On May 7, 1999, I went over to Keith's house. I had a terrible headache and was lying on the couch. I was surprised with a dozen roses, but because of the headache, I was clueless as to what was about to happen. After an hour or so, the headache started to lighten. That's when he asked me to come in the other room with him. There he had another dozen roses and a jewelry box of his grandmother's that he had refinished and put our picture on from our walk around the lake. Inside was the engagement ring. Keith knelt down on one leg and asked me if I would marry him. Of course I enthusiastically said, "YES!!"

Things started to spin at this point. How soon could we get married? Keith felt that we should wait 6 months, so we agreed upon November 6th. The whirr of plans and preparation took over. There were so many details.

We went to pre-marriage counseling and because we had gone through "The Secret of Loving" already, there was little that we hadn't already discussed, and we received full blessing from Hal Baumchen.

There were some bumps in the road as far as I was concerned. A person can't have a history like mine without any consequences. I went to some counseling sessions and worked through many things. Keith graciously came with when asked and was extremely supportive.

Another thing that I did before the wedding day was spend two days at a place called Pacem in Terris. There are prayer cabins here for individuals only, no couples or parent/child. Just me and God. It was a 8' x 12' single-room cabin that housed a single bed, short counter with a jug of water and basin, gas lamp, rocking chair and small table and a huge window looking out into the woods. There was also a small screened-in "lean-to" with a hanging swing. There was an outhouse a short distance from the set of 3 cabins where I was staying. I was brought a basket with fruit and a small loaf of bread that was left in a wooden box outside the door. That was my food for the day. I saw one person while I was there when I went on a walk on a path through the woods, but there was no talking as that was the rules after the gate was passed into the area for the cabins. It was here that I did much reading, sleeping, praying, confessing and repenting.
I returned from that weekend changed in subtle, but lasting ways.

November 6th was soon arriving. Pastor Alan, our pastor at the time, had said on occasion, "God moves slow, but fast." That is how it felt. It took forever, it seemed, for the wedding day to arrive, yet as it did, things went SO fast.

Finally, it was November 5th...