Neither myself or my FI are what you’d call “outdoorsy”. We both prefer overcast skies to sunshine (we do live in Pittsburgh after all). We like being at home, watching movies or playing games. So, how did we end up getting engaged on a sunny July afternoon, at a picnic, beside a lake?
Spring is a good place to start. We (more I than he) decided to run our first ever 5K with a couple of friends. The race was scheduled for the beginning of June and we needed to start training outside. After more times around a nearby quarter mile track than either of us could stand, and showing up one afternoon in the middle of a high school competition, we decided to try running at North Park. That afternoon, running in the cold rain, along an empty lake (recently drained so that it could be dredged), we decided that it was still better than going around in circles time after time.
We started making regular weekend morning trips to walk and run through the park. We saw all sorts of races and even heard a barbershop quartet singing for runners one morning. The weather improved, the trees bloomed and grew new leaves. We pushed each other to run beyond each others’ comfort levels and started to feel ready for our own competition.
Then, we ran our race. Well, I didn’t quite manage to run the whole thing. But, I met my time goal and soon after, we decided to sign up for another race in the fall.
Quickly, the temperatures rose above what either of us were comfortable running in and we stopped making our weekend journeys to the park. My birthday came and went. We both got very busy at work. I began to wonder if all our trips to jewelry stores to look at engagement rings were a bit premature, because a proposal didn’t seem to be in the works.
Then, on a Friday evening in the middle of July, we went to a nearby church festival. We wandered through the food and game booths, stopped by the BINGO area to say hello to a friend and then checked out the flea market items. In a room full of kitchen stuff, we saw a few picnic baskets. I mentioned that we had never been on a picnic and (here was the first clue of what was coming) he excitedly said “yes, let’s go on a picnic”.
We had plans to do some shopping in the Strip District with my Mom Saturday morning and for dinner and a night out at Sing Sing with my sister and brother-in-law. So, Sunday was chosen as Picnic Day. We went to the grocery for a few things and I whipped up some sandwiches: turkey, goats’ milk cheese and pineapple habanero jelly on mini ciabatta (in case you were wondering). We also had a citrusy five vegetable slaw and some assorted mini desserts from the bakery.
While I was packing things up, my darling FI asked (get ready for clue number two) if we could make this a “fancy picnic” and take some wine. I guess I seemed less than enthusiastic about the idea and he let it drop. Then, before we left, he asked if I wanted to change into something dressier (clue three).
So, after changing out of my t-shirt with paint all over it, we drove up to the Park. We hadn’t been in a few weeks and were excited to see that the lake was re-filled. It was beautiful. We drove around for awhile until we found a picnic table on what looked like a cement docking area, right on the lake and surrounded by trees but no people.
We settled ourselves, enjoyed the beautiful lake and ate our lunch. Then, he went down on one knee and held up a beautiful little box wrapped in a bow. “You make everything in my life happier.” That is the one thing I will always remember from his proposal.
Then, I said “YES” and got to see the beautiful ring:
It was nothing like what I would have ever expected or hoped for. It was simple, quiet and so completely like everything about us. It was perfect.
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