Hooray!!!
Bitter wind and steady streams of rain couldn't put a damper on December 22nd! It was on this soggy and wonderful day that Isaac and I ventured out in the muckiness to help Chad with his adorable proposal to Toni.
Chad and I had been planning the details of this exciting event for 2 months via instant messanger, and I had volunteered Isaac’s fine sand-writing skills for the occasion. He was to scribe the all-important question in the sand of Newport’s historic Nye Beach, a favorite spot of Chad and Toni’s. As self-appointed supervisor of the sand-writing, I stood on the sidewalk overlooking the site, and attempted to relay directions to Isaac over the roar of the crashing waves. Even though it was freezing cold and the rain was blowing sideways, my sweet husband tolerated my superfluous suggestions, and patiently altered the shape of the heart and the size of the lettering. After 8 consecutive months of summer weather, we were nowhere near acclimated to blustery cold temperatures of Oregon, so we were chilled to the bone by the time we made it back to the car (which also acted as our secret hiding space for the proposal). Before the trip home we purchased a new telephoto lens for our camera, and my official job of the day was to document the proposal without Toni seeing me.
Just as we got situated, a large gold truck pulled into the viewpoint in front of the proposal site. Several minutes later the truck doors opened, and an extremely uncoordinated woman lumbered out of the vehicle and made her way to a bench along the viewpoint. Of course, at that moment, Toni and Chad arrived. Yikes! What in the world was this woman doing?! She clamored onto a bench and was pretending to be blown away, as someone in the truck snapped pictures of her. You’ve got to be kidding!!! Isaac and I were beginning to panic… Chad and Toni were on the other side of the viewpoint and I could see Chad watching the woman and doing his best to keep Toni distracted by pointing out a couple of wind-blown seagulls on the beach. The woman then began her clumsy return to the truck, but could not manage the coordination necessary to step down off the curb. At this point Isaac and I began yelling and laughing. AHHH!!! Don’t worry, the woman couldn’t hear us, but we could not believe the ridiculous spectacle before us. She finally reached the car, and with assistance from a fellow passenger, was hauled into the truck. It was another tense minute before they finally left. Whew! Chad began to lead Toni around viewpoint, and she caught sight of the writing, just as planned. Once Chad confirmed the message was for her, Toni became a mad kissing machine, covering her soon-to-be fiancé with smooches. It was too cute! I was snapping pictures like mad. Between the wind knocking the camera around and my own nervous shaking, I prayed that we would have some sharp photos. We stuck around long enough for Chad to give us a little wave (we responded with enthusiastic thumbs up), and then we took off to secure a table at the Rogue River brewery along the bay.
When Toni and Chad arrived, there was a whirlwind of squealing, jumping, hugging, and crying… the boys just sat and stared at us in amazement=). I know- we girls are a piece of work! We celebrated with snickers (a delicious Rogue concoction) and a scrumptious lunch. We spent some time at Chad’s family’s cozy home before making the long drive to Portland.
It was such a fantastic day, and we feel so blessed to have been part of such a monumental occasion. Congratulations Toni and Chad! We love you so much and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!!!
"How does this look?"
Toni's first glimpse at the writing...
I think she liked what she saw=)
Pretty excited about the ring too!
Love it!
...Unfortunately I was cheering with one hand instead of holding the camera steady, so this photo is not too sharp, but it was too cute to pass up... =)
Snickers and bling... a good combination =)
