Remembering the Splendiferousness of Getting Engaged

As I was nursing Rudy this morning, I picked up the children's book that I gave Jason when we got engaged, and memories came flooding back.
Both of my brothers have gotten engaged this year and both will be married before the year is through. Needless to say, there's been a lot of love in the air at the Jarvis home. As Jake and Thomas and their sweethearts have told the stories of their engagements, I found myself regretting that Jason never did that whole 'pop the question' thing. He just sorta said, "Well, I've got my answer. I wanna marry you. Let me know when you've got your answer." After a about a week (I wonder if Jason was sweating it...I'll have to ask him) I gave him the book, I Like You, by Sandol Stoddard Warburg, and told him I liked...er loved...him very much and planned on loving him forever. Then we called my dad on the phone and told him we were getting married and to spread the news. Ta da. Not too ceremonious, huh?

So anyway, I'd been feeling a bit jipped on the ceremoniousity of falling in love and getting engaged until I read that book to myself again today. And then I remembered. It was perfect.

Anything else would have sent me into a hyper-ventilating froth of anxiety. I'da been like, "Did he just ask me to dedicate the rest of my life to loving him? Am I s'posed to answer him just like that? Like he'd just asked me if I wanted to see a movie? But if I don't give him an immediate answer, it'll ruin the whole evening he's planned....etc. etc. etc. And if I would've folded and given an affirmative answer to preserve the romance of the moment, I'da be freakin' out the rest of the night about whether I'd done the right thing or not...if I said yes because I meant it or because that's what you're s'posed to say when someone you really really like drops to his knees and gazes into your eyes with unending passion. Whew. And maybe it wouldn't have played out like that. Maybe when I said yes I'da felt the warm conformation of the Spirit that I did as I prayed and pondered and pondered and prayed to get my answer. Afterall, I really knew I wanted to marry him long before my week long search for spiritual confirmation. The spirit had confirmed to me that I should marry Jason every step of the way as our relationship progressed from neighbors to friends to being a couple to being a seriouse couple. Maybe that's how all you girls survive the pressure of such a super charged moment. You just have enough confidance in all the previous confirmations you've felt throughout the dating relationship.
As for me, I'm newly grateful that Jason and I went about things as we did. And I'm grateful God saw fit to humor me and tell me one more time, "YES! MARRY THIS GUY-IT'LL BE SPLENDIFEROUS!" And it has been. :)