The Banzai Chronicles

As some readers already know, on Saturday I asked barlow_girl to marry me, and she said yes! We're both very excited and enjoying others joy as well. Since I know my words can't do justice, and since writing is so much different than telling the story face-to-face, the best I can do is an impromptu FAQ:

Where/when/how did you propose? We'd planned an outing to see the fall foliage along the Mount Baker Scenic Byway on Saturday. Earlier in the week I phoned her father to seek his blessing, so all the ducks were in a row. God blessed us with a gorgeous day and good spirits, and Amy made a delicious picnic for us to enjoy. The scenery was amazing, and though neither of us had been there, I knew from doing my homework that it just got better and better all the way to the end. We eventually ended up overlooking Mount Shuksan:

After walking around a bit and returning to a spot with a spectacular view, I dropped to a knee and asked her to marry me. And she said yes!

(I'm looking forward to her account, because she's better with details than I.)

Were you nervous? Not really. I think there always are and should be butterflies, but it really didn't have me stressed. Asking was more of a stress reliever than a stressor, because the time immediately preceding engagement is just weird—you can't really talk about things as you normally would because it would spoil the surprise, but it's such a major gateway in the relationship that it can lead to lots of miscommunication and second-guessing. Asking is much less stressful than not asking, especially once there's nothing left to do but ask.

Have you set a date? Not yet. People asked this question immediately, which is understandable but a little silly—it's not like I presented an entire marriage proposal complete with dates, locations, and logistics for Amy's review and approval. I don't like to talk business until I'm ready to do business, and now that we are, we'll be planning away.

What does the ring look like? It's pretty. It's being resized now, so perhaps there will be pictures once it returns. It'll be more beautiful by far on Amy's finger.

We are exceedingly blessed.