Dave 'n' Jenny

My original proposal idea was to propose to Jenny in her favorite used bookstore in downtown Lincoln, but upon realizing the sheer terror of proposing in public, I had to rethink my idea. I found an old edition of Jenny's favorite book, Gone with the Wind. Inside the book, in the section where Rhett Butler proposes to Scarlett O'Hara (page 835), I placed the diamond certification card for her engagement ring. I kept the book and the ring (inside the ring box) back behind all the files in the file cabinet because I knew it was the very last place Jenny would go snooping around for it since she never comes close to doing any of the household paperwork. :)

On December 23rd, after thinking about proposing all day, I knew that I would be really nervous that night and would probably give it away somehow, so I needed to throw her off the scent. When I went to pick Jenny up from work, I asked her to get a little Barnes & Noble gift card box and said I was going to use it to pull a Christmas present prank on my sister. She somehow accepted my explanation without too much question and brought it home with us. I took one of her old rings that she wouldn't miss from her jewelry box and just placed it loose inside the gift box so that it would rattle and sound like an obvious ring. I labeled it something obvious like, "to my sweet, hot, adorable, loving, very deserving sweetie." I also wrapped the Gone with the Wind book (with the card inside) as a very non-descript gift along with the others. During her routine inspection of the new presents, I could see her start to freak out since she could feel a very obvious ring inside the box, her possible future engagement ring was loose and ratting inside the box, and I would possibly be proposing with a present instead of being on my knee. Misdirection...accomplished!

I casually mentioned to Jenny that I wanted her to open a present early that night, and we playfully argued if she should or not. The rest of the night was just a very enjoyable and relaxing evening at home together. I made a handmade tomato and basil pizza for dinner which I kinda burnt since I was so nervous. Jenny started making cookies for Christmas and I spent nearly every 5 minutes coming into the kitchen and hugging her instead of programming on my laptop. She knew something was up...

I finally convinced her to open a present. She must have assumed I would select the small (fake) present that rattled, so she had an obvious look of disappointment when I selected a different present (the book). She opened it and my heart kind of sank when she didn't even look through the book and notice the card. Since she was in the middle of a batch of cookies, I decided to wait until she was done. That ended up being about 5 minutes after midnight on Christmas Eve.

Jenny definitely knew something was odd with me since I couldn't even lick the cookie dough bowl clean, I task I usually eagerly and easily accomplish. When she was done baking and we were on the couch snuggling, I told her that there was another present in the book. She had no idea what I was talking about, but got the book and opened it up to find the card. She was still not quite sure what was going on, and I slid off the couch and onto my knee in front of her. I can't remember exactly what I said, but I can vividly remember her look of shock, her asking "Are you kidding?" while I was talking, and Jenny seriously holding herself back from interrupting me to finally say, "Yes."