A Love Story

Tonight someone very special was proposed to... and she said, "Yes!"

The evening was one of romance and celebration. Carina's fiance' requested a candlelight dinner served privately on our side porch. Much strategizing was needed to pull this off. After all, this is a busy household. Everyone was on board to make it as special as possible.

Starting at mid-afternoon, all hands got busy with cleaning, ironing, and setting up. In no time we had transformed an ordinary side porch to a romantic niche full of flowers and candlelight (although the relatively early dinner hour -- 6:00 pm -- certainly did not allow for the full ambiance which they would have otherwise provided.)

The plan was to feed our large crew and clear the kitchen/dining area by 5:30 or so. Danica prepared egg noodles with cheese and they quickly set to consuming the casserole full of food. Soon, with precision and great command, she announced that they had three minutes left to finish, clear the table, and evacuate the area. They were banished to the family room for a viewing of Mr. Deeds. (Glad it wasn't me -- I don't like that movie at all...)

Carina and Rick were ushered into their private dining spot, Dad began grilling and Mom began serving. Salad, sparkling grape juice, marinated steak, grilled asparagus spears, marinated green beans and red peppers, and ginger-garlic rice comprised the evening's menu. It was delightful to be such a special part of their night.

At 7:30 pm they emerged, smiling and happy; he asked, she said yes. Perfect!

Within minutes a sister from down the street piled through the front door with her little family. Rick's family and friends arrived shortly after, bearing tubs of strawberries and platters of shortcakes. In short, they brought dessert. We set up the table and celebrated with this happy couple, because we were almost as happy as they! How wonderful to be sharing such a significant event, celebrating their joy, and supporting their decision. We were all blessed!

For a photo journal of tonight's Love Story, head over here! (Because it is late and I am working on this alone, it seems to be out of order on the link. Start at the bottom and work up if you want to make chronological sense of it! Sorry!)