a couple disclaimers: 1) it's been awhile. i know and i apologize. 2) this post may be a bit "gushy." when Mom commented that i looked so adoringly at John in some photos posted on Facebook, Dad commented, "that's the way it should be."
you probably know John and i are engaged unless, like Charles, you thought John had hurt his leg & i'd reached out for his hand to help him out. yes, Charles was joking. if you didn't hear the retelling of this perfect proposal, you might not realize John and i had thought of getting married atop Mt. Washington. given the logistics involved in planning a wedding atop a mountain known for the world's worst weather, we thought better of it BUT John had an idea. he emailed me that something had come up with work so he wouldn't be able to video skype the Thursday before the July 4th weekend. when i returned home from ballet class that Thursday evening, John was standing in our kitchen! Mom captured the reunion on John's camera (John would be happy to show you if you asked him). simply put, i was completely surprised and overjoyed. he'd flown halfway around the world just to spend the weekend together! John mentioned hiking Mt. Washington that weekend so we headed north Friday. we took a quick route to the top Saturday morning and awaited our turn in line for a photo at the summit sign. we hiked away from the Fourth of July crowd to eat lunch and, as the fog rolled in, we began to pack up for the descent. John positioned the camera for one final shot and then knelt down for that amazing shot. yes, that photo is the actual proposal, caught on camera by my amazing fiance! John's proposal at that moment surprised me -- i thought the moment in which he would have proposed had passed. in my excitement, John had to remind me that i hadn't actually said, "yes," which i quickly corrected.
this gorgeous ring is worth closer inspection (just ask me and I'll be glad to show it off). as Lauren commented, i've found my match in a man that knows proposing atop a mountain with
a ring that symbolizes the ocean and the mountains makes my heart sing. John custom designed this beauty of a ring that incorporates, along the sides, a design that the jeweler calls Burning-Water and, on the top, a diamond surrounded by sapphires to symbolize a mountain. four accent diamonds make it sparkle even more. the setting is raised off my finger to help me avoid snagging the stones and the base is squared off to help the ring remain in place on my finger. even as i type, it's hard to keep my eyes off it, shining in the light. it's a symbol of John's love i will treasure always.
to round out my 200th post, i'll list some of the amazing and astounding things John and i experienced over the past 10 days when i visited him in Japan to see his home of the past two
years.
1. 5.3 magnitude earthquake the evening i arrived in Tokyo, lasting about 15 seconds
2. human-drawn rickshaw ride around Senso-ji, Tokyo's oldest temple
3. dinner atop the 52nd floor of the Park Hyatt Hotel with one-of-a-kind views of Tokyo
4. crossing arguably the world's busiest intersection in Shibuya in search of a statue of Hachiko (which we found)
5. the animated subway ticket teller who bows to patrons
6. the widest assortment of beverage vending machines i've ever seen
7. staying in the same mountainside hut in which John previously stayed during a nighttime
rescue of a fallen hiker on Mt. Fuji
8. being blown off Mt. Fuji by a typhoon (& maintaining very good spirits as our shoes sloshed water and the rain pelted our faces)
9. relaxing in the Fujiyama Onsen and wondering what America would be like if American women were as comfortable with their bodies as Japanese women are (at least in front of members of the same sex)
10. tasting sashimi fresh off the boats next to Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo
11. enjoying God's grace and the efficiency of the Japanese when we made our flight though we arrived at the airport 20 minutes prior to departure
12. seeing where John works everyday, though his computer had been unplugged and meticulously wrapped in a plastic bag while he was away, in preparation for a typhoon
13. eating horse sashimi
14. scuba diving sans 7mm suit and realizing it's a lot of fun plus seeing eels, lobster, sea fans, coral, nudibranchs, and sea turtles in their natural habitats is simply magnificent15. sunset over the China Sea16. spending 10 days with the most wonderful man I know whom i so look forward to marrying
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