Life according to John

Well where to begin?? It's almost spring break...two more days for me...and then off for a while. Thank goodness!! Not a moment too soon...definitely need a break from work...and all that comes along with it.

Kiddo update: Well Bailey is growing so fast...definitely turning into a "big kid." The latest was a dentist apt, that evidentally the Dentist wasn't the nicest to take a kid to...so she didn't have a really good first experience. She's very much into The Frog Princess, and Hannah Montana...and of course the Chipmunk movies. She often walks around singing "all the single ladies, and put a ring on it" quite funny!! As for Emma, she's quickly growing up as well. Her hair is finally down past her shoulders, curly as ever and she's developed a very different and distinct personality from Bailey. Which is both good and bad. She loves following her big sister around...and trying to do the things that Bailey does...hmm, sounds kinda familiar? :)

The weather is starting to get warmer now, so we've been spending our afternoons outside in the back yard, or going for walks, or at the park. Soccer has been the favorite activity...that and spraying every board on the fence with their water guns. Lots of fun - that's for sure!!!

A lot of things going on right now: let's see....wonder why?

Well - back in February, I went and spoke with MJ's dad - about the idea of marrying his daughter. We had lunch, and discussed the idea, and his thoughts and my thoughts. It was a very good talk, which laster almost 2 hrs. At the end, he gave his blessing, (as long as I would take Maggie) -[one of the beagles] - I said, I'd think about it.

So knowing that I had his blessing as well as MJ's mom...I began to start the planning for the proposal. Now given what I know about MJ and what she likes and the fact that her team teacher Patrinka, told me, "better make it good or she'll say no" I didn't feel ANY pressure at all.

So a few weeks went by, and I began to not have many ideas...and then the one night I was laying in bed..not able to sleep...and I got it!! A disney proposal (sort of)

So I got the idea, that the best way to propose would be at school, so that she could be the center of attention for the day, and tell her story, show off her ring...and get all of the "congratulations" she needed.

Last year when we began "dating" - showing interest in each other, I used to play the piano in the auditorium. Most mornings I would be at school around 6am and be on stage playing away. Some of those mornings MJ would come down and listen. So it was kinda our little time together in the mornings. So I told her, that I had ordred a new song that I was going to start playing...(which ok, wasn't really true) and that she should come down in the morning and hear me play it. Well that week was her last week for grad school...and she was stressed out completely! So i went over to her house for a few days...and "helped" her write her paper...and keep her calm. Well wednesday night, of that week...she wanted to pull an all nighter to finish everything because she was going away for the weekend to present at a conference. i had planned on proposing thursday morning...so the idea of an all nighter...didn't fit into that plan. So i talked her out of that...stayed late and did some work with her...and then "sent her to bed" around 9pm. I then went home, got all of my "stuff" together and headed to the school.

Now I had already arranged for one of the drama teachers to meet me there around 10pm...to help me with some setup. So what we did was, set a small table in the center of the stage, draped a black table cloth over it...and put a single red rose standing up from the middle of the table to simulate the red rose in Beauty and the Beast. It looked great!! Then I pulled all of the curtains, and runners on the stage to make it more intimate...and then we began playing with the lights. Setting some spots, and some background lights, blues, pinks, greens, etc. We hooked up an iPod so that we could play Tale as old as Time from Beauty and The Beast and worked our lighting to go with that. We left around 11pm...and were all set!

The next morning...I came to school around 530am....changed into my suit, put the ring in my pocket, and headed for the Auditorium...she was to be there by 630. As I waited, I made sure the lights were set, music was cued, and that the roses that were going to be delivered were on their way, as well as the tulips from the girls.

She pulled into the parking lot around 628am..and I watched her walk into the school. When she walked into the auditorium, the music began...there was a faint spotlight on the rose, and I walked across the stage in my suit. She didn't really know what was going on, and I don't know that she was really awake. I led her to the center of the stage and we danced to "tale as old as time." While we danced the lights changed around us, and we talked. At the end of the song...we were once again in the center of the stage, I got down on one knee, pulled out the ring and asked her to marry her. She said YES!!!!!

We then danced to Rascal Flatts' Bless the Broken Road, and then she called her parents. :) She never even noticed that there were lights on, let alone changing.

She went to her classroom and tried calling her best friend and then her sister. I went to the office and took the Roses up there...had the office staff call her and say there was a delivery, when she came up...she got her roses...but also began telling everyone around...and soon there were girls screaming, and squealing in the hallways...and she was in the center of it all!!

I think I did alright :)

So now, we are in planning mode....date is almost set, waiting to hear back from church and reception place...and then we're off!!!

It's going to be absolutely wonderful!!!

God is truly miraculous, this time last year...I never thought this day would come...and that I would be blessed with this person in my life that makes me laugh, and smile, think, and feel so loved and accepted. He has shown me the path and guided me along it...and right there waiting for me....was MJ!

Love you buddy!