The BIG Holiday News!

Alex and I frequently chat by Skype.  Nothing earth-shattering; just a way to stay in touch.  Forgetting how old his mom is and how such news affects people our age, he nonchalantly dropped this bomb one day:

[12/16/2011 7:11:16 AM] Alex: i’ve been busy this week too
[12/16/2011 7:11:58 AM] Mom: what have you been doing?
[12/16/2011 7:12:05 AM] Alex: i just got back from texas visiting stephs parents and i bought an engagment ring
[12/16/2011 7:12:09 AM] Alex: but she doesn’t know anything so don’t say anything
[12/16/2011 7:12:15 AM] Mom: WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[12/16/2011 7:12:20 AM] Mom: are you kidding me??????????????
[12/16/2011 7:12:31 AM] Alex: no
[12/16/2011 7:12:43 AM] *** Call to Alex , duration 20:15. ***

Yes, that was the way he told me he was going to ask his wonderful girlfriend to marry him!  How come I didn’t get a personal visit notification?

Anyways, he sent me photos of her engagement ring which was gorgeous – a sapphire stone offset with diamonds – and told me that he was trying to figure out the best way to ask her and that it would be over the holidays when they reunited (she was still in Dominica).  He wasn’t sure of the date but emphasized that I should not email or skype him about it in case she saw any of the correspondence because he wanted to surprise her.  Of course, I kept forgetting this, which resulted in several chat messages like the following:

[12/18/2011 8:57:18 PM] Mom: hey – what about a destination Wedding:  The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island  www.grandhotel.com/
[12/18/2011 8:58:28 PM] Mom: or, at Beaches on Jamaica…www.beaches.com/
[12/18/2011 9:04:49 PM] Alex: mom! stop sending me things on skype. her not seeing things on skype means you have to not send me things all the time
[12/18/2011 9:05:07 PM] Mom: oh geez!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  i’m sorry
[12/18/2011 9:05:11 PM] Mom: I totally forgot!
[12/18/2011 9:05:13 PM] Mom: will do
[12/18/2011 9:05:19 PM] Mom: let’s talk about something else for a long time
[12/18/2011 9:05:29 PM] Mom: what cut is the sapphire ring?
[12/18/2011 9:05:40 PM] Mom: thom and I’d like to get her a welcome to the family gift
[12/18/2011 9:05:45 PM] Mom: oh geez!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[12/18/2011 9:05:47 PM] Mom: i did it again
[12/18/2011 9:05:50 PM] Mom: how is kala?
[12/18/2011 9:05:51 PM] Alex: you’re really bad at this

I was so excited that my synapses short-circuited and I kept forgetting to remain mum.

Alex ultimately decided to take her up in a hot air balloon at sunset along the Pacific Coast in San Diego (she came to San Diego for two days and met family and then they joined the rest of our family in Taos).  Here Stephanie is, totally unaware of what awaits her.

Looks like it was a gorgeous day for floating in the air.

As the sun was setting and they were getting ready to land she saw someone in a field holding up a sign.  The balloon headed right for it and she said she was confused and pointed and said, “Alex! Look! Someone’s holding up a sign for someone else named Stephanie.”

She turned around and there was Alex, down on one knee, asking if she would marry him.  How romantic!!  I’m so proud of the way he went about the whole business, very old school.

Stephanie said she yelled yes(!) and they were officially engaged.

We couldn’t be happier!  After spending a week with her in Taos, Ryan and Kevin volunteered that they thought she was “way cool,” and that she and Alex were “perfectly matched.”  We agree!  Welcome to the family Stephanie!!!