carrie-tell the story of how you and your spouse got engaged

hi kiddos.
like my new font?
your daddy proposed to me on a couch.
a couch with a name.
a couch with a gross name.
"schweaty."
you can see schweaty in the backround of this picture of daddy with a smokin hot mowhawk.

the couch was named schweaty because we lived in maui hawaii in a little town called paia.
and it was hot. all the time.
and this couch was all warm and fluffy and thick and must have been brought over from the mainland by some sentimental minnesodian, or er, minnesodier-ian, who just could not leave the blasted thing in its winter wonderland where it belonged.
and said minnesodierianian probably left it on the side of the road after they realized that it was not created for the tropical climate, which is most likely how it found its new home amongst the fine folks of YWAM maui.
cause in YWAM you don't ask questions, you see a couch on the side of the road, you make it yours.
because free is free.

so, anyways, this is where your oh so romantic father got down on one knee to propose to me.
i mean, come on, who could say no!
nothing says lovin' like a couch named "schweaty."
so here is the story.
your dad talked to uncle andy (who was also on staff with us in maui) and shared with him that he was ready to propose and wanted to go look at rings. so corey missed lecture and went ring shopping at queen kamehameha mall.
he came home from that trip with a ring burning a hole in his pocket.
uncle andy told corey to give him the ring.
he was smart and prophetic like and knew that your dad would not be able to wait to propose till the weekend.
corey refused. said he had it under control.
said he could wait.
and i got proposed to that night.
i think it was a tuesday.
since corey missed our night lecture i knew something was up.
but when i asked him, he was all vague and said "uh, i just had to talk to andy about some family stuff" LIAR!!
i knew he was lying to me.
but i didn't know why.
and i had already had a long day and was just over everything.
so i did what every frustrated girlfriend does when she doesn't want to think anymore.
i went to bed!
so as im snoozing away and dreaming of bunnies and rainbows, corey comes in and gives me a note. and as i sit there holding this note in a daze, (because im sleeping!) he tells me i have to not only hold it, but also read it.
thats a lot to ask in the middle of the night.
so i read it.
it went something like this.


carrie,
i feel the Lord has released me to share the things that he has been stirring on my heart. meet me on the porch at derricks at midnight.
corey


are you kidding me? midnight? now what am i supposed to do for the next hour?
so i took a shower.
and while in the shower the light bulb went on.
"corey wants to talk to me, because he wants to break up with me!"
GREAT!
so i was not so excited about meeting this corey martin on the porch of derricks at midnight.
midnight rolls around.
i am armed and ready.
i walk to derricks with a fluffy pillow in hand.
because no matter how bad news is, its always a little less bad when you have a fluffy pillow to hold onto.
so we are sitting on the porch.

awkward silence.

and then corey says, "lets go inside"
i silently follow clutching my pillow tight wondering what the heck this guys problem is.
just break up with me already!

then he sits me down on schweaty.
and then he says "ill be right back"
and then leaves. huh?

sitting, sitting sitting.
schweating schweating.
wondering.

he's back! (it was probably only a few seconds, but felt like a lifetime.)
im annoyed.

so corey walks over to me and gets on one knee.
HUH?
worst breakup ever.
then he says something like this.


corey- "we are all alone and no one else is here to interrupt us. its just you and me."


me in my brain- "holy cow just get this over with dude!" still not getting it.


corey-"i wanted you to sit in the spot where i first laid eyes on the girl i would hope to spend the rest of my life with"


me in my brain-"flashback to when i first met corey a year ago at christmas time. me curled up in the corner of schweaty at some meeting, and corey walking through the door fresh off the plane. in classic corey fashion, he walks around and looks each person in the eye and gives a firm handshake while introducing himself.
"hi, corey martin."


corey-"will you marry me?"


me in my brain-CONFUSED!! wait, he's not breaking up with me? wait, did he just say marry? tears. no words.
silence.
poor corey.
i did finally answer him though.
and my answer was YES.


but i was still a little bit mad at him for making me think he was gonna break up with me.
but it gave us an idea for how to tell everyone that we were engaged.
so the next morning at lecture we go to the front of the room to make an announcement. i pull my sleeves over my fingers so you cant see my ring, and try to look all somber.
we tell our students we want to share with them a decision we have made about our relationship. we say we've thought long and hard about it, and we think its for the best.
i swear a few of my guy students looked like they were ready to rip corey to pieces for breaking my heart.
and we tell them we have decided to.......
"get engaged!"
flash golden smiles, and show the bling.
cheers.
hugs.
happy us. happy students.
fun.
i figured since i had to be on an emotional rollercoaster for my engagement, everyone else should be on the ride with me. its only fair.
all in all too many emotions for one night.
but im glad he didn't break up with me.
im glad he never ever will.
we have chosen each other.
love is a choice kiddos.
i don't believe in soul mates.
i think there probably are a handful of people out there that either of us could have married. and we probably would have been really happy.
its true.
but love is a CHOICE.
and we chose each other.
and every day since then we have chosen each other and will continue to do so till death do us part.


it was the best choice i have ever made.


and here we are just engaged. please know
that your mommy does maintain her eyebrows, but
it seems i was due for a clean up in this
photo. dont worry, ill introduce you girls
to the best indian lady in the mall.
she works magic with a piece of thread.