Savvy Savories & Such: A Postscript To Crispy Oven Fish Fry With Mushy Peas: The Proposal Story

My apologies for the lack of blogging in the past several weeks. I think you will understand that I have been busy elsewhere when I share my exciting news. On September 8th Paul popped the question! Even though the subject of marriage had come up, he had led me to believe that we wouldn't be getting engaged for several months. Therefore the day of the proposal was a huge surprise.

My Gorgeous Ring!

It was Saturday, September 8th, which happens to be our 2 year 4 month anniversary (who's counting?). Normally we barely acknowledge our monthly anniversary so our Saturday was just a normal one. Paul wanted to go hiking at Swiss Valley, a gorgeous nature preserve park with hilly valleys, a woodsy area, and a stream running through it. This is not an unusual activity for us. At 6:00 I put on my "attractive" hiking clothes, and we hiked for about an hour to our favorite spot, where a boulder rests on the top of a wooded valley. Swiss Valley has become "our" place: it was where Paul took me on our first date together; it is also where he asked me to be his girlfriend. Paul will not hesitate to remind me that my answer that day was, "No". But two weeks later, on the 8th, we were officially dating. This particular boulder is also where I later told him for the first time that I loved him.

As I stood in front of him on the boulder this chilly fall night of September 8th enjoying the scenery, Paul asked me to turn around. He had to ask me twice because I didn't want to take my eyes off one of my favorite places. When I finally turned around I saw a glimpse of something shiny in a black box. I barely looked at it but I knew what it was. The way he asked me was simple but perfectly sweet, "Emily, I love you. Will you marry me?" I was so excited that it took me a while to realize that he never knelt down on one knee. However, I can forgive him since he was on an uneven boulder. I wouldn't want my new fiance to literally fall head-over-heels for me and break his thumb again.

It is ironic that Paul proposed two days after I made the Crispy Oven Fish Fry with Mushy Peas recipe. Paul, who had never liked fish, loved the dish. It must be proof that you can speak to a man's heart through his stomach, especially when you prep your food in a Marinade Express! We are so excited for our wedding next summer and I am blessed to be marrying my best friend. Oh, and how perfect is it that we get to preserve our dating / proposal anniversary of the 8th? Our wedding date will also be the 8th.