One year ago (yesterday… I know… I’m late…) Jason made what was either the best decision of his life… or the most expensive one. The jury’s still out. Time will tell.
It still feels strange to say that it’s already been a year since he proposed in the middle of a dance floor during the Tennessee (which I still have to Google to spell correctly) State Square Dance Convention.
Special shout-out to Travis Cook and Amanda Skidmore for making the moment so very special and making it happen without a glitch. Even when our square did our absolute *best* to screw it up. Thankfully I knew what was coming so I was able to “fix” us so that I was by Jason. Who knows… Maybe if I didn’t fix it he might’ve proposed to George…
Jason proposed exactly where everyone who knows me (and us) should have expected. In the middle of laughing so hard we couldn’t breathe, dancing until our feet hurt, no fake one-knee proposal with rose petals and a paid photographer. But with friends who just wanted to share in our happiness and may have been tipped (pun very intended) off to maybe pull out a camera or two.
I said I knew that it was happening. Let me explain… So Travis Cook and Amanda are singing a love song duet… Jason had been acting weird. Not suspicious-weird. More like “why did you just flinch when I tapped your leg when I asked you a question?” weird. Turns out he had my custom-designed ring in that pocket and thought I was about to discover it.
Clearly I said yes, probably a little faster than I was supposed to. But I’ve never been one to beat around the bush.
The cheers, the applause, the hugs… They’re all a blur. What I remember most is looking around afterwards and realizing we were surrounded by people who genuinely cared about us. There aren’t many hobbies where a thousand friends can accidentally become part of your engagement story.
Square Dancing. It’s not Rosie writing unless I mention Square Dancing somewhere in there, right?
I wrote a recap post a month or two ago. Go back and read it for the general life update… But long post short. We got married. Not so secretly eloped in Charleston. We probably disappointed a few people by doing that, but it was exactly what we wanted. Short, sweet and a little spicy (just like me!) and built to last a lifetime.
I have learned that “What do you want for dinner?” is the hardest question in marriage. We both like to eat (as you can tell by our physiques) but neither of us want to choose what to eat…
I have discovered that Home Depot runs count as dates as long as you’re holding hands and I’m convincing Jason he doesn’t need whatever tool caught his attention this week.
I have found out that whoever gets control of the thermostat holds unimaginable power as I sit here typing with frozen fingers while Jason is taking a nap and probably complaining about being hot.
And we have accepted that if there’s a square dance within driving distance and Jason isn’t working then we’re probably going.
Jason is my favorite person to do absolutely nothing with. Well… I do nothing and Jason does 700 things.
Half the time he says exactly what I was thinking and the other half I say exactly what he was thinking.
And somehow, he still puts up with me. He still square dances with me, lets me round dance to my heart’s desire. He lets me put my cold hands on him. And he lets me annoy him and love him.
Looking back, it’s funny how normal that day started.
One minute I was dancing. The next, I was wearing a ring and trying to process that it was real.
People always ask if married life feels different. My answer is not really…
We still drive a lot for square dances but now at the end of every weekend, we don’t have to say goodbye and drive to different places. We go home together. I think that might be my favorite part. I’m go big or go home and I don’t mind going home.
Looking back, I guess Jason knew what he was doing. He proposed in front of a thousand square dancers. So technically… I had witnesses.
Thankfully for him, I had already decided the answer long before he ever asked.
And if he asked me again today?
I’d still say yes.
I’m pretty lucky that the guy who jumped at the chance to be my dance partner when mine needed a break ended up being the one who asked me to marry him.
Although I still reserve the right to judge your dancing mistakes.
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