Preston and I both knew that we had found “the one” by Preston’s last year of college. With his graduation and commissioning just around the corner, we knew we had to make a decision; would we continue to do long distance for another 2 years until I finished college, or would we get married once he graduated? Then I’d finish school at our first duty station. Well, obviously, we decided that 3 years of long distance was enough, so our plans began! He told me to start looking at rings (….like we girls have to be told to start looking!) I found one that I absolutely loved and strongly suggested it to Preston.
Now fast-forward a couple of months. Preston’s mother and stepfather blessed Preston and I with the trip of a lifetime last Christmas. The two of them sent us to Connecticut to visit Preston’s grandmother for a week, then to New York City to bring in the New Year in Time Square.
We had an amazing trip. I had never been to New York. Preston, who’s been there several times, got to show me around the city. We spent every day going in and out of ridiculous stores and stopping to take pictures at all the touristy stops that NYC is known for. This trip was a blast, and New Year’s Eve was surreal, but all the walking definitely took its toll.
On the last day before we headed back to Dallas, we were both exhausted. I slept the whole afternoon, while Preston watched the Texas Tech bowl game on TV. I really didn’t want to go out that night, but Preston convinced me to get ready, He said he wanted to take me out for a really nice dinner. The two of us walked all the way across the city to a tiny little steak house. They had several awards posted in the window, so we decided it must be good. We ate a fabulous dinner, shared a desert, and then went for a walk through Time Square. It was romantic because we weren’t sightseeing; we were just enjoying a nice leisurely walk through huge crowds of people.
Preston suggested that we walk to Central Park and take a carriage ride. I wasn’t too huge on the idea, knowing that it would probably cost a fortune. I mean, it IS New York, and it WAS the end of a week of New York expenditures. Preston insisted, though, so I obliged. As we were getting close to the row of carriages I started whispering to Preston, “If this costs more than forty bucks, we’re NOT doing it.” He told me later that he was thinking, “I don’t care if this thing costs two hundred bucks, we’re doing it!”
Preston paid the driver and we were off in our cozy little horse drawn carriage through the snow-covered Central Park. We chit chatted for a while about who knows what. Then Preston brought the blanket that was covering our laps up to his chin and told me he was freezing. My response was, “EW, don’t do that, do you know how many people have touched this nasty blanket?” not knowing that he was really using this diversion to get the ring out of his upper coat pocket.
Preston started getting very sentimental and saying how much he loved me, and how he wanted to be with me forever (I really wish I could remember exactly what he said, but my mind was racing), and that’s when I knew what was happening. Preston pulled out the ring that I had so delicately hinted at, and asked me to marry him. I obviously said yes! The moment was very tender and sweet, only to be disturbed by the horse behind us ramming his head into the back of our carriage…lol.
We got off the carriage, Preston tipped the driver, and I said, “You may have gotten a good tip, but look what I got,” while holding up my left hand. Preston and I went and sat on a bench in the park while we called our families. They were all so excited, as were we!
