Monday, November 30, 2009

Yes, it's true....

I am engaged to be married to Matthew Fraser Dayco.

On Saturday, November 21st Matt proposed to me in Portland. What follows is the (quite detailed) story of our engagement, starting from Friday onward. I guess if ever there was a time for a long blog-post, this is it. But be prepared, it is quite long. I'm sure I am breaking every rule of wedding-etiquette there is by posting this here. But I'm okay with that.

If you want to "skip to the good part" go down to Saturday. Here we go....

.Friday.
In early October, Brandon and Lindsay told us they would take us on a trip as a combined birthday present. So, we decided on Portland. On Friday, we all met up at their house and headed out. On the way, we stopped to get gas (yes, this is a significant detail). We were about two blocks from the border when we see a man yelling at us from another car: "All your suitcases just came out at the intersection". And he was not kidding. At 8th avenue and 176th street, all of our suitcases had flown out of the back of the truck into the middle of the intersection. Somehow, the we had failed to close the back of the truck at the gas station. (see, told you).

Matt runs out into the middle of the road, and rescues the suitcases. But that's not before one gets run over by a Semi-truck (ouch! good thing it was the empty one). But my suitcase is nowhere to be found. So, we start looking, and we can't find it anywhere. We decide to drive all the way back to the gas-station at 64th avenue. We drive along 176th with the windows open in the pouring rain looking, and we cannot see it. We look again at the 8th avenue intersection and Matt runs down the side roads to check. Nothing.

So, we give up.

We head back down 8th towards the apartment, so that I can get some things to make it to the next day. As we're driving I say to Matt: "Do you think there is any point in still looking?". I am literally finishing my sentence when Lindsay yells: "There it is!!!" And there it was, my suitcase which had been dragged 1/2 a kilometer by a car from the intersection. We run out into the road, and by some insane miracle, everything was there, soaking wet in a beat-up suitcase, but all there!

The whole way to Portland, we would turn to one another in delight and say "All our bags are in the back!"

And that's day one.

This is my "we found our suitcases, I can't believe it" face.
Notice the rain-drenched hair.

.Saturday.
On Saturday, we all woke up and went out for breakfast. Matt suggested that we should take Brandon and Lindsay to my favorite bookstore - Powell's City of Books. Yes, that is the name because it is 1.6 acres (a full city block, four stories high) of books.

As soon as we get there Matt says he has to go to the bathroom and leaves us for a few minutes. I walked around with Brandon and Lindsay and looked around until Matt joined us again. He comes back and tells us there is a "special event" happening in the Antique Books Room upstairs. Now, you have to understand. This is my favorite room in the whole store. It's
filled with first editions, and beautiful antique books. I obviously do not see it coming, so the on the way up I'm telling my brother all about this room. He is smiling nicely and laughing in his head at me.

We get up there, and there are three musicians playing. There is music and books and it's all very lovely. (But I'm still not getting it). There are two chairs set up by the musicians, so Matt and I sit down there. I listen for one song, and then I get antsy - I need to look around of course. Matt's not having any of that. "Just hold on a minute" he says as I get up to look to around. I am a little suspicious but think its probably a classic case of Sharelle not being able to stop and enjoy anything for more than two minutes.

The song finishes and Matt says "I just want to grab this book I saw on the way in". So he gets up and I'm thinking "so you get to look at books, and I have to sit here?" And then the wheels start turning, and it all starts to click together (finally!).

He comes back, and the daze starts. I see him kneel, and open a Wordsworth book. Inside it, is a ring box and he says those four sublime words. I don't think I answered him for at least a minute, just dazed. We hug, and I'm trying not to cry. One of the musicians shouts: "Is that a yes?" and I come to my senses enough to say "Yes".

And then, they play "All You Need Is Love". And then the people cheer. And just like that, I'm engaged.

It couldn't have been more perfect. Brandon and Lindsay were there to celebrate with us after too. And we got two days to revel in the joy that is the first days towards Marital union. I am very, very happy. I can't even put the way I feel now to words. Its like somewhere in that two minute daze, a new kind of love developed. One that I didn't even know I was capable of. And it's pretty amazing.

Looks like a yes to me.


There's my ring, and Matt's musician trio behind us.
(they were fantastic, he made an excellent choice in them)


Celebrating at Deschutes Brewery.


"Let's take some ring pictures" - Lindsay.
"Can I do it with my cappuccino?" - Sharelle

"Look, there's a ring on my finger"

12 comments:

Alyssa said...

Congratulations!!! What a great proposal! Not gonna lie, I teared up a bit reading it:)

afterthoughtcomposer said...

Ah! I love the story :) I am happy you posted it here, but just as an FYI I am probably going to ask you questions about it when I see you next. Even though I read Friday AND Saturday's entries.

love you girl! Congrats!

Kristina said...

how perfect! So happy for you, dear CP.
k.

Ben S. said...

"really long post" - yeah right! post as long as you want when it comes to engagement!!! what a great great great proposal story. matt is the man. i'm very excited for you. you two are fantastic. enjoy the engagement. :)

Margaret said...

Wow, string trio in an antique book room. Matt, you've set a new bar.

Kelley (Riggio) Brown said...

Congrats Sharelle! What a perfectly unique proposal...sounds like you've got yourself a winner :) Praying for you guys!

oh and btw I LOVED wedding planning so if you need any info, please ask!

Anonymous said...

Ditto Alyssa....i teared up. Nice work Matt! Very happy for both of you. Love, the Russells

Megan Thiessen said...

guess I wasn't the only one who teared up, even though I had already heard the story reading it made me emotional. In a good way. Can't wait to see you (& the ring)soon in person!

Tyler said...

Beer, Cappuccino, and Love... ah, the good life ;)

Jamie said...

I love your smile in these pictures!

Anonymous said...

Dear Sharelle and Matthew... Congratulations! We can't tell you how happy we are for you two. Even more exciting, is that we get to share in the wedding celebration. It doesn't seem that long ago Matt that we celebrated your birth. The time our families spent together are some of our favorite memories. We can't wait to see you in August! ... Karyn and Brian Durupt

Donovan & Phyllis Drewlo said...

Loved your Engagement Story. The details were ever so entertaining! I believe you come by the "wordiness" somewhat honestly. I recall reading your fathers emails. Congratulations to both of you Sharelle and Matt. I agree that Matt has set the bar pretty high. I have been to Powell's Bookstore and the Antique Book Room, and I couldn't think of a more classy place to "do the job". Nice work, man! We'll be praying that our Father in Heaven will become a very intimate companion in your Life's Journey together.