Dear family and friends,
I know that many of you have already heard the news and others have not. Please forgive me for not spreading the news quickly or evenly. But I wanted to tell the story here so that everyone can hear and SEE what happened.
On Sunday morning, April 4, 2010, I got engaged to Ann Margaret Colton. This is my story and I’m sticking to it.
Last year, one of our first dates was to go see the Cherry Blossoms and we had such a wonderful time. I knew that I wanted to propose to her at the Cherry Blossoms. The Cherry Blossoms are a famously beautiful spring fixture in Washington D.C. (as a gift to the United States from Japan) and visitors from all over the country come to view and celebrate the Cherry Blossom Festival each year at this time in D.C. The Tidal Basin is flooded with photographers and viewers during this two week time.
I was glad when, early last week, Ann told me that she was arranging with some friends to go and walk around the Tidal Basin to see the Cherry Blossoms on Sunday before conference. She asked me to come along and of course I said I would. I thought this would be the perfect time to propose because she wouldn’t expect a proposal – after all, she had planned the trip. Or so she thought.
In preparation for the event, I went to go stake out a good spot for the perfect proposal early on Saturday morning. I walked the entire tidal basin two times around looking for the best spot. The Cherry Blossoms were COMPLETELY OVERRUN with people.(1)
By 8am on Saturday the entire place was completely crowded and I could hardly find a spot where I thought we could have any privacy at all. Luckily, I finally found a place, the “perfect spot,” on the east side by the Roosevelt Memorial, right off the path, where I thought there would be enough space to get away from the crowds. I took pictures of the view from the spot, including the ID tags on the trees that surrounded me, as a way for my helpers to identify the location where I wanted it to be set up.
After Ann made all the plans to go to the Blossoms, I enlisted the help of Katie, Ann’s closest friend, and her husband Dave, who were supposed to meet us Sunday morning. (Katie and Dave’s wedding last July was the reason for the Ann’s first visit to California).
On Saturday evening, I drove up to Maryland to give Katie and Dave instructions on how to find the “perfect spot” and to give them the things to set up. Also late Saturday night, I had Katie call Ann to tell her that she and Dave were not going to be able to make it to the Blossoms, but that they would meet us for brunch at Ann’s house before conference as previously planned. After the other people in our group also pulled out, it was just me and Ann left to go see the Cherry Blossoms. Ann thought it was a bummer that her plans had fallen apart, but she was still very happy to go with me to the Blossoms because we had so much fun the year before.
I picked Ann up at 6:30am and we headed down to Washington, where we arrived around 7:00am and made our way down to the Tidal Basin. My helpers were to stake out our place and set everything up before we arrived. We leisurely took pictures as we walked around the Basin, in the opposite direction from where they were setting up.
It was a perfect day! Even at 7am I didn’t need a jacket, and there were no clouds in the sky as the sun came up. There were even many fewer people out that morning, likely because of the Easter bunny. We enjoyed a stroll past the Jefferson Memorial and through the Cherry Trees. Our pace became maybe a bit too leisurely. It was nearly 8:00 before we made it all the way around to where the things were set up.
When I saw the things, I told Ann that we needed to take a picture and I pulled her off the path into the grass between the trees where she could see the blanket and the roses set nicely off to the side. We walked back up off the path to see this.
We sat down and I gave her the roses. Then I pulled out from my backpack a book that I had created, with pictures from throughout our time dating and a story which I wrote about our relationship and experiences, all in simple little rhyming pairs kind of like a children’s book.(2) I pulled out the book and slowly read it to her. There were a few very heartfelt words and we both had tears. She cried a little bit :) but I was very surprised at the moisture in my own eyes, given the fact that I don’t have tear ducts.(3)
After reading her the story, I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me.(4)
SHE SAID YES!!! We hugged! We kissed! I put the ring on her finger and she loved it! There was cheering from anonymous strangers in the park! And then after a few minutes of smiling and hugging, Katie and Dave magically appeared at the Cherry Blossoms and took some great pictures of us with our big grins on.
It was just such a great day and I could not be any happier. I really do love Ann so much and I am glad that we had such a memorable day which we can happily look back on to mark the moment that we decided to get married.
We finished our day watching conference and making phonecalls to family.
A last note of great importance! I hope you will forgive me, for everything else, and also especially for two things.
1) I have finals beginning in 12 days, 9 hours, 54 minutes, and 51 seconds from this very second. That is actually true I have a very ominous countdown timer on my browser. I have TONS of work to get done between now and then, and therefore, making all the necessary calls is just not possible. Please forgive if you did not get a personal call. It is not that I don’t love you, it is just that I probably will be doing nothing but studying and eating sporadically until those tests are done.
2) There are several constraints on our possibilities for wedding dates. I have a job that runs until the end of July. Ann’s parents are getting back from a mission in July. Ann’s brother moved to London and will only be in town for a certain period of time. PLUS the DC temple is going to be closed during the most convenient week for all of us. It seems that we are going to have to schedule the wedding during the start of the Willardson Family Reunion. It makes me sad that we have to do this because we definitely would like for everyone who is able to and wants to come to be able to make it to the wedding. Unfortunately, since many have put down deposits and rented vehicles etc. it will not be possible for many in the family to come. I sincerely apologise and wish that we could have everyone there with us, but it seems that it might not be possible to find a date that is good for everyone.
However, we will likely schedule a California reception for right after the family reunion, and we would LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE for everyone to come down and be there to celebrate that. Dates and time are forthcoming, but I would love for everyone to be able to make it to a reception in CA.
Thanks for reading and I am the happiest man on this side of the Mississippi. Maybe, even this side of Mars.
Love,
Dan (and Ann)
Notes:
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(1) I actually have a REALLY funny story about walking that morning in the crowds. As I was crossing a bridge, walking through the masses of people, my foot accidentally brushed the heel of a gray-haired older man walking in front of me. He immediately turned around and gave me a horribly mean look. As I was just going with the flow of the crowd, and kind of taken aback by this man’s demeanor, I accidentally touched his heel AGAIN only a few steps later. He stopped, turned around, and started getting angry, loud, and in my face asking me what I was doing touching his shoe like that. Needless to say, I was completely shocked. This man that could be no younger than 70 was rearing to FIGHT ME! I said that I was sorry but there are 50,000 people out here, we were all scrunched up on this bridge, and that it was an accident, but he kept yelling at me completely making a scene. Finally I said, “I’m sorry that I touched your shoe. What do you want to do, punch me?” He said, “no, do you want to punch me?” I said, “of course not!” People were staring at us from every angle, like a 20-something and a 70-year old were going to throw down right there. Finally he walked off, cursing under his breath. I continued to walk, but this time several paces behind him. It was one of the weirdest things that has ever happened to me.
(2) Parenthetically, Ann is a kindergarten teacher and she also happens to enjoy children’s books. We often will read each other children’s stories for fun.
(3) Just kidding. About the tear duct thing.
(4) This is a real-time picture of the proposal. Katie and Dave were hiding from sight but managed to get this picture during the moment I popped the question!
