1 march 1996

11 years ago today.......

Stick and I got engaged.

I remember the day well and better write it down now before my fuzzy memory gets fuzzier.

I spent the day at Northridge Elementary doing my student teaching, occasionally thinking about our upcoming date that night in SLC. My roommates/friends had all kinds of opinions about what would happen that night, but that's another story for another day. Stick picked me up after school and we went to his apartment so he could get ready for the date. He was working 4 ten hour days back then and had spent the day running errands. I learned later what these errands were.

I still remember driving up to Salt Lake City and looking over at him in the car. We went to dinner (at the mall food court, I think, because as usual we were running late.) We dashed into ZCMI and he sampled some of my favorite cologne. I remember this is the first time I ever saw an openly gay person in Utah. (someone at another counter). We ran across the street to go see "Legacy" at the Joseph Smith building. I remember this being difficult and laughing because I was not wearing appropriate shoes for running.

The movie was nice as usual and looking back I remember about half way through the movie Stick was fumbling around on the floor for something that had fallen out of his pocket. After the movie, we walked out the east exit and into the statue garden. The statues aren't there anymore. We made our way around the garden, I was looking at one statue in particular, that had a mother and son (i think). When I quit looking at it, I noticed Travis was kneeling on one knee at my feet with an open ring box in his hand and something sparkly inside! He asked me to marry him. I told him I loved him. He said, "are you going to answer me?" I laughed and said "YES!"

I remember floating home and listening to our song in the car. I remember stopping at Barbie's to tell her, but she wasn't home. I remember smiling so much my face started to hurt. I remember that Stick told me the diamond wasn't real, but he would get one as soon as he could afford it. That's what he had been doing all day, running around getting the ring ready. He didn't want to get engaged without the ring, and a zirconia was a good temporary solution. I remember smiling every time I glanced at my hand and going to sleep that night with a smile on my face.

I remember feeling happier than I had ever felt in my life.

It's continued to be 11 years of pure happiness.