John's Proposal and How It All Went Down

December 23 started out just like any other normal ole day.  In typical fashion, John and I had played Imagine If and drank too much wine over at Brittany and George's the night before.  I elected not to pack that evening... so that when I woke up on Wednesday, I could really rush around and throw random things in a bag.  Life is much more exciting that way!  You never know what you left behind!  I was soon behind the wheel of John's big old Navigator, hoping it would get me to town, with my randomly packed bags thrown in the back, presents piled high enough where I couldn't see out the back window or see Mona, who was sitting on her throne in the way way back.  I felt like Santa Claus!  I also passed Alana and her dad on 280, about Sylacauga.  She called and wanted to know what was on my head.  That would be a black toboggan I told her, because I didn't much feel like washing my hair this morning.  For whatever reason, that toboggan bugged people all day and I still don't understand why.

I got to town and before I did anything else, I had to drive down to John's parents' house at the lake and drop off Mona and her "stuff."  I walk in the door at the Howells, dragging Mona's queen size mattress behind me, and I notice that the house is completely decked out for a party.  There were silver food bowls/containers sitting out, as well as several bottles of wine, something tasty was going on in the crockpot that I momentarily considered getting into because I was SO hungry (no breakfast that day)...and two big cases of champagne flutes sitting on the counter.  Champagne flutes.  My heart stopped.  Champagne means celebration of something.  I stood there for a long moment and stared at those champagne flutes.  If you know me, I have a big imagination, and I'll go ahead and say I am well equipped with that woman's intuition that you  hear so much about.  Anyways, I took a moment and pretended Wouldn't It Be Awesome if John was Proposing and this Party was for US??  I quickly came back down to earth and reasoned with myself that they knew I was bringing the dog home, so it couldn't be for me, right?  They knew I'd see all this stuff, right?  I trudged back out to the car.  Trudged because I am a girl.  And girls want to get married.  And girls think about getting married even if they say they don't and even if they have to pretend like they don't.

(Side note:  John had grilled out steaks with my parents about two weeks before, while he was in town before starting his new job.  I knew this because he told me, he said it was their Christmas present.  I thought it was fishy, but everyone acted like it was SO normal.)



Now I am back in the car, driving to town to meet my brother, Blake, and good loyal friend, Jessica Lauren Toland at Sho Nuff.  I get out of Willow Point where I finally have service and dial up Jessica.  The following conversation, to the best of my memory, ensues:


Jessica:  Hey
Me:  Hey--on my way to Sho Nuff
Jessica:  Cool.  Stopping in Jackson's Drugs to give Deidra her camera
Me:  Ok
Me:  Hey
Jessica:  Hey
Me:  THERE WERE TWO CASES OF CHAMPAGNE FLUTES SITTING OUT AT THE HOWELLS DO YOU THINK THEY ARE FOR ME BECAUSE JOHN IS GOING TO PROPOSE AT SPRINGHOUSE AND THERE WILL BE A RING IN MY CHAMPAGNE GLASS JUST LIKE IN THE MOVIES AND WE WILL GO TO HIS HOUSE AND THERE WILL BE A BIG PARTY???????????
Jessica:  There were champagne flutes sitting out?
Me:  YES.  On the counter.  But they knew I was bringing Mona.  Right?  So it can't be for me, right?
Jessica:  NO.  I mean, my God, Lacey.  They are probably having a Christmas party.  The Howells have parties, like everyday.
Me:  Yeah, I know.  Ugh, but it would be SO good to do it that way, right?
Jessica:  Yes.  It would.  But John is freaked out by marriage, so no.
Me:  Yeah, I'm not getting married til I'm 50.  Ok cool.  You getting the stew plate?  I want a potato.



We meet at Sho Nuff and the food is great.  I see 50 people I know and wish I had showered.  I continue to make a few comments here and there about getting engaged and rolling my eyes around.  Blake and Jessica are texting each other about how I need to just shut up, but I don't know that til later.

John calls that afternoon and says that his parents are having a retirement party for his Mom that night.  Oh, really, I ask, do we need to go to that?  No, John says, we are going to Spring House and then going to Jessica's Christmas party. OK.  I quickly text Jessica the following:

Me:  Retirement party :(
Jessica:  That makes sense.  
Me:  I'm that girl.  Don't tell anyone.
Jessica:  Ok, I won't.
Me:  Good.  You are a true friend.  I'm embarrassed.

Long story short....I get dressed to go to dinner with John.  My randomly packed bag yields two dresses.  One casual, one black but a little low cut.  Low cut dress goes on.  I'm putting on hot pink tights and Mom feels she has to intervene on that one.  Black, Lacey, just where black, for God's sake.  "Ok, whatever, Mom.  I'm just wild and free."

John gets to the house, I'm still getting dressed, my parents and Blake are going out the door for a "party" at the Peaces.  Blake is wanting to borrow some of Dad's loafers.  Dad is stingy:  "No way in hell are you wearing my shoes."  They go back and forth for a minute before my Mom yells loudly "WE ARE JUST GOING TO THE PEACES!"  Dad and Blake shut up.  They all leave.  Blake has on his own shoes.  Me and John drink a glass of wine before we start heading down to Spring House.

John misses the turn for Spring House.  "Hey there, Spring House is back that way," I quickly point out.  John tells me he knows that, but that I'm getting an early Christmas present.  "NO way!!!  GREAT!  What is it?  Are we going to your parents house?"  John tells me no.  What does that even mean?  "Is it wrapped???"  Again, John tells me no.  I freak out the remaining two minutes of the car ride. 

We pull into Willow Point and drive to the Russell Lands building where there is a horse drawn carriage sitting in the parking lot, covered in Christmas lights and wreaths.  Squealing ensues.  "OH John, this is soo romantic!  I'm so glad you told me to bring my coat!"  John tells me that our reservation has been pushed back at Spring House.   


Things happened so fast, I'm not sure I really had time to think.  I know I had butterflies, but I had built myself up, only to crash back down too many times to indulge myself for too long.  We climb in the carriage and I help myself to a blanket.  We had gone maybe twenty feet, when John says "I have another early Christmas present for you."  I laugh and say "I get two?  Man, what am I really getting for Christmas?!" 



John pulls out a flat, square shaped box out of his jacket.  The kind of box that would hold a necklace or bracelet.  I open it, and look inside, but it's dark and I can't tell what it is.  Before I can grab it, John grabs it, and slides down onto his knee in the carriage.  I think my thought process was something like:  OMG he is getting on his knee, but it's dark and I can't see what's in that box because it didn't look like a ring box...but it must be...



John:  "Lacey Shaffer, will you marry me?"


Lacey:  "YES!!!!!"


Lacey:  "Oh my God, it's dark, I can't see it!! I can't see it!"

(The ring was actually in a pretty little silver antique ring box.  The box it was in was actually wrapped in newspaper, as joke, because John once wrapped my birthday present in newspaper and I couldn't get past it)



John whips out a flashlight.  What a planner!  The next few minutes of the carriage ride involve me alternating between kissing him and asking for that flashlight!  I was too shocked to cry.  And I am a crier.  Now the carriage ride is taking too long and I feel like I need to jump up and down.  And I want my momma.  "She's about to spider monkey out of the trees isn't she?" I ask.  I really start looking around for her.  And I want my cell phone.  John is trying to tell me to chill out and tell me maybe there are more surprises.  I take a deep breath and say "That's not a retirement party, is it!"  


We pull up and of course both of our parents are there, along with Blake and Hadley, and the Thomases.  We squeal and take pictures and I finally tear up because I just CANNOT believe this just happened.  Then it got even better.  Jessica's Christmas Party was not destined to be this year, and all of our friends came down to the Howells in waves. 

Jessica got there and we jumped up and down and talked about how we should have a double wedding so we can be featured on all the wedding blogs.  It's like Bride Wars, I say!  Then Jessica says she is Kate Hudson and I didn't want to be Anne Hathaway.  Haha!  It was the best night of my life.  We drank, ate, toasted, and sang Christmas carols.  I was SO thrilled and overstimulated!  I couldn't believe everyone pulled it off without me knowing and I loved hearing about how it all went down.  John and Jessica had divided up a list and called everyone earlier that day.  Even now, when people ask how it happened, I like to hear John tell it.

We have not set any plans in stone yet, but we are working on it.  I'm sure I will chronicle it all here on the blog, so that I can look back one day and remember it all, moment by moment.  I can honestly say I don't care how we do it, I am just excited about marrying John!  I could not ask for a better man to spend the rest of my life with!  I keep looking at my ring and I'm just as shocked today as I was almost a week ago.  Only now, I call up John and say:  "Hey, Fiance, what's up?"  just because I can! 

*pictures coming soon