The story...well actually...the whole history in a nut shell...buckle up kids...this is a long one

WoW!! I really don’t know where to begin…this is a moment I have been waiting for for a very very very long time!
To start off…here is a brief history:
Brian and Catherine met in 1997 when he was beginning his freshman year in high school and Catherine was starting her sophomore year.
They became good friends through her brother, Philip, who shared a marching band spot in band with Brian.
Began dating in 1998 after a first date to Catherine’s junior prom.
Dated until 2000 when Brian moved to finish his senior year of high school at Woodrow Wilson high school in Portland, OR.
Catherine went to ACU…Brian went to the University of Washington in Seattle
We remained good friends throughout that time; continuing to talk on the phone, email and travel to see each other when we could.
We officially started dating again on July 7, 2005.
Brian moved to Tucson, AZ in August 2005… Catherine followed in June 2006.

Since I have moved to Tucson I have been hearing about how neat of a city San Diego, CA is and what a great weekend trip it is to have. It is only a 6 hour drive or 1 hour flight from Tucson. So, I have been mentioning it to Brian every once in a while that I would like to take a trip there.

Since we have been dating on and off for 10 years I felt like it was normal to assume that I would be getting engaged at some point soon after my move to Tucson. After all, I am moving all the way to AZ from my beloved Farmers Branch, TX (where I thought I would never leave…and was totally okay with that idea) for a boy!!
So, before any significant date or special moment I would think ‘maybe it’s going to happen tonight’… yet it never had.
After we finished our pre-marital counseling that thought became even more recurrent.
It didn’t happen while we were in TX for Thanksgiving with my whole family… he didn’t even ask my dad for permission…which I thought was a definite since it would be the only time to do it face to face. I found this out through my dad during a phone conversation we were having a few weeks ago…this is what it looked like:
D: You can’t keep traveling with this boy all the time as just a friend… you know that.
C: Dad, I know!! I’m not planning on it! I’m pretty sure it will happen soon.
D: Ya…well…does he know he’s got to ask me first before anything happens
C: Ugh…yes dad! I know! And he knows too!
D: Okay… just checking…

It didn’t happen during Christmas with his family in Washington and Oregon either.
It didn’t happen during New Years Eve celebrations.

So FINALLY…the story!!!!!
On Friday, January 4th, Brian asked what I wanted to do for the weekend. I knew that I would have to work at Starbucks Saturday morning but didn’t have anything else planned! He mentioned going to Scottsdale Saturday afternoon to go use the gift certificates we have gotten from our families over Christmas. Once I was off work I went straight home, showered and got ready for a super fun day of shopping at amazing stores that don’t exist in Tucson. I was ready to go…he had to pay bills, go to the bank, mail some letters…
We were finally headed to Scottsdale when he “accidentally” took a wrong exit. However, he never re-corrected the course and we kept driving another way. I knew something was up and I kept thinking that maybe it was about to happen!!
We ended up at the Tucson airport…I’m so confused!
We walk in and he tells me to sit in a seat. He walks up to the ticketing agent. He comes back to me and asks for my id. I give it to him and then he tells me to follow him. We go through security…the whole time he is holding my id and ticket and won’t let me see anything. We get through and he asks me to immediately sit down. He is gone for a while. He comes back and we just kill time until he tells me to follow him. We end up getting in line to board a flight to SAN DIEGO!!

I’m so excited and yet so confused all at the same time! :) We get seated and he begins to tell me that work is going to start getting really busy and since we didn’t do much for Christmas gifts for each other he thought he would surprise me with one last fun trip!
B: Oh…and please don’t get any ideas about this… it really is just for Christmas…nothing else.
C: Oh… okay… sheepishly looking down disappointed
B: Oh stop it… we’ll have a great time and it will be a nice romantic date! I just don’t want you getting mad at me at the end of the night when nothing happens…

So after this and so many times before of being disappointed when the night ends and no 'certain question has' been asked… I believed him and I appreciated him giving me the heads up so I wouldn’t be upset when we were coming back to Tucson without a pretty shiny ring on my left ring finger.

We finally land in San Diego after a detour to Phoenix because of a faulty landing gear. After a 1+ hour layover in PHX the whole plane was taken off the first plane and put on a second that got us to SD a few hours late but safety!

We walked around beautiful downtown and by the Navy shipyards for a while.
Pictures from the Navy shipyards:








Brian really wanted seafood and I didn’t care so we went to a nice restaurant right off the water. We spent over 2 hours laughing, enjoying each others company, people watching, etc.
This is the restaurant we went to...


Here we are at dinner...


Afterward, we went outside on the pier and walked around. We stood for a while in one of the corners of the pier looking at all the boats, talking about our future together, talking about our relationship…then Brian moved from right next to me to in front of me. We kept talking and then he started going down on one knee.

I freaked out!! I had no idea this was about to happen and I was completely caught off guard!
B: So, I know this has been a long time coming but………..he keeps saying sweet things and this is what comes out of my mouth over him…
C: SHUT UP!!!!!! Are you kidding me? Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh…
B: I can’t imagine spending my life with anyone else. Will you marry me?
C: Did you ask my dad?
B: Yes’s…I did!
C: What did he say?
B: He said he gives his blessings Catherine…just say YES please!!! :)
C: YES!!!!!! YES!!!! Oh my goodness YESSSSSSSS!!!!

Hugs and kisses and a lot of hyperventilating follow…

I was completely in shock. I couldn't stop saying ‘Oh my gosh’ and ‘Are you for real?’ for a good twenty minutes. He then took me to the 40th floor of the Hyatt hotel where they have a glass lounge that overlooks the water and downtown San Diego.

This was taken right after he asked...and seriously...this is what I looked like the whole time. I was in complete shock. I wasn't processing through everything and wasn't really breathing! I still can't really believe it! :)


This picture was taken in the cab ride over the the Hyatt lounge right after he asked!

What a wonderful evening!! What a blessing it is to be with a man for so long and him continue to find ways to completely through me off guard!! I'm so excited for what more it to come!
At this point all we know is we will be getting married in Tucson in October 2008 and will be having a large celebration in Dallas a week or so later!! YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!! I’m going to get to be a Wick!! And he is going to get to become a Goode kid! :)

These were all taken right at the spot where it all went down!!!








Here's a picture of the ring!! It is so beautiful and sparkly!!