The Unfolding of an Engagement in 3 Parts: Part 3

Part 3

On Sunday, January 23, my Great Grandma Dabb, passed away at the age of 94 after a long struggle with failing health. I've missed her birthday cards filled with sticks of gum the last few years. Love you dear Grandma!

But with every passing away, there is a rememberance. Bill and I headed down south on Friday to hear memories of that lovely and inspiring woman at her funeral service. :) It was beautiful and touching to see purple flowers everywhere and to hear one of her great-granddaughters play a song on her own violin. Grandpa Sorenson played a song that he composed himself and it was beautiful as well. I felt nothing but love throughout the course of the service.

Not only did we have my Grandma Dabb's funeral to attend, but this was also the weekend of my mom's best friend's funeral service. As I mentioned in an earlier post, Jan was the one responsible for setting my parents up. Since my mom and Jan were best childhood friends, my mom was asked to speak at Jan's service the next day. Bill and I thus decided we would just spend the weekend at our parents' houses.

Everyone was in town. No pressing plans or places to be. The inspired idea then came up to get mine and Bill's families together for dinner! And both parties agreed. :) Bill called and made a reservation at the Union Grill and all parties involved planned to join up later that evening.

Dinner was great! Valerie was at a birthday party, but otherwise, the whole gang was there! It felt like it went splendidly. Pops got so absorbed in conversation, Bill and I took to watching him pick up some food with his fork, go to place it in his mouth, and put it back onto his plate without ever taking a bite. ;) Despite the not-so-conducive-to-talking-environment of the Union Grill, conversation was had, and our parents were introduced to one another after all this time. And there was much rejoicing throughout all the land! *yay*

The next day we got back into our Sunday best and went to Jan's service at Meyer's Mortuary. Madre did a wonderful job with her tribute, and I was proud. Pops was the officiator of the service and was responsible for announcing the program as well as offering a few words about his cousin at the end. I was proud of him and the things he said too. My parents are wonderful people - let it be known!

We stayed and mingled for a while longer and we got to talking with Grandma Sorenson. She had heard that we had called the Logan temple and set Friday, June 10 for our wedding day. It was then brought to my attention that that was the day of the Dabb family reunion...I got a sinking feeling in my stomach. The only feeling I could feel was one of bitterness. Why wasn't I informed of this? We would be throwing off so many plans by having our wedding day on that day...I seriously wanted to cry right then and there. I was suddenly overwhelmed by wedding things.

As much as I would have liked to have stayed and spent time with family (Aunt Nadine and Elizabeth came in from Nebraska), Bill and I had to be up to Logan so that I could go into work for a bit. It was also my stake conference and I had the adult session to attend to that evening. The car ride home wasn't particularly happy or splendidly pleasant. I just didn't know how to react. Funeral services all weekend...and suddenly there were conflicts with our wedding date.

After spending the entire weekend with Bill, I didn't want to leave him, but I needed to go to work. I asked if he would be willing to go with me to stake conference that evening and he agreed.

I went to work, and the garbages were on the worse side of average. Someone was even kind enough to throw-up in one of the garbage cans for me to take out. Holy Hannah...my day was getting lovelier and lovelier by the minute. I was not pleased.

I came home and got back into my Sunday best for stake conference. Bill had texted me asking if he could stop by earlier than we had originally planned. I told him, "of course," and proceeded to wait for him to show up, still stewing over the little things of the day.

Taylor and Hilary were the only other roommates who were home at the time and they were doing their hair and brushing their teeth and "being busy" when a knock came at the door. ;) I knew it was Bill (and apparently so did my roommates) and ran down the stairs to let him in. When I opened the door, Bill was in his suit kneeling on one knee on my doorstep. I was confused. I noticed he was holding a yellow gerber daisy in his hand and I thought he was just being Bill and brought me a flower to help me feel better! Then I noticed on the center of the gerber daisy sat a ring...wait!...My ring? My ring!

My mind was flitting every which way trying to piece everything together -one of those slow motion moments- when it finally hit that he was proposing to me! "Jessica Amy Sorenson, will you spend the rest of eternity with me?" Asking was only a formality. ;)

"Yes!" And a million times over, "Yes!!!"

He slipped the ring onto my finger and I was giddy as a six-year-old. Forget my seemingly crummy day, this was now one of the best days ever!

Hugging and kissing and skipping and prancing ensued. Happiness. This man...wow...I love him. I love Bill with all my heart!!! I ran up the stairs and showed Taylor and Hilary and bounded down the stairs and hugged and kissed My Bill some more. I couldn't slap the smile off my face!!! And now things were as official as they could possibly get. I could scream the news to the whole world!!!

But we had to go to stake conference first! ;) And now we were late!

So off we went. We all slipped into the back of the gymnasium in the overflow. I don't really remember a word that was said. I was only a bit distracted.

By the end of conference, my neighbor Shannon had noticed my ring and had spread the word. The girls from my ward were so sweet and sincere as they offered congratulations and shared in the excitement with me. :)

"When did this happen?"
"Five minutes before we got here." :)

And I've been positively comfortable with my descision to marry Bill ever since! He's the man I'm going to marry. The one I especially love, and will only come to love more throughout time. :)

     Dear Bill,
           I love you!
                Love, Jess (MWAH)

And thus an engagement came to pass!