I talk about lots of engagements on here, and now its time to talk about one that is much more personal. My own story!

I might not know exactly WHEN I’m going to get married, but I know WHO I’m going to marry! Most of you guys know Debra, my beautiful girlfriend fiancée of three years! Well, after over three months in the planning I finally got to follow through on my plan to ask her to marry me. Here’s a quick 3rd party flashback at how it went down!

Early December 2010:

What should I get Debra for Christmas? Last year I got her a Nikon D50… how can I possibly top that!

Mid December 2010:

Lets see… she likes dancing, she likes adventure, she likes exotic food, she likes exploration… She’s never been on a cruise, in fact, neither have I! How about a cruise, and how about using it as an awesome place to get engaged (as long as she is a good girl!)

Christmas +/- 3 Days:

Josh gives Debra poem about how many crazy things Debra has gone through, and yet we have stayed together the whole time. Josh gives Debra the dates for the cruise! Debra is excited, but not as much as Josh thought. The slippers Josh also gave her helped marginally.

Josh and Debra drive all the way to Rochester, NY from Greenville, SC without fighting! Josh drives Debra out to Albany, NY to visit with her parents. Pretending to leave, Josh secretly meets with Deb’s parents to ask for their permission to marry their daughter. Access granted.

Early January:

Josh starts ring shopping, doesn’t tell Debra. Finds a very beautiful one. Debra gets more and more excited about cruise.

Mid January:

Josh orders ring. Waits desperately for its arrival.

January 27th, 2011:

Third year anniversary dinner. Excitement for cruise builds. Ring arrives, Josh takes lots of photos of it after Debra leaves.

Feb 2nd, 2011:

Josh and Debra takeoff for Nassau and Freeport, Bahamas. Josh gets scared ring will set off security scanners.

Feb 3rd, 2011:

Josh and Debra get ready for formal dinner night. Debra looks beautiful. Really beautiful.

Hot!

Josh notices an interesting event going on later in the evening called the “game of love” game show. Debra tells Josh its only for married couples. Josh tells Debra no. Josh talks to assistant cruise director while Debra waits in the lobby. Josh secretly asks cruise director if he can incorporate a proposal into the game of love. Josh tells Debra that cruise director said anyone can go to the game of love show, not just married couples.

Josh and Debra eat some lobster tails. Josh asks Debra if she would consider marrying him. Debra says yes. Debra asks if Josh would consider marrying her. Josh says he is 99% sure. Debra gets angry. Josh calms Debra down and heads for the bathroom. Josh stops to talk to cruise director on the way to make sure everything is ready for later that night. Cruise director says its all ready to go. Josh recruits half of the cruise photographers to be at the game of love show later that evening.

Debra and Josh watch a Broadway style show. Josh feels his stomach turn to mush. Broadway show ends and Josh and Debra move toward the center to get closer seats. Josh and Debra talk to people sitting in front of them. Josh asks them to hold his camera just in case they get called up on stage.

And the show starts…

And thats about it! We spent the rest of the evening enjoying that Champagne, seeing a comedy show, and waiting for this video to be shown on the closed circuit television on the ship.

I am so lucky to be with a woman so caring, so beautiful, so in love with God, so selfless, and so in love with me. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you Debra!

Woohooo!! Click here to see more photos of the engagement ring!