A long, long time ago (1996), I became engaged on this date (to be more accurate, actually on the 1st) to the man that would eventually become my husband. Here’s the story of how I became engaged. We went to our friends’ apartment in lovely Oak Park, Illinois for a New Years Eve party. As we entered the party, we found out that those same friends had become engaged over Christmas. The party went on, drinks were consumed, dancing was initiated and soon it was time for the New Years Countdown. After we hit one and kissing and hugs commenced, my love shows me a box. I then promptly told him to “put that back into your pocket!” Nice, huh? It wasn’t like I didn’t want him to propose…more like I didn’t want him to propose in front of the drunken audience. So I then told him that we should go outside (in the cold!) and he could try again, if you will. So out in the freezing cold, he proposed. I think there were even people out there but they didn’t pay any attention to us. He started to get down on one knee and I told him he didn’t need to do that! I said “Yes!” (of course). We then went back inside and told the good news to our friends. They were a bit shocked, but also happy and excited for us.
