Tyler's account
I was sitting in Crown Center watching the fountains jump across the street and wondering when they’d turn them off. It was the end of October, after all, and people would soon come here to ice skate. Then I turned back to my computer to try to write this very post. Distracted by the fountains, the people, and the box in my hand, I barely typed a paragraph.
My phone rang, and it was Lori. She was getting off work a little later than I’d expected, but that was fine. Her call was my cue to pack up, head to the parking garage, and make my way to Children’s Mercy a few blocks away. I had promised her dinner at a pizza place in the Crossroads District that looked promising (from their website, at least), so I pulled in the CMH driveway and spotted her walking toward me. She was wearing the necklace I got her last Valentine’s Day. I greeted her, et cetera, and opened the passenger door of my car (as I’m prone to do). We headed off to the restaurant, and told each other about our respective days.
We got to PizzaBella and admired the place. (Lori said it looks a lot like me. I guess that’s good.) It’s a little shop with two wood-burning ovens in the back and a large glass wall in the front that was open on the evening of October 29, 2010. We sat at a table near the opening and consulted the menu. So many good choices. After being asked a few times by the waiter, we settled on splitting a margherita pizza.
Both the pizza and the conversation were great, but sitting by the open wall meant wearing jackets for most of the meal. After paying, we went to my car, and I asked if she wanted to try something that might be really awesome: go up on the Liberty Memorial hill and see what downtown KC looks like all lit up. (It was dark by this point, about 7:00.) She agreed, and we headed south on Main Street. (This wasn’t totally out of the blue. A few weeks ago, when Lori was at work, I had a Winstead’s burger on the steps of Liberty Memorial. I told her we should go there sometime; by doing so, I was planting a seed for this night.)
We parked on the side of the hill, and I grabbed my camera (as is normal for me) before we got out of the car. We headed up the stairs together, and I told her we shouldn’t look back, that we should look at the city from the very middle at the very top. (It wasn’t the highest point on the hill, just the stage area they have north of the memorial.) We ran/walked to the top, centered ourselves, and counted down: 3, 2, 1. We turned around in unison and saw downtown Kansas City glowing.
On the way up the hill, I had taken the ring out of the interior chest pocket of my jacket and held it in my closed right hand. Now, on top of the hill, looking at the city and holding Lori, I transferred it to my left hand. We continued to talk about the view, about us, and I directed the conversation to our future. We’d covered most of these topics before, but I hadn’t taken this next step. “Can I ask you a question?” I asked. I can’t remember what she said, but I know it was an answer in the affirmative. “I know we’ve talked a little about this before, but I wanted to ask you for real. Would you want to marry me?” I simultaneously held out the ring, prompting Lori to “what?!?” in shock. “What?” she repeated a few times. “This isn’t looking good,” I quipped. “Of course!” she replied. “Seriously?” “Seriously,” I reaffirmed. This was followed by a good amount of screaming (on her end), causing me to worry that Kansas City’s finest might come investigate high-pitched exclamations in a dark, seemingly empty urban park.
We talked, and laughed, and smiled some more. I spilled some secrets like how I spent a few hours at the Helzberg location on the Plaza the same day I scouted this location with my Winstead’s burger, how I was late to pick up our half-marathon packets because I was buying the ring and the process isn’t as quick as purchasing a candy bar, how I asked her parents while she was in another room, and how the one mutual friend I told in advance was very, very excited for us. I told her how I spent hours in the week before the proposal looking at the ring. I even took pictures of it, trying to capture the most sparkle with my primitive lighting equipment (a reading lamp).
We talked about our kids and being grandparents and having a wedding. We talked about who to tell first. We talked about whether she saw it coming (she didn’t), and whether I thought she did (I did). We spent a while taking pictures: jumping, posing, and just being cute like usual. After a while, we realized we’d been on the hill for more than an hour. It was almost hard to leave, but we knew we had a whole future ahead.
I was sitting in Crown Center watching the fountains jump across the street and wondering when they’d turn them off. It was the end of October, after all, and people would soon come here to ice skate. Then I turned back to my computer to try to write this very post. Distracted by the fountains, the people, and the box in my hand, I barely typed a paragraph.
My phone rang, and it was Lori. She was getting off work a little later than I’d expected, but that was fine. Her call was my cue to pack up, head to the parking garage, and make my way to Children’s Mercy a few blocks away. I had promised her dinner at a pizza place in the Crossroads District that looked promising (from their website, at least), so I pulled in the CMH driveway and spotted her walking toward me. She was wearing the necklace I got her last Valentine’s Day. I greeted her, et cetera, and opened the passenger door of my car (as I’m prone to do). We headed off to the restaurant, and told each other about our respective days.
We got to PizzaBella and admired the place. (Lori said it looks a lot like me. I guess that’s good.) It’s a little shop with two wood-burning ovens in the back and a large glass wall in the front that was open on the evening of October 29, 2010. We sat at a table near the opening and consulted the menu. So many good choices. After being asked a few times by the waiter, we settled on splitting a margherita pizza.
Both the pizza and the conversation were great, but sitting by the open wall meant wearing jackets for most of the meal. After paying, we went to my car, and I asked if she wanted to try something that might be really awesome: go up on the Liberty Memorial hill and see what downtown KC looks like all lit up. (It was dark by this point, about 7:00.) She agreed, and we headed south on Main Street. (This wasn’t totally out of the blue. A few weeks ago, when Lori was at work, I had a Winstead’s burger on the steps of Liberty Memorial. I told her we should go there sometime; by doing so, I was planting a seed for this night.)
We parked on the side of the hill, and I grabbed my camera (as is normal for me) before we got out of the car. We headed up the stairs together, and I told her we shouldn’t look back, that we should look at the city from the very middle at the very top. (It wasn’t the highest point on the hill, just the stage area they have north of the memorial.) We ran/walked to the top, centered ourselves, and counted down: 3, 2, 1. We turned around in unison and saw downtown Kansas City glowing.
On the way up the hill, I had taken the ring out of the interior chest pocket of my jacket and held it in my closed right hand. Now, on top of the hill, looking at the city and holding Lori, I transferred it to my left hand. We continued to talk about the view, about us, and I directed the conversation to our future. We’d covered most of these topics before, but I hadn’t taken this next step. “Can I ask you a question?” I asked. I can’t remember what she said, but I know it was an answer in the affirmative. “I know we’ve talked a little about this before, but I wanted to ask you for real. Would you want to marry me?” I simultaneously held out the ring, prompting Lori to “what?!?” in shock. “What?” she repeated a few times. “This isn’t looking good,” I quipped. “Of course!” she replied. “Seriously?” “Seriously,” I reaffirmed. This was followed by a good amount of screaming (on her end), causing me to worry that Kansas City’s finest might come investigate high-pitched exclamations in a dark, seemingly empty urban park.
We talked, and laughed, and smiled some more. I spilled some secrets like how I spent a few hours at the Helzberg location on the Plaza the same day I scouted this location with my Winstead’s burger, how I was late to pick up our half-marathon packets because I was buying the ring and the process isn’t as quick as purchasing a candy bar, how I asked her parents while she was in another room, and how the one mutual friend I told in advance was very, very excited for us. I told her how I spent hours in the week before the proposal looking at the ring. I even took pictures of it, trying to capture the most sparkle with my primitive lighting equipment (a reading lamp).
We talked about our kids and being grandparents and having a wedding. We talked about who to tell first. We talked about whether she saw it coming (she didn’t), and whether I thought she did (I did). We spent a while taking pictures: jumping, posing, and just being cute like usual. After a while, we realized we’d been on the hill for more than an hour. It was almost hard to leave, but we knew we had a whole future ahead.
Lori's account
I was sitting at my desk typing away on the computer and trying to stay focused. It was about 6 PM on a Friday and my mind kept wandering to my plans for the weekend that was just minutes away. Tyler, who was living in Springfield this semester, had asked to come visit me in Kansas City, so of course I was excited for the weekend; the greatest guy in the world was coming to visit me!
Phew! As I signed and finished my last patient note for the day I gathered my belongings and reached quickly for my phone. A few missed alerts on my phone displayed nothing out of the usual: text messages from Tyler encouraging me to have a great day and reminding me that he loved me. My shoulders relaxed a bit, a big smile drew upon my face, and I pushed ‘7’ on my phone (Tyler’s favorite number and his speed dial setting on my phone).
Tyler quickly answered. He said he would pick me up from work and we could ride to dinner together. See, earlier in the week my mom had invited me and Tyler over to the house for tacos tonight. When I asked Tyler about this idea a few days ago he did not seem too interested; he had explained how he really wanted to take me out for dinner. Without a second thought to this, I agreed to a dinner on the town.
After opening the car door for me as he always does, Tyler hopped in the car and started driving. He ended up driving to this adorable pizza shop located in a friendly spot in downtown Kansas City. The warm colors, fun-shaped water glasses, open glass doors, and a unique menu layout had ‘Tyler’ written all over it! Like always, the conversation was easy. I was relaxed, and Tyler appeared to be as well. Sitting across the table from him, I could not help but stare. Tyler has always been able to make me feel so relaxed; I’m completely myself around him. This weekend was going to be great, regardless of what we did. Tyler was here, and I was happy.
That delicious garlic, spinach, basil, and other uniquely topped pizza we enjoyed was now settling in our stomachs as we made our way back to Tyler’s car. Tyler asked if he could take me to Liberty Memorial. I agreed! Although I have grown up in the Kansas City area, I had never been to Liberty Memorial. Was I suspicious at this point that something was different? No way! Tyler and I always do random things like this. Everything was ‘normal’.
A few weeks prior to this evening, Tyler and I had completed our first ½ marathon. One of the hills from the marathon course is located next to Liberty Memorial, and that hill happens to be where Tyler decided to park his car for the evening. (I was still clueless!) As my mind wandered to that day and the excitement we both felt after finishing the race, Tyler quickly brought me to the present moment when he grabbed my hand and started leading me up the stairs to Liberty Memorial. After reaching the top, I was a little out of breath from running half the way up. Tyler would not let me look back until we reached the top, though. It was night and dark outside by this point. As we centered ourselves at the top, we counted down: 3, 2, 1, and together turned around. Wow. The skyline sparkled. The view was breathtaking.
Tyler began saying sweet things to me. He was telling me that he loved me and how he could not wait to start a life with me in Kansas City. To me, he was being super sweet as usual. As Tyler turned to face me, I could sense something was different about this conversation. He asked if he could ask me a question. Of course I said yes. Calmly he asked, “Would you want to marry me?” A beautiful smile expanded on his face as he finished the question. I was speechless! All I remember is being so excited that my mind went blank! I may have said ‘what’ a few too many times to make Tyler a bit nervous. He was patient, though, and after regaining my ability to talk, I quickly said ‘YES!!’ As Tyler got down on his knee to place the ring on my finger, I could feel my heart beating so fast in my chest. Clearly my heart was happy.
After getting over some shaky knees, a few screams of joy, and lots of big hugs, Tyler and I enjoyed the moment. We talked about how he got the ring at Helzberg on the Plaza, how he had asked my parents and his parents, and how he had managed to stay so calm this whole time! Following our talk, what else did we do but take some pictures! I wondered if a picture could really capture our excitement, but we tried anyway.
Looking back on that perfect evening on October 29, 2010, I cannot dream of one thing I would change. The whole night was filled with gifts from God, including the best gift of all: the man I will spend the rest of my life with. I love you, Tyler.
I was sitting at my desk typing away on the computer and trying to stay focused. It was about 6 PM on a Friday and my mind kept wandering to my plans for the weekend that was just minutes away. Tyler, who was living in Springfield this semester, had asked to come visit me in Kansas City, so of course I was excited for the weekend; the greatest guy in the world was coming to visit me!
Phew! As I signed and finished my last patient note for the day I gathered my belongings and reached quickly for my phone. A few missed alerts on my phone displayed nothing out of the usual: text messages from Tyler encouraging me to have a great day and reminding me that he loved me. My shoulders relaxed a bit, a big smile drew upon my face, and I pushed ‘7’ on my phone (Tyler’s favorite number and his speed dial setting on my phone).
Tyler quickly answered. He said he would pick me up from work and we could ride to dinner together. See, earlier in the week my mom had invited me and Tyler over to the house for tacos tonight. When I asked Tyler about this idea a few days ago he did not seem too interested; he had explained how he really wanted to take me out for dinner. Without a second thought to this, I agreed to a dinner on the town.
After opening the car door for me as he always does, Tyler hopped in the car and started driving. He ended up driving to this adorable pizza shop located in a friendly spot in downtown Kansas City. The warm colors, fun-shaped water glasses, open glass doors, and a unique menu layout had ‘Tyler’ written all over it! Like always, the conversation was easy. I was relaxed, and Tyler appeared to be as well. Sitting across the table from him, I could not help but stare. Tyler has always been able to make me feel so relaxed; I’m completely myself around him. This weekend was going to be great, regardless of what we did. Tyler was here, and I was happy.
That delicious garlic, spinach, basil, and other uniquely topped pizza we enjoyed was now settling in our stomachs as we made our way back to Tyler’s car. Tyler asked if he could take me to Liberty Memorial. I agreed! Although I have grown up in the Kansas City area, I had never been to Liberty Memorial. Was I suspicious at this point that something was different? No way! Tyler and I always do random things like this. Everything was ‘normal’.
A few weeks prior to this evening, Tyler and I had completed our first ½ marathon. One of the hills from the marathon course is located next to Liberty Memorial, and that hill happens to be where Tyler decided to park his car for the evening. (I was still clueless!) As my mind wandered to that day and the excitement we both felt after finishing the race, Tyler quickly brought me to the present moment when he grabbed my hand and started leading me up the stairs to Liberty Memorial. After reaching the top, I was a little out of breath from running half the way up. Tyler would not let me look back until we reached the top, though. It was night and dark outside by this point. As we centered ourselves at the top, we counted down: 3, 2, 1, and together turned around. Wow. The skyline sparkled. The view was breathtaking.
Tyler began saying sweet things to me. He was telling me that he loved me and how he could not wait to start a life with me in Kansas City. To me, he was being super sweet as usual. As Tyler turned to face me, I could sense something was different about this conversation. He asked if he could ask me a question. Of course I said yes. Calmly he asked, “Would you want to marry me?” A beautiful smile expanded on his face as he finished the question. I was speechless! All I remember is being so excited that my mind went blank! I may have said ‘what’ a few too many times to make Tyler a bit nervous. He was patient, though, and after regaining my ability to talk, I quickly said ‘YES!!’ As Tyler got down on his knee to place the ring on my finger, I could feel my heart beating so fast in my chest. Clearly my heart was happy.
After getting over some shaky knees, a few screams of joy, and lots of big hugs, Tyler and I enjoyed the moment. We talked about how he got the ring at Helzberg on the Plaza, how he had asked my parents and his parents, and how he had managed to stay so calm this whole time! Following our talk, what else did we do but take some pictures! I wondered if a picture could really capture our excitement, but we tried anyway.
Looking back on that perfect evening on October 29, 2010, I cannot dream of one thing I would change. The whole night was filled with gifts from God, including the best gift of all: the man I will spend the rest of my life with. I love you, Tyler.