Javier & Susan

As much as a girl may know the big question is coming at some point in the near future, it may be months down the road, she doesn’t want to know when it is going to happen!  I for one wanted to be as surprised as possible, and Javier definitely got me!  I have to say, there were a few things leading up to his proposal that made me stop and think, including the slightest slip from Javy himself, but I completely talked myself out of it.  He’s a planner, three weeks, let alone one week prior to going to Victoria, no way was it happening yet.  He hadn’t asked for my parents blessing, bought a ring, it wasn’t happening for months.  I was completely surprised and completely unprepared when he proposed.  Obviously, little had I known, he had met with my parents weeks before, and was carrying the ring in his back pack on the plane and then in his jacket pocket the whole day!!

We had decided to go on vacation to Seattle to visit his sister and one of his best friends.  We bought our plane tickets three weeks before and planned to go for about 5 days.  About a week before we were leaving he mentioned taking a ferry from Seattle to Victoria, BC.  I was all for it and it was set.

We landed in Seattle late, his friend Adam picked us up, then his sister Belinda picked us up in the morning to drop us at the ferry.  He told me they didn’t mind, we’d have three days to spend with them and tour Seattle.  Also, we had never taken any vacation with just the two of us, so it would be nice to go some place for just a couple days alone.  We arrived in Victoria, BC about noon on Wednesday, March 23, 2011.  From there we rented a car and checked into a hotel, then drove up to this beautiful, well known 55-acre garden, Butchart Gardens.  We had a brilliant, sunny day and walked all around the gardens enjoying the day, the sights, and each other.  As we came to the end of the tour of the gardens, Javy asked “is that the end already?!?!”  I answered, “I guess so, that was faster than I thought.”  His response was to rip open the map they gave us as we entered and sit down to look it over and make sure we had seen it all.  I went along with it.  Javier said his favorite spot was the first place we saw, The Sunken Gardens.  We should go back there for a bit.  I agreed as it was my favorite spot too!

It was getting close to the park’s closing time, so many of the visitors had left.  We had the Sunken Gardens to ourselves and took a seat on top of the hill on one of the two benches.  (P.S. I was pretty sick, sniffling, coughing, not much of a voice, very attractive at this point)   As we sat there, randomly chatting, I just kept thinking how beautiful and peaceful it was, with the trees, waterfall, flowers.  An elderly couple walked up and sat on the bench next to us.  Javy asked me if I wanted to take some pictures.  My response, ‘oh, I already got some the first time.’  He asked to get one of the two of us up here, so I said okay.  He asked the couple to take our picture and the man told us to just show him what button to push and he’d be happy to.  As I was turning to the man to get ready to pose and smile, Javy said, “I have to ask you a question.”  Immediately I knew and as I turned to face him he was dropping to one knee!!!!

Of course I said yes!!  I think, I’m not actually sure what came out of my mouth at first.  I think I hugged him & kissed him before I was sure I got yes out.  And before even really seeing the beautiful ring!  The older lady just kept saying, Oh My God!  She was laughing and smiling.  Javier and I both got teary.  Well, I should say, I was bawling!  And laughing!  And shaking!  All at once.

So, the pictures you see here are not staged!  This was the actual moment Javy made me the happiest woman!!  Thank you to that couple, and the man especially, for snapping away!  We will remember them always, as I’m sure they will probably always remember us.