Nine

Nine years ago tonight Frank proposed to me. We both remember the night like it was yesterday. Frank had the whole week mapped out, right down to the speech. I know that many guys out there have a speech prepared, but I wonder how many really remember to give them? Here are a few fun facts about our engagement:

*We got engaged on May 11, 2000. At dinner that night, we sat at table 11. When we arrived at the restaurant, our table was not ready and they offered to seat us at another table. Frank said no. Eleven is, and has been, his hockey number. It's also my dad's birthday.

*The night he proposed, we were going out to dinner and had 6:30P.M. reservations. I was ready to go and kept telling Frank to hurry up, but he was pacing. And pacing. And pacing. He told me to sit on the couch. Then he got down on one knee.

*Frank had a speech planned when he proposed. I never got to hear it. He forgot it. That's OK, I know what he wanted to say and the most important line he was able to get out!

*May 11, 2000 was the first night we officially lived together. I had spent the days leading up to the 11th moving into our first apartment. Frank was moving in for good on the 11th.

*Frank called my parents (or at least tried) to ask for permission to marry me. He looked in my phone book to get the work numbers for my parents. What he didn't realize was that the numbers were all out of order and he was only able to get in touch with my dad. When he called my dad, his first reaction was "What's wrong? Is Jennifer OK?" My mom never lets a visit go by without reminding Frank that he never asked her for permission. It is their special joke now.

*Knowing that he had spoken to my dad but not my mom, I decided not to call them to give them the news. They were scheduled to come to town on the 12th for my graduation weekend. My dad was working in D.C. at the time and my mom was in Indiana, so they arrived separately. I was so excited to give them the news, but I didn't get a chance. They both got off their planes and said "Let me see!" Scooped again! I guess my dad ended up spilling the beans over the phone to my mom on the 11th.

Happy 9 year engagement anniversary, Frank!