I wish I could say that it was just one specific moment when I knew that I wanted to marry Lauren. But it was time. Time spent with her and without her. And while many will say that the time we have had together is too short, my answer will always be that life is short. And when you know, you know. So for me, instead of an "aha moment", it was more like a question of why aren't we married yet? The more time that I spent with her, the more time I didn't want to spend without her.

Before there were even thoughts of rings and dresses and proposals, we were already talking about the marriage. NOT the wedding, but the marriage. Conversations included phrases like "after we're married" and "when we're married". When we finally started talking about dates and details, I knew it was time to start thinkng about the proposal. I knew that I wanted it to be unique to us. So, it only made sense to me to do it on a Fouth Friday. Fayetteville is important to us; we both love its history. We love what it has to offer and its potential. So, for those of you who do not know, Fourth Friday is a monthly event in Downtown Fayetteville and many of them are themed. Lauren's favorite is the Inernational Folk Festival in September and mine is the Fall Dogwood Festival in October. We havent missed one since we started dating and we made a pact to not miss one if we can help it. The last one for the year is "A Dickens Christmas" in November. So I custom deisgned her engagement ring, but it wouldnt be here on time so I had to pop the question with another ring. Since Lauren is so incredibly practical and frugal, she had already said she was just fine with a costume ring. I just wanted to be engaged to her!

So, it's November 24th, the day after Thanksgiving, and we are downtown. We've spent a few hours there just walking around, drinking cider, enjoying the sights and walking around. Often, we do Fourth Friday all together with Lauren's kids and sometimes we do it as a date night with just the two of us. This time, Lauren had her kids with her which worked out great because I wanted them all to be there for this. After the candlelight procession, I wanted to go under the Market House and take pictures around the Christmas tree. It was also where I wanted to do it. So, after getting in line, I had Lauren sit center on the bench with her children all around her, After I snapped a few pictures, I put away my phone, pulled out the ring and got down on one knee. Lauren looked at me and said, "What's happening here?!" I stumbled and mumbled through the proposal because I was so nervous, but I said something along the lines of, "Lauren Elaine Scroggins, I love you and your family, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?" Well, she said yes and the rest is history in the making.

Isn't it funny how two people can be involved in the same experience yet remember it so differently? My Darling may have been nervous on the inside, but outwardly he projected as cool as a cucumber. I remember thinking how sweet it was he wanted to get a picture of us all in front of the Christmas tree, how handsome he looked in the glow of the twinkling lights. As he kneeled in the spot where the University of North Carolina was chartered (GO HELLS!), my excitement could not be contained. My heart was full to capacity as both a woman and a mother. It was so clear that he knows what I value and as such, he wanted my children to be a part of the proposal. His words, carefully and thoughtfully chosen, were perfect. I said, "Yes", and I cannot wait to say, "I do".