This weekend is one for the record books. It all started out when I asked Bub if we can have a "Steve and Leonora" weekend. We had just bought a house so pretty much every weekend this summer consisted of:
• Packing
• Unpacking
• Moving
• Painting
• Home Depot runs
• Lowes Visits
• Tearing down walls
• Celebrating Weddings
• Celebrating babies
• Playing host/hostess to family members
• Throwing surprise parties
• Going to BBQs
…we were beat and needed some serious "us" time.
Back track 3 years ago I had thrown Bub a scavenger hunt. He really loved it and I had told him I always wanted one as well. Since I am usually the one making plans for us to do stuff he said he would take the reins this weekend and plan something for us to do.
Saturday morning we wake up and he hands me a card. It was my first clue, but I had to wait 10 minutes before opening it because bub needed a head start to run around our home town and place the clues everywhere. I needed a time killer because staring at the oven clock waiting for it to be "11:50" was killing me, so naturally I turned to insta-gram. I thought it would be fun to document my scavenger hunt so it felt like I was doing it with everyone.
I instagramed my first clue, opened it up and it read
"If it gets too hot we can cool off with some ices….MARCO?!"
I hoped in my car and drove to Ralphs Italian Ices. (and no "MARCO" isn't a weird endearing nick-name bub gave me. I am always screaming MARCO at Bub when I sneak away from him in public places, and that is how he has to find me) (he really hates this game)
When I got to ralphs I really had no idea what to expect. Did he leave a clue in the parking lot? Do I need to buy an ice? Am I even at the right place?
I walk up to the girl behind the counter and start off with "…ummm this is gonna sound weird but--" and before i could finish my sentence she was like "NO NO THIS ISN'T WEIRD AT ALL HERE YOU GO!" and hands me a yellow ballon, a toy car, and another card.
I Instagram the Ralphs location, and open my card. The clue brought me to the place where Bub had attempted to teach me how to drive a stick shift (It didn't end well, in case you are wondering I can only get it into 1st gear) (or is it already in 1st gear when you start the car? Whatever, the point is cars should NOT go backwards when you take your foot off the break) (its unnatural) (and makes couples argue)
I pull up into the parking lot and see a yellow balloon off in the distance. I drive up to it only to find it attached to a park bench that is currently occupied by 4 people on their lunch break. I run up, grab the balloon like a stealthy ninja, and jump back into my car. At this point people are commenting on my instagram photos saying that I am going to end up with a fiance by the end of this scavenger hunt. I didn't think anything of it and soon became mortified with the idea of telling 1,700 people that no, I'm not engaged, this is just Bub being Bub.
My 3rd clue brought me to the local park that we go to sometimes to picnic, play frisbee, or just go for a walk. Unfortunately you need to be a town resident to use the park. I hadn't change addresses yet so I was technically not a town resident (even though I am) I rolled up to the little park booth thing-a-ma-jig and start again with my "hi this is gonna sound weird…" speech only for the girl at the booth to just wave me on. She saw the yellow balloons taking over my car and knew I was here for the scavenger hunt that bub had left for me.
I collect another clue and another yellow balloon (All my clues were stuck to the balloons with duct tape, true Bub fashion). I opened the last card and it read
"…swing on by for a kiss…MARCO!"
So I drive to the swing set where bub and I had our first kiss (I know, very Dawson's creek a la 1996). I pull up, get out of the car, walk over to the swing set only to not find any yellow balloons there.
Ahhhh crap.
I call up Bub, admit defeat and that I am at the wrong swing set. I have no clue how to get to "ours". He laughs, gives me directions, and I get going again. I get out of the car and see bub in the distance swinging on the swings while holding a yellow balloon. He starts yelling "MARCOOOOO" and I yell back "POLLOOOOOO" as I walk over to him, give him a kiss and park on the swing next to him. A few minutes go by so I assume the hunt is over and we can now go and get some lunch like we had planned.
Before we were about to leave bub gets up off his swing, stands in front of me and kisses me (reenacting how we shared our first kiss) he then goes on to say how I'm his best friend, and how much he loves me, and how he wants to keep loving me forever…at this point I blurt out "OMG is this really happening right now?!" and he goes "Yes, this is happening" and gets down on one knee. I pretty much black out and don't remember what happened, but I came to and found a ring on my finger and a bub wrapped around me.
We hear clapping in the background and I'm all like "OMG HE HIRED A PHOTOGRAPHER!" and out of no where this dude walks over to us, says he saw the whole thing, and thought it was the coolest thing ever. Bub whispered in my ear "I have no clue who this guy is…at all"
We hop in the car and start the whole "LET'S TELL THE ENTIRE WORLD!" tour. I purposely never instagrammed that he proposed to me because we wanted to share that special moment with close friends and family first before announcing it there. After telling all our friends and family we hit up the local amusement park and celebrated by acting like a kid and riding some rides (it only seemed appropriate since we started off the day on a swing set)
And that, kids, is the story on how I inadvertently live insta-grammed my marriage proposal. How was your labor day weekend? ;)
