7 Years Ago Today

Today is a very important anniversary. Jeremy and I did not get married on this day, nor did we have our first date on this day. I was not baptized on this day, nor did Jeremy and I share our first kiss on this day. So what could possibly be so important? This is the day that Jeremy asked me to become his wife. This is the day that we decided to become Mr. and Mrs. Jeremy Pate.

Jeremy and I had been dating for 9 months to the day. We knew that we wanted to marry each other. I was just waiting on him to ask me. I was very patient. I am not typically a nag, so I never asked him about it. I wanted it to be on his time table.

Right before my Sophomore year of college started, Jeremy asked me if I wanted to take a trip to Tennessee to stay with his parents. My parents said it would be okay and they trusted Jeremy. We left for Columbia, Tennessee, on Sunday, August 8th, right after morning worship services. It was a very emotional service because it was the last Sunday that all the Seniors in the youth group would be in attendance. They were all moving away to attend college and I had become so close with all of them. We pulled out of the parking lot with tears streaming down my face. We stopped for evening worship at a small congregation in Lonoke, Arkansas. We finally made it to Columbia at about midnight. As usual, Jeremy's parents waited up for us. His mom had made up the guest bedroom that I would stay in, and Jeremy would stay in his sister's old room.

The next morning, Jeremy asked me where I wanted to go. He mentioned that he wanted to take me to the Opryland Hotel (not to stay, just to look around) We quickly decided that we would visit the Conservatory at the hotel and then have dinner at Opry Mills Mall.

We got to the hotel at about 2 in the afternoon. It was massive!! I had never been to Nashville before and was so excited to see everything that there was to offer. We walked around for a while before finding the Garden Conservatory. There was a HUGE fountain in the corner. We stood looking at the water for a few minutes before Jeremy asked me to sit on the bench with him. We sat down together and Jeremy looked at me and asked me if this would be a neat place to propose. His exact words were, "How would you like to be proposed to in a place like this?" I thought he was looking for ideas, I had no clue that he was going to ask me then! I responded that, "yes," it was a really neat place. Very pretty.

Jeremy got tears in his eyes and got down on one knee. He didn't say anything for a moment. I started laughing a little nervously and said, "Jeremy, are you for real?" He still didn't say anything. He got more tears in his eyes. At this point, I broke down crying. I think it made him feel better to see me get emotional because he then said, "Brooke Lindsey Watkins, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife? Would you marry me?" I was bawling at this point! I couldn't answer. I didn't realize how long it took me to answer because he finally said, "Yes or No." I hugged him and started laughing hysterically and said, "yes!" We hugged each other for the longest time. 

I couldn't help thinking in that moment that out of all the women in the world, he chose me. He chose me to spend the rest of this physical life together. He chose me to wake up to every morning. He chose me to be the mother of his children. And he chose me to help him get to Heaven! What an enormous responsibility!

He asked me if I wanted to see the ring. I said, "of course!" It was (still is) beautiful! Jeremy had gone to Dallas on a day that I would not see him. He had the ring made specifically for me. He chose three emerald cut diamonds that would be set in white gold. Three stones for our past, our present, and our future. He had the ring in his home for over a month and had apparently told everyone under the sun that he was going to propose. They were all good secret keepers, because I never knew!

After getting pregnant with Ava, I was unable to wear my ring because of swelling. Then after her birth, I still could not fit it over my knuckle. I waited several months to try it on again, thinking that my body would return to normal (think again!) Finally, yesterday we went to a jewelry store to have it resized. It was supposed to be ready Thursday to pick up. The jeweler called today to say that it was ready early! Jeremy picked it up and brought it home to me. He knelt down on one knee and said, "Brooke Pate, 7 years ago I asked you to become my wife. I want you to know that if I had to do it all over again, I would still ask you." He then slid it on my finger. Perfect size and all clean! What a romantic!!