Story of the proposal

So here's the story for those of you who have not yet heard:

Saturday night was the Highland staff Christmas party, complete with a white elephant gift exchange. I brought a CD because I figured I would be nice and give someone something other than junk, and Josh told me he had wrapped some funny glasses (the kind with the nose and mustache attached) for his gift. I had absolutely no suspicions whatsoever, because I knew days before the party that he was planning on using the glasses as his gift. Little did I know, Saturday morning the jeweler called Josh to tell him the ring was ready, and so I had a surprise in store for me.

Joshua is a fabulous gift wrapper. Seriously, professional-quality wrapping skills. He came to pick me up on Saturday night and I saw his present... beautifully wrapped in shiny blue paper with a big red ribbon wrapped around it and tied in a bow.

In the car ahead of us, Mary called everyone who would be at the party and told them that during the gift exchange they were not to choose the blue present with the red bow. When the exchange started that evening, the only rule Mary emphasized was that the last person to go could steal anyone's gift, but whoever they stole from MUST go and get the last present left underneath the tree. Of course, they had rigged the game so that Joshua had the highest number and would be last to go. And of course no one picked his present during their respective trips to the tree, and so the blue present with the red bow was the last one left. And of course, when it was Joshua's turn, he stole my present.

This made me really mad. One, because earlier in the game I had told him to move his present more to the forefront, because it was hiding in the back corner and no one was choosing it. I thought they must just be overlooking it, because surely someone would have picked the beautifully wrapped box over what was obviously a ginormous television set originally bought circa 1977. He told me it was fine. Second, I had a wall sconce shaped like a musical staff and the notes were where you would put little votive candles and I thought it was delightful. When he stole it from me, I made a big stink about it, because first of all, I liked it, and second of all, he could've stolen something really great (like a Clapper!) from somebody else so we could've gone home with two cool presents. Now I had to go under the tree and his was the only present left and I knew it was those ugly glasses.

I stomped over to the tree. "I don't want this one," I said. Scooping up the present I shook it in Josh's face. "Are you just really attached to these or something? This is your present!" Someone jokingly called out that I should save the paper, so just out of spite I ripped it off with extra gusto. I opened up the box to see some ugly pair of glasses

and there was the ring box.

OH. MY. GOSH.

Josh took the ring box and dropped down to one knee and I sucked in the hugest gasp. Is he actually getting down on one knee? In front of all these people? I was just such a turd about opening this present! He took my hand in his and started a soliloquy of sweet words about how my name means "precious pearl" and I am God's precious pearl and his precious pearl. And how Jesus told the parable about the man who found a pearl of great price and he went and sold all he had to buy it, Josh was willing to sacrifice everything for me. It was very romantic, and made half the room cry, and then he asked,

"Megan Elizabeth, will you marry me?"

I let out a shaky but sure yes and he put the ring on my finger!

And-- viola!-- we're engaged. And come April my initials will be M.E.G.

Megan
Elizabeth
Geiger

I've always secretly wanted that. God's a baller.