Related Posts with Thumbnails

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

L’amour de ma Vie (part 4)

If you need to catch up, here's part 1, part 2 and part 3...
Christmas, 2001
Indeed this Christmas has had its “merry” times, most of them spent with the man I’m falling in love with all over again! Yes, unafraid and shameless to write of this great welling up within my stomach and heart ~ together and at once.
I wanted to stay beside him and not get into my cold car and drive 20 minutes. But I left. He gave me a guitar for Christmas.

“We come to each other, gradually, but with love….with love and honesty, the embrace is inevitable.”
~Tennessee Williams~


January, 2002
An enjoyable weekend with the ones I love most and the one I’m coming to love more deeply. Jake joined my family at the cabin, a milestone to be sure. You don’t just bring anyone along to the cabin!! He adjusted well to everyone around him and all the noise we make! We took Lindsay and Tessa on a walk and found a little place in the woods that looked like “Narnia.” We took our blankets and laid under the moonlight amidst the perfectly lined trees and made up stories for each other. The trees blew and it sounded like the ocean’s tide. After our weekend together I felt scared….it’s scary to fall in love. But if I weren’t afraid I wouldn’t be completely aware of the commitment I’m entering to. Being scared shows me that I’m taking the time to really think about what’s next.

“People have two needs, one is to be intimate the other is to be independent. The greatest barrier to intimacy is the fear that closeness will get in the way of independence.”~Mildred Newman~

February 10th, 2002
The night began as usual. Comfortable silence and cozy cuddles in Jake’s apartment. After a short movie Jake went to the other room and returned with a soft pink shirt in hand. “This is your Valentine’s gift, but I couldn’t wait until then.” He placed it in my hand. I held it up, a bit confused….a large shirt with two teddy bears on it, they were eating honey and it read, “home is where your honey is.” I thought it was a bit tacky so I said, “it’s cute Jake, but I won’t be wearing it in public!” He laughed and we hugged. “Are you sure you like it?” he said. Holding it up a second time to inspect again, I said “yes” EXCEPT this time I noticed something shining on the tag. Could it be? No, not so soon, not here, not now!! I looked closer and yes, THERE IT WAS, my engagement ring, a beautiful diamond waiting for me on the tag…for ME!! I was in complete shock. My eyes blinked so rapidly, I squeezed them shut so tight and opened them so fast my CONTACT FELL OUT! “I’m so unromantic” I cried and ran to the bathroom to put it back in. With shaking hands I somehow managed to not poke my eye out and get the contact back in!! I floated back to the living room, oblivious to my surroundings. With both our hands shaking we got the ring off the tag, (it was taped on there quite well)! He slipped it on my finger and said those timeless words: “will you marry me?” My brain was thinking, this is where you say “yes”, but my mouth wasn’t working! Finally I said, “YES, a thousand times yes.” NO, just kidding….that’s what I WISH I would have said, like on Pride and Prejudice, remember? What I actually said was , “YES, YES, YES.” We hugged and I cried. He pushed play on the stereo, but the wrong song came on! It was some Mexican fiesta song instead of the song from our favorite movie, “Return to me.” Finally we got the right song on and it was all in order: my eyes, the ring, the yes and the music! He swept me off my feet and took me out on the deck, it was raining lightly as he spun me around!
SHOCK.
PEACE.
SHOCK.
We went to my Dad and Mom’s house to tell them….
When I told my Mom I said, “I still feel like I’m 5”, she said, “you’ll always be like that!” Dad was so calm about the whole thing. We ran into Von and Lin…literally, we sat opposite each other at an intersection. We pulled over and she asked what we were doing, I scratched my forehead with my left hand and said, “oh, not much!” She saw the ring and we hugged each other. Lin congratulated Jake.
I made a card for my sister Janet that said, “if you’re not doing something in the next few months…” (open up), “I’m wondering if you’d like to help me plan a wedding?” she cried.

I’m marrying Jacob K. Stoltzfus!!!

“Ah, love, let us be true to one another!For the world,
which seems to lie before us like a land of dreams,
so various, so beautiful, so new….”
~Arnold~

9 comments:

Lindsay said...

Before you even mentioned the night you guys took Tess and I to Narnia I remembered it. Everything about it- was SO fun! My little 13 year old self was completely happy that night. I remember talking to Tessa later about what we thought about Jake and we decided after a few minutes of speculation that we really liked him and tagging an "uncle" before his name wouldnt be so bad. I remember thinking "If he takes my aunt on adventures like this one all the time then she would be really happy."

When I read "Yes, a thousand times Yes" I DIED laughing!! I love that I know what you're talking about.

After reading this and looking over at my three cousins I can't help.. crying. I want a happy ending like yours!!

I really love you guys.

~Linds

clarita yoder said...

What a beautiful, beautiful story!! I have loved reading every word of it... Such a love tale - and it's true! Though your "Yes!" may not have come from Pride and Prejudice, your story sure sounds like it could have been authored by Jane Austin! But better yet, by God Himself! What a tribute to Him!

And happy 7th anniversary! It is so beautiful to see couples down the road ahead of us, still madly in love. That is so rarely seen anymore, and I am so blessed and encouraged by reading your story! Blessing to you!

Heather Buckwalter said...

Hey Janelle i loved reading your story. I am a hope-ful romantic when it comes to love stories. I fell in love around the same time as you because Mark and I got married a week after you. We will be celebrating 7 years on the 14th. Happy Anniversary!
Heather

Anonymous said...

Where have the years gone? a very Happy Anniversary to you and Jake! so glad we even get to share the same last name:)
love
Von

Anonymous said...

i still remember that night. i was sharing the apartment with you and you came home so excited and happy. i loved hearing the whole story. it was a fun night, you just got engaged and clark & i were back together after a long break-up. now look at us all. happy, kids, loving life...in the ups & downs.

: )
happy for you.

Bess said...

:) I love reading your posts...especially these. A true love story! :)

And your banner pic is absolutely beautiful and timeless...I'd have that one enlarged and framed!

Bess said...

I need another installment of the story!!!! :)

Elizabeth said...

thank you so much for posting this story! I've read your blog off and on for about a year now and today stopped by for the first time in a few months - I really needed to read this. Thank you for posting about how you had to be patient to find your true love.

Meg said...

oh, aunt janelle!!! I agree with lindsay completely. I remember the first year he came to the mountains with us, we (of course) danced around you two and giggled our little 10 year old hearts out from the "love" we could see around us! haha!! That was certainly an unforgettable year.

this story makes me SO happy! i just can't keep the smile off my face. And yes, once again agreeing with Linds, I laughed my butt off with the P&P line :) it was perfect! I never knew this story, so happy you shared it!!!

oh, and ps, i think you did the same thing to my mom and I in the car to show us your ring! I believe we were at the car wash actually!!

I love you :) hope you have a wonderful snow day!

-Meg