Best Proposal Contest

It was Spring 1998 in Las Vegas, Nevada when we met. We were working at Office Depot together. I was working in the Copy Center as he was working in the Customer Service Counter. Immediately there was an attraction between us. We first started talking after a store sales meeting. We both didn't have to work that morning and walked to our cars right after one another. I said, "nice car" and smiled at him as he was getting into a '96 Mustang (which was red and happen to be my favorite color and vehicle.) I was 16 years old. For weeks we would flirt across the store with phone calls to each others department when we worked the same shift, which wasn't often as I was still attending high school and he was working a full time shift. We had a lot of overlapping shifts and got very comfortable with each other.. and so it began.
For weeks we would talk regularly and would go to dinner and a movie, like what a normal young couple would do, but then the age got a little in the way. I just turned 17 and he had just turned 22. Living in Las Vegas, Nevada brought a lot of strain on us as a young couple at an age that he could go out places and I was clearly restricted. Family would mention it regularly that I was too young, but I had fallen in love and it hadn't worried me of the difference in our age, but the it took a tole on James. We had to part ways, and so we did... For a year I tried to work things out between he and I but the age was a big factor when living in a town that restricts anyone under 21... and so upon graduation from high school, I left Las Vegas and moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to be closer to family.
As the years had passed we were always on the other side of the phone with one another. Throughout the ups and downs of normal life, we always remained best friends. Always hoping for a better time that would bring us back together. For years we tried to rekindle what we had so many years ago, but when we were both ready something would happen to deviate us both away from our most hopeful desire, to be back together. Life has thrown us some curve balls and sent us in an array of discouraged times. In 2005, I gave birth to a little girl, Isabella; and James had almost been married before, thank GOD that didn't work out or I might have lost him. In Spring of 2010, it had finally taken it's toll on me. I finally said, "Enough is enough"... that in itself scared James. He was afraid of losing something that he had wanted all this time and never realized it....? So he wrote me a very long email and expressed every feeling, every event, ever story I hadn't heard about over the 11 years we'd known each other and literally spilled his heart out to me. So, being that I hadn't seen him in 9 years, I asked for him to give me one thing and one thing alone for my birthday and that was for him to drive and meet me half way between Alabama (his residence currently) and Pennsylvania (my residence) and he agreed. We drove over night both calling every hour to check status of each other (the drive alone was 7 hours) and met up in Charlotte, North Carolina. Immediately the emotions followed us. That after 9 years, his and my spark was still there burning brightly. We stayed the weekend together and learned that the love we had for each other was still very strong, but the weekend ended and we both had lives for which to return.?
Life changes in an instant and the dreams that come true are those that you wish up, but this is nothing I could have ever thought would come true... 11 years of waiting and to admit, it's been worth the wait...
Over the last 6 months, James has come up for Halloween to spend time with us. He met Isabella for the first time and fell in love with her. He had played video games with her online and spoken with her regularly so the initial introduction was like they were always destined to be good friends. She adores him as he adores her, but again the time came where he had to return to Alabama. So, for the few months between Halloween and Christmas it was hard. As the holiday season comes to its peak I was truly missing him and wanted him here so bad. Well, to my own surprise he had been planning with my family, my ENTIRE family to come up for Christmas to surprise myself and Isabella. On the eve of Christmas Eve I got him
James, "Hi Babe"
Julie: "Hey, whatcha doin?"
James: "Sitting on Santa's Sleigh trying to make your Christmas wish come true"
Julie: "What?, That's not funny James"
James: "Go look out your window"
Julie: "What? Why" (as I was shaking at this point)
James: "Do you see me waving?"
Julie: "Um, no"
James: "Look down at your brothers car"
Julie: "OH MY GOD"
At this point in time I threw the phone on my bed and was running through the house yelling at my brother, and was all but crying when I finally found shoes to put on and ran out the door. James was standing on the porch and I was clearly surprised and so happy to see him. Over the past few months he had planned down to every detail, including the interception of my Christmas package to his house by my brother Matt. James had officially surprised me for Christmas and given me the best present ever for Christmas, himself.
To my own surprise, that night, as I was trying to give my daughter (age 5) a bath, James directed my attention to come to him for a moment. I walked down the hallway and his asked me if I wanted my other surprise now or later, I said I'd like it when he wanted to give it to me. He dropped to one knee and asked me to marry him, and I said "YES", date has been set for November 11, 2011 and we can't wait. It's been a long wait but 100% worth it. I wouldn't change a thing.. seems it's the way it should be.