Homecoming

Picture = theme of post. Consider yourself previewed.

I have neglected you, dear blog. There have been happenings. There have been big games followed by big losses. Big birthdays full of big TVs and tiny tablet computers. The men in my life know me so well. There have been weddings and secrets and curtains and the first boot purchase of 2010.

And then came Homecoming.

Rachael was in town, which meant that I went to the Homecoming parade for the first time since the dreadful Homecoming Committee experience. One girl, two cones and a driveway does not a pleasurable memory make. This time was marginally better. No candy, good weather and we got to hear Bill Snyder talk. That was nice. Also the emcee for Homecoming was a boy from my graduating class. Which made me feel OLD. Steven and I snuck out early to reserve a table at Hibachi Hut for dinner. Steven chatted up the little old reservation lady and got her to call us when our table was ready. Which led to the best discovery ever.... the Bistro sells beer. It was a nice respite from the crowd of matching jackets and Ugg boots.

We got home about 9 that night and I was exhausted. Steven was too, which is why I was so surprised when he woke up promptly at 6:30 Saturday morning and refused to go back to sleep. Turns out he had a "surprise" that he needed to "finish" that morning. I was too sleepy to demand an explanation. He came back in to wake me up at 8 and say that we had to leave in an hour and that we wouldn't have time to come back before the game. Interesting. Slightly more awake and definitely more curious, I took a shower. I ran through all the positive possibilities in my mind which took about 2 minutes. Then I let the bad ones take shape which got me all the way through the powercat tattoo and blow dry. By the time I had packed my gameday bag, I was exhausted and just hoping we were getting pancakes. Hypotheticals make me hungry.

The mandatory pre-game photo was extra special this weekend.

Steven, who I finally noticed had been wearing his coat and shoes and sitting on the couch since 6:30, finally let us leave the house and head to the car. After some nifty driving diversions, I realized we were not going to a tailgate, getting an early seat, eating breakfast at the burger shack or stopping by the office to pick up old chili. We were at Steven's church. Which was empty. But he had a key. And was suddenly full of the smallest small talk ever. "Sometimes we come up here on Wednesdays so that the church ladies can use the basement." "Do those TVs get ESPN Gameday?" "My, what comfy cushions are on these pews." Etc, and so on, painfully.

I knew what was coming at this point, and was completely terrified. Don't puke. Don't blurt it out before he says it. Just sit tight, be quiet and stay in the moment. It's terrible, when big life moments are happening. TV and movies and books have ruined big life events for me. There's so much pressure to act the right way, to not be cliche, to be honest, to be real, to just be present. I tried to turn off my mind and be, but mostly I felt pulled in a million directions, overwhelmed with what was happening, overwhelmed by everything that was right (Steven) and could never be right (miss you Momma) on that day. He said sweet things and got on one knee and dropped the ring and the blubbering tears came, which was good, because he had wrapped the ring in kleenex for the blubbering moment. So prepared. There was such relief after the ring was there and on my finger and we could finally tell each other why we had been acting so crazy.

Happy kids in church. Oh happy happy relieved happiness.

So the power of the ring didn't extend to a K-State victory, but I take full responsibility for the revival of the K-State defense. I also saw Carson Coffman in Goodcents today, and I'm pretty sure he felt the good luck vibes. The football season of my engagement will end with the first K-State bowl game since 2006. It must. It's in my prenup.

We took a lot of these kinds of pictures.

All in all, it was as perfect as could be. Engaged on a football Saturday, before a home game, on Homecoming weekend. Did I mention that my men know me well? It's been a good Fall.