A Christmas To Remember

On December 24, 1998, we chose to celebrate Christmas Eve alone in our apartment to have a moment's peace and quiet. We had gone to Toys R Us earlier to return something, I think it was a Sega or some sort of game station. While I went to the store, Ryan said he had some last minute shopping to do and went off into the rest of the mall and returned a short time later. He was acting kind of weird, nervous perhaps, but I blew it off as perhaps him not knowing how I'd be on this day, which happened to be the one month anniversary of my grandmother's unexpected death.

We carried on, going to pick up take out Chinese food in my family's tradition for dinner that night, then came home. We unwrapped presents by the fire with candlelight, and I was so proud of myself for giving a personalized brick in the Mariner's new stadium with 'For Ryan Dettmar Love Always, Nikki' as my Christmas present to my boyfriend.

After we were (I thought!) done unwrapping presents, Ryan mentioned that I had forgotten one under the little tree. I insisted that I hadn't, that I'd opened everything. He told me to go check, and sure enough there was a little silver paper-wrapped package sitting there that I hadn't noticed before! I tore open the paper and noticed it was from a jewelry store. "Oh, this must be a pair of earrings, how cool!", I thought to myself as I opened the outer box... then my heart skipped several beats as I opened the inner box to find a beautiful diamond surrounded by smaller diamonds and what appeared to be (and are) meralds... our shared birthstone.

I looked over to Ryan, who was kneeling there in front of the fireside. "This isn't, oh this couldn't be... oh my God.." was racing through my mind... and he simply said "Nikki, will you marry me?'. My mind quickly changed to, "it is... oh it IS... oh my God!!" and I joyfully exclaimed YES and he put the ring on my finger and we hugged and I cried and I don't quite remember if I kept saying 'YES' out loud or if it was only in my mind or perhaps both.... but every time I look down at my left hand I still echo that refrain.

Our engagement announcement is online at EmeraldWeddings.com under Weddings & Engagements and viewing by Nikki's last name under the newly engaged couples section.

Nikki & Ryan