erica & fred

august twenty first - two thousand ten

the sweet side

her story

the other side

his story

Sunday morning came and I was a little nervous. I was going to ask my best friend to marry me and I wanted to make sure that everything would run smoothly. My plan was to take Erica up to the Wichita Mountains in Lawton, OK and propose during a hike. I thought that we would get on the trail around noon and I would propose in the early afternoon.

As we were talking about going for the hike over breakfast, Erica remembered that she had to finish editing photos for a client and send them out early Monday. Basically, she needed to finish them before we went hiking because she would not be motivated to finish them once we were back from Lawton. She said it would only take an hour. I anticipated some delays leaving for Lawton; we can be pretty lazy on Sunday afternoons. After an hour went by and Erica not being close to finished, I started to get worried; but I told myself that we still have time until the sun starts going down. Another hour went by and Erica is still not close to being finished. I was starting to get worried but ensured myself it would be fine. Finally a third hour passed and Erica was done. We left the apartment around 3:30pm. We got up to Lawton around 4:30pm and went to the visitor center to pick up a map.

We arrived at the trail head at about 4:45pm. I was worried that the sun would set soon and would ruin my plans. It was hard to not to show any sign of urgency to get hiking, but we were on our way and my plan was starting to come together.

I normally bring a backpack with a first aid kit in it just incase someone needed it (you can never take the Boy Scout out of me). Little did Erica know is that I hid the engagement ring in the bottom of my first aid kit. We only had an hour of sunlight left and we decided to hike a half an hour out on the trail, then turn around and come back to the car.

About 15 minutes into the hike I started to complain of hot/sore spots on my feet. I was trying to pull her into believing that I needed to stop and use the first aid kit at some point. After another 10 minutes of hiking, me complaining about my feet, and finding a beautiful spot for the occasion, I told her I had to stop and get some moleskin out of my first aid kit. I got down on one knee and started looking through the kit. Up to this point I was not nervous but that changed in an instant. In only a few short moments I was going to ask the love of my life to spend the rest of her life with me, and that is when I started to feel the butterflies. I began pulling things out of the kit and putting them on the ground. I found the moleskin and handed it to her. I gave her a pocket knife and asked her to cut a piece. I was really nervous at this point. I originally was not planning on handing her stuff and I was starting to stumble over my words.

My hand was in the kit on the ring and I froze for a second. Now was the time I was going to ask her, I could not believe it. She had a look on her face as if something fishy was going on so I knew I had to act now. I pulled out the ring case and immediately she saw it. Her eyes went wide and she said You are not doing this now! in amazement. I opened the case and said Erica Madden, will you marry me? I will never forget the first thing that came out of her mouthShutupShutupShutup! I could see she was totally taken aback. I stood up and she immediately hugged me. I forget what I said next but something like Were engaged! and she responds, I never said yes pauses, then breaks out in laughter and says Yes! I put the ring on her finger and enjoyed the bliss that we were in.

After a few pictures (that we later realized went unsaved on my camera phone) we hiked back to the car, drove home, went out to dinner, then over to Travis Klares house where my pilot training buddies and their wives put on an engagement party for us. It was one of the happiest days of my life!

Sundays are normally our day together. For homemade buttermilk pancakes, working out, little excursions, and cozying up on the couch to catch up on missed tv shows. Sunday January 17th started just as it should, with pancakes. We had talked all week about making the hour drive up to the Wichita Mountains for a hike, since wed been spending one too many winter weekends held up in our two bedroom apartment. I was itching to get out of the house but had to work for about an hour on editing images for a magazine cover that were due that evening. An hour turned into three and the afternoon began creeping by. I could tell Fred was getting impatient so I wrapped things up, because I knew if we didnt leave now we wouldnt go at all. And Im so glad I did ;)

We got up to the mountains in enough time to have at least an hour to hike. We decided on a new trail and chatted happily along the way. About 30 minutes in I suggested it was about time we turn around. Fred mentioned he had hot spots on his foot. I inquired further with a perplexed look, Hot spots? I repeated back to him. He replied, You know, uh ummwhats the word Fred sometimes isnt very proficient at English. And yes, it is his first language. I tried to assist him. Callous? Corn? Wart? Uh no, he replied. My shoes rubbing. Oh, blister? Yea a blister, he said as he slung the pack off his back (this wont strike you as odd if you know Freds an eagle scout) and began riffling through it to find some moleskin. He handed me the mole skin so I could cut a piece for him and began rummaging through his pack some more. This is when I took note of the long pauses and strange looks he was giving me. I thought to myself, Surely this isnt it. People, Ive been waiting for this so long that I put it on the back burner of my brain awhile ago. Thinking about it for so long surely would have killed me. I looked back down to see Fred on one knee and an open box in his hand. Honestly I dont really remember what he said (though Im guessing it was Will you marry me?) because at this point I was jumping up and down yelling SHUT UP! Yes, this was my response. I have no idea WHY this was my response because I cant think of a time that Ive responded like that to anything. Then he slipped a beautiful ring on my finger!