The Proposal

Joel and Carissa wanted to share the story of their engagement with you. One of Joel's friends did take some pictures.. but they will not be available for awhile as he is out of town now. So, the pictures will come along later.. but here is their story:

Joel’s story:

In order to best tell the story of our engagement, I should start at the beginning. When Carissa and I first started dating, I decided (as with other good friends and close relatives) that I’d set a special ring tone on my phone to play each time she called. I chose a clip I had already made from “For Me This is Heaven” by Jimmy Eat World, a song whose first line goes, “The first star I see / may not be / a star.” I’ve liked this song for some time (for no particular reason other than it’s being a really awesome song), and upon further consideration these lyrics seemed especially appropriate for Carissa, since I mostly saw her only at night, when the stars come out. So the ring tone was set, and continues to play each time her wonderful voice is waiting for me. This song also served as the inspiration for my nickname for her: A Realta Mo Chroi, which is Irish for Star of My Heart. Thus, the setting of this story is set.

Like all things worth writing (or doing), the idea for my proposal just came to me while I was walking down a Salem street one evening. Carissa was at work, so I had some time that night to meander around town on my own. I had been thinking earlier that day, trying to come up with a creative and unique way to pop the proverbial question, but nothing truly inspiring came to mind. Then, in an instant, unexpected and beautiful, the idea arrived: the theme for the proposal should be stars. This single detail helped so many others fall perfectly into place.

On Willamette’s campus there are five huge Sequoia trees planted in a circle called the Star Trees (named so because when you look up the center of them the gap between their tops is shaped like a star). Thus, I had my location. Christmas lights, when not associated with a house or a holiday, can easily be made to look like stars. Thus, I had my decorations. Stars (as mentioned before) only come out at night, and Christmas lights only look good when they are made more brilliant by the contrast of evening. Thus, I had my timeframe. This theme even made coming up with a code name for the proposal easy: Operation Polaris (sorry, padre; Project Getwife sounded too caveman with a club).

With these details in hand, planning for Operation Polaris could transition into implementation. I recruited two of my close guy friends in the area to help, codenamed Starlight and Starbright (Yes, I had as much fun with this proposal as I could). Saturday morning, August 23, 2008, at 1000 hours we met at the Star Trees to hang 13 strands of icicle lights I had borrowed from my coworkers. It’s a good thing Carissa doesn’t get up until 2:00PM most days (she works a night shift at Salem Hospital as an Emergency Room nurse, so she sleeps through the morning), because we needed a couple hours to solve some technical difficulties we ran into (blown fuses, inadequate hanging supplies, etc). We finished preparations at 1200 hours, leaving Operation Polaris to sit in quiet anticipation until cover of night.

At 2045 hours I made a miraculous comeback during a game of cribbage Carissa and I were playing, and used this victory as an excuse to go out for a victory lap. I had just received a coded message from Starbright indicating Operation Polaris was a GO, so the timing was impeccable and already working perfectly. We walked an improvised path through Willamette’s campus until we came to a small footpath that takes you as close to the Star Trees as possible. With Starbright waiting in secret (and the lights not yet lit), we walked up the path towards the trees. After passing a designated point on the path, I rose my hand and snapped my fingers (thus giving the designated signal), and instantly all the lights were lit, as if by magic. I could not have asked for better operational performance.

Carissa’s reaction was perfect: she laughed a little in stunned surprise. But that’s not the end of the story. Waiting in the center of the Star Trees was a small column, with a card reading “To Carissa” and a small ringbox on its top. She walked up slowly to the column, took up the ring box and opened it. Inside was waiting a note that read “turn around.” Following this suggestion quickly, she turned to find me, down on one knee, ring out front and center. I had decided earlier that day to keep the whole proposal as simple as possible, so all I asked was, “Carissa Mae Schutter, will you marry me?” And she said yes. SHE SAID YES!! Sha boo ya!

Just like that, we were officially engaged. We had talked about it a lot, even started planning some wedding details, but this one moment made everything real. And for all it’s being a special moment, to me it really symbolizes a lifetime of choice, that each day I choose to be with Carissa because I want to be with her because I love her. She is A Realta Mo Chroi, Star of my Heart, and the light of my love for her (like that of the stars) will never fade away.

Carissa's story:

After the Hendersons left on Tuesday, I had to go to work for three days. The longest three days of my life...knowing the official engagement was just around the corner, but not being sure...

Anyway, Saturday rolled around. I was sure this was THE DAY. I knew we were going out for dinner (a rare occasion), so I had it all worked out: he'd propose, then we'd go to dinner to celebrate.....or not. That bugger acted completely normal all day. We did our usual hang out routine then went to dinner. We got back and he said, "So, want to do anything?" Uh...no...don't you want to do something...? So, we played a card game. By then it was almost 9 pm and I'd given up hope of it happening Saturday. I thought he must have something else in mind for another day. I have to admit I was a little disappointed. So, Joel totally beat me at cribbage and wanted to go on a 'victory lap' around Willamette University. Nothing out of the ordinary there. We were talking and joking like normal when we passed the Star trees on campus. As we're walking past, Joel snaps his fingers and twinkle lights come on all the way around the trees. In the middle, there's a pedestal with a ring box and my name on it. I get all mushy and walk towards the box. Inside there's a note "turn around." I turn around, and there's Joel on one knee with the actual ring. The rest, as they say, is history!