The Story....

So let's back up to 1994....I am riding a bus on my way to a wrestling meet (I am a freshman) and there comes along the cute (senior) wrestling manager and she asks if she can sit with me...my reaction...heck ya!She is older, but I keep my cool....and then the radio plays one of the best songs ever.... "John Deere Green", by Joe Diffie. I, of course, sing the song to said girl and she thinks I am oh so sweet and cute...hmmm. But her reply is "oh...you'll grow out of country music someday..."

Speed ahead to 2005. Said girl and I go to a concert..."What concert was it professor?!!" Well kids..."It was a Joe Diffie concert!"That's right...Joe Diffie almost 12 years later... and I will be danged if that song wasn't played again and of course I had to sing it to her again..and by the way...I was wearing the same cowboy boots I was wearing in 1994. Hmmm...oh so interesting.

This bring us to the story at hand...Holly and I have been dating on a off for the past almost 4 years. Our history obviously goes back even further. Well, after dating someone that long...and patiently waiting for God's lead...I decided it was time to ask her "THE QUESTION" for real (not pretend...like I had so many other times)...but how to do it? For almost a month I had to plan it all out as I waited for the ring to be made. I struck a deal and helped design a webpage for Wheat Jewelers in exchange for some custom ring making(....that's a whole other story). As I waited for my creating to come to life...I had plenty of time to come up with the perfect plan. What more fitting, but to build our favorite song and make it come to life. I decided to design and build( over the next two months) a 7 foot mini-water tower...but why the water tower?

(You see, in the song "John Deere Green" Billy-bob loves Charlene so much he climbs on the towns water tower and paints a ten foot heart and writes Billy-bob Loves Charlene in John Deere Green paint. The whole town thought he was nuts for using that color, but it was the thought that counted for Charlene. )

So I plan it all out...her family built and owned the Lainsburg Golf course...she even helped put in the second 9 holes....so I figured that would be the perfect place....on Labor Day...but how to get her there. So her dad and I came up with a plan...I "needed" golf clubs and her dad still works there so we could go see him and barrow his...right?...Holly decides to go see her friend Kate in Traverse City...for the weekend...and won't be home till Monday...but she surprises me by showing up Sunday...which I think sets up the stage perfectly for Monday...I have her dad call her and make the arrangements to get her to the course with me....but she is too smart for the "trap"...but goes along anyways...and it is all I can do to keep my cool and not give it away too bad. So the next morning I get all the arrangements done...Pete and Jenny set up the tower at the golf course and I pick up the Bride to Be...hopefully...

As I pull in I notice how upset she is...she goes on for the next 40 minute car ride explaining a terrible nightmare revolving around not being ready to be married and an ugly ring that I gave her in the dream that looked like it was wrapped in tin foil or something...and inside I start freaking out! I keep thinking in my head...oh crap...abort mission...abort mission...but God keeps me cool. I calmly listen and trust God. To compound matters more...it was the same day Steve Irwin died...the croc hunter....which also made us both upset. As we get Laingsburg, I decide to give her an out..."we can get the clubs another time...let's go home..."

To my surprise...she says.."No let's just go see what my dad wants." Keeping my cool worked! God rocks! I couldn't believe it. I was so nervous I could feel myself sweating as we pulled into the golf course parking lot and down toward the work shed where we might find her dad. We get out and look around....no Chuck B. Which is exactly according to plan...but not according to plan was Frankie...a kid that Chuck B had as an accomplice.

Holly to Frankie: "Have you seen my dad? Chuck Beavers?"
Frankie: "He is over working on number 18...over that hill!"

I coudn't believe it...as I turned and walked toward 18 I could see my creation (a seven foot wooden based white water tower with the big green letters and heart JOEY LOVES HOLLY)...but Holly doesn't see it. This kind of releives me...so I start walking across the fairway, but Holly calls me back...we can't just walk across the fairway....we need to walk along the tree line and over the hill. So I turn and head back up the hill...and as I walked toward her...she sees it behind me!

PAUSE STORY...I can't explain to you just how cute and shocked her grin was....as she exclaimed..."what's that?!!"...and my calm response..."what's what?" She was smiling ear to ear and she didn't know what to do...it was so awesome!

RESUME STORY..."What's what?"..."That!!" Pointing toward the water tower...over my shoulder.My response..."I don't know...maybe we should go see. I think it's ok...let's walk over there across the green."I take her hand and we walk hand in hand across the fresh cut grass toward the rose lined path that led to the tower...as we get closer I reached in my pocket and pressed play on the hidden remote control I had been carrying...and you guessed it..."John Deere Green" comes on over tiny speakers I had mounted on the tower. She was so shocked...and was grinning...and kind of crying...not knowing what exactly to say or do.

"What's going on? What is this?"..she asked...I took her hand and looked into her eyes and and got down on my knee..."Holly...I know I love you and I want to be your husband... would you marry me...I promise the ring isn't made of tin foil...and I opened the box...slipped the ring on her finger and she said....."ok" ;oP It was so cool. We even got a congrats from people who teed off on the hole about 5 minutes later.

She was so surprise...at the way I asked. We spent the rest of the day visiting friends and family...and even a friend in jail...but that is another story.God Rocks...and now I get the marry the most smartest, wonderful, beautiful girl in the world...Holly Marie...I love you!So yes it is true...I am going to be marrying St. Holly Fantastic!...a bonified super hero! ;o)