Every couple has a love story. One of our favorite things is to hear all about our couple’s love stories. How and where they met. How long it took them to fall in love. How the proposal went. All the little details in between. Sometimes they are super romantic. Sometimes very funny. No matter what they are, all are unique and special.
We realized that we have never shared our love story. We want to do that now. Over the next several weeks we will share a piece of our story. It may not be dramatic. It may not be earth shattering. But it is special. It is ours.
Part Three: Still Just Friends
Part Nine: Getting to Know the Families
PART TEN - ASKING FOR HER HAND
Summer passed in a blur. A fun blur full of adventures and memories. By this point both Ryan and Amberly knew they were going to get married. It wasn’t a question of if, it was a question of when. Ryan wanted to go the traditional route of asking Amberly’s father for her hand in marriage before he proposed. He knew his opportunities were limited due to the fact that Amberly’s parents would soon be moving to Ireland for the next several months. There was going to be one chance. The annual backpacking trip.
Every August Amberly’s family has a tradition of going on a week long backpacking trip. Typically they go to different areas in the mountains of Idaho, sometimes Colorado or Utah, but always to lakes where they have high hopes of catching large trout! Cousins, uncles, sisters, sometimes nieces and nephews all love to go. This year both Ryan and Amberly were planning on going. Ryan thought his best chance of speaking with Bill, Amberly’s father, would be when he could catch him alone on this trip. Surely five days spent in the mountains, hiking and fishing, would provide many opportunities. Right?
Hour after hour turned into day after day of trying. Despite Ryan’s efforts his window of opportunity was closing. The moment never came. More often than not Bill was with his brother. Hiking together, fishing next to each other, sitting around the campfire together, cooking food together, napping at the same time. The few moments the brothers were apart, Bill was usually with Amberly or her sister. Fishing side by side while reminiscing about past backpacking and fishing trips. During the even fewer moments Bill was not with either his brother or his daughters, he was with Amberly’s cousins. Playing games, shooting guns or purifying water. In fact, the only time Ryan knew Bill would be alone was when he would grab the little shovel and head off into the trees. But to follow him there would just be awkward.
After five days in the wilderness, and to Ryan’s dismay, the moment never came. Ryan knew he would now have to find a different way of asking for Amberly’s hand in marriage. His one chance to do so in person had failed. With her parents now in Ireland he could not call them on the phone. His best chance of getting a hold of them would be to somehow go through Amberly’s email contacts without her knowing. That in and of itself proved to be a difficult task, but when there’s a will there’s a way and eventually he was able to find it! Well, he hoped it was the correct email at least. He took his chances and sent this email to Amberly’s parents, asking for their permission to marry their daughter. The girl he had fallen in love with. The girl he wanted to raise a family with. The girl he wanted to spend the rest of his life and beyond with.
Dear Bill and Becky
Hey hows it going? I hope you two are having lots of fun over there in Ireland. I also hope that this email gets to you. I had to find your email address on Amberly’s email and just hope that this is the one that you use. She does not know that I am emailing you. So if this is not your regularly used email, or if this is someone else in the Lathen crew, I’m sorry and I’m sure I wont hear the end of it. If you don't get this, you might be in for a little bit of a surprise tomorrow or the next day.
In a perfect world we would be able to have this conversation in person, which i would prefer. Under the circumstances email will have to do. I hope that is alright with you. The reason why I'm emailing you is Amberly and I have been talking a lot about getting married. I'm sure this isn't shocking to you because we have been dating for almost a year. We have both prayed and we feel really good about the decision. Its’ what we both want. So i guess the real reason why I am emailing you is to ask your permission to marry your daughter?
This past year has been the greatest of my life because Amberly is in it. I look forward to being with her everyday. I feel Best when I'm around her. She makes me want to be a better person. She is a beautiful, smart, loving girl. She makes me laugh and she is my best friend. She is everything I could ever wish for in a wife, and future mother to our children. I know when that time comes she will do a great job, and I look forward to that time with excitement. You two have raised a wonderful daughter. I consider myself lucky to have met her and to be with her. We both realize the Importance of being sealed in the Temple. It is a necessity and a life long goal for the both of us. I look forward to spending the rest of eternity with her. I love Amberly with all my heart. I can't wait to begin a new life with her in it.
I love you guys and thanks again,
Ryan
