Working opposite schedules in two demanding professions makes it difficult to schedule quality time together, so when Chris got a weekend off in March, it was truly a treat. We planned to spend our Saturday checking out the "Dino Discovery" exhibit at the Birmingham Zoo and stopping a few new eateries throughout the day.

When Chris called me the night before and suggested that we check out the Cherry Blossom Festival at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens and go to a giraffe feeding at the zoo (because he knows I have an affinity for giraffes) before going to see the dinosaurs, I was delighted and confused because Chris never plans ahead (LOL).

The day was going great, until we left the zoo and I suggested we go get some lunch. Chris agreed, but from the time we stepped off of the sidewalk at the zoo entrance and walked to the car, he was completely opposed to leaving the area to go eat. Every place I suggested was "too far" away. 

We decided to go ahead and walk across the street to the Cherry Blossom Festival. He promised there would be food there. When we arrived, I found that the cafe was closed and Chris suddenly had an interest in plants and flowers that I never knew about. He wanted to take a picture of every flower we walked passed. As we made our way through the gardens, he directed me to a red bridge that he "really wanted to check out." I was still hungry and clueless about what he was trying to do. 

As we made our way hand in hand down a path to the red bridge, I began to slow in my walk. When he turned to look at me and question why I was slowing down, I said sarcastically, "Oh, sorry. I'm losing energy because I haven't eaten." 

He kindly brushed off my attitude with a smile and said, "it's okay babe." As our walk continued someone in a giant swan costume entered the path ahead of us and as we walked slowly behind the stumbling swan, Chris grew impatient. He couldn't get from behind that swan fast enough. We finally made it to the bridge, only to find two people standing on it. I suggested that we just continue walking along the path and maybe by the time we circled back around the pair would be off of the bridge, but Chris was adamant about staying right where we were.

When it was our turn, we stepped onto the bridge. Chris slowed down as we cleared the second step and that was the moment when I realized something was about to happen. He turned, grabbed my hand and began to speak.

"Well babe," he said. "I brought you here for one reason. This is the Cherry Blossom Festival and cherry blossoms are a symbol of hope. Every time I look at you I have hope. But, cherry blossoms only last for a couple of weeks and I want to give you something that will last longer than a cherry blossom." Then, he pulled a little maroon box from underneath a jacket that he had been carrying over his arm, dropped to one knee and said, "Will you be my wife?" 

My jaw dropped and tears began to fill my eyes as I said, "Yes!"

We hugged and kissed, I helped in slide the ring onto my finger and then Chris pointed to a man in the distance standing across the pond with a camera. That man, was our friend Nic Gulas. Chris's refusal to go get lunch and hurried walk to the bridge was in all an effort to get to the bridge at the exact time he and Nic had planned, to capture the culmination of a day I will never forget. It was truly the best weekend ever.