Ten Years Ago...

It was ten years ago tonight that Scott and I were engaged!

Scott had planned a surprise candle passing for me at his fraternity hayride. A "candle passing" is a Lipscomb tradition. When a girl gets engaged she secretly organizes a candle passing at curfew in the lobby of the dorm and all the girls gather. Only she and her closest friends are told about the engagement. Excitement builds all day-- people guessing who it might be. After some songs and scripture reading, a candle with a ring tied to it is passed around in a circle from person to person until the one who has gotten engaged gets it and blows it out. This lets everyone know that she is getting married.

I had already graduated, so I would never have gotten to have one... but, Scott gave me one after all! I just didn't know that when the candle got to me that I would get to be the one to blow it out! Surprise!

We have been married 9 years now, and we feel very blessed to have such a wonderful relationship-- that we can now share with our new son Luke!

Some excerpts from my journal entry that night-- October 29, 1994:

After the hayride, the Social Director told everyone to gather around the fire. He pulled out a candle with gold and garnet-colored (my birthstone!) ribbons on it. He said that one of the members of Tau Phi had something very special that he wanted to do for someone he loved very much. He said this was Tau Phi's first "candle passing"! He started the candle around the fire. I had my arm around Scott, thinking about the day he would ask me to marry him-- and also wondering who the lucky girl might be this night!

When the candle got to me, I looked down at the ring and couldn't believe it! A million different emotions swallowed me! I looked at Scott through the tears in my eyes, "I can't believe you did this!" He got down on one knee and quietly asked, "Amy Beth, will you marry me?" I said. "Yes!" And he got up and we hugged each other tight! I was so overwhelmed-- I still had the candle and someone yelled "Blow out the candle!" So I did. Scott took the candle and untied the ring. My hand was shaking terribly! He slipped the ring on my finger. A perfect fit! I was still in shock! He handed me a huge bouquet of roses, daises, and some type of small garnet-colored lilies that were gorgeous. All of his pledge brothers circled around to congratulate us! He told me he had driven up to my house Wednesday, Oct. 26, to ask my parents....

Scott said he had been nervous all weekend! He's a good actor! I didn't have a clue! He said that he decided that night we talked before he went hiking with his pledge brothers, and told them-- "On our tenth anniversary we'd probably be saying we could've been married eleven years!"

It was the perfect night! I called Mother and Daddy from the horse stable to break the good news! The ring was so gorgeous! Scott and I were finally going to get married!