Samuel Mateo, Jr.

Ok,
Took me almost a month to update everyone on what happened on our 1 year anniversary but I promise this was worth the wait.

It was a couple of days before the anniversary and I had no idea what to do for our 1 year anniversary. I had exhausted every idea I could think of during the previous eleven months so I was at my wits end. Josie kept asking me what we are going to do for the big anniversary and I kept telling her I had no idea. She probably thought I was making it up but I wasn’t.

The day before the BIG day I was out at a shopping plaza with a friend while she was inside one of the stores with another friend. My friend was just there bouncing ideas off me trying to figure out what to do and I just sat there looking out into the parking lot, then it came to me. What is the single most important thing I could do on an anniversary? Yes ladies and gents… I would propose marriage to my beautiful girlfriend on our one year anniversary.

Now all I had to do was figure out how and I only had about 24 hours to figure it out. Immediately my friend and I began brainstorming.

First was location and what better location then that following night at our church at the end of the service in front of the whole congregation. At the end of every service they take a few minutes to make announcements and I would use that opportunity.

Second was how to make it extra special. Since that night would be kids night all the kids in our church would be wearing their nice little uniforms of Light Blue Top and Dark Blue Bottoms so I would use that to my advantage. I decided I would choose 12 of the kids and each one would hold a red rose that would later be given one by one to my Baby. For each rose I would say something special or that I loved about her.

That Tuesday morning I went to my local supermarket and ordered a dozen Red Roses. At work all I could think about was what I would say about my baby and where I would buy a ring on such short notice. As the day went along I wrote eleven sentences, the twelth being the proposal. During my lunch break I headed over to Wal-Mart and bought a temporary ring, the real one would be bought on another day, not enough time.

When I got out of work I headed over to the Supermarket and picked up the Roses, they looked AWESOME!!! I couldn’t believe how good they looked. I hurried home with what I was to say, the roses and the ring. I arrived at home and had my younger sister separate all the roses and attach the ring to one of the roses. I hurried upstairs to get ready for church. I wanted to look extra good on this momentous occasion.

That night at the service everything became a blur, so many thing almost went wrong, right down to the fact that my father would not be able to witness the proposal because he had to pick up my half brother at the airport. My father even suggested I do it the next night but it could not, it had to be on the anniversary it simply had to be. When the announcement came up nobody had any announcements, it was the weirdest thing, there are always announcements and that night there weren’t. I had to push my sister and youth president to start stalling, it was the funniest thing. Finally it was my turn to make an announcement.

During my lunch I called Josie and I told her I would be making an announcement regarding the church’s website, of course this was on purpose so she would not get any hints as to what was going on. So I grabbed the mic and proceeded to speak a little about us and about the monthly anniversary gifts; the idea was to make her think this was just one more of my anniversary gifts. I called her to the front to stand beside me and had the twelve kids come in with the Red Roses.

And for each Rose I said:

1. I love that you are a young woman that Loves God first then me.
2. I love how you make me smile when I’m sad.
3. I love your funny faces; no matter how serious I am I have to laugh
4. I love when you call me Sham or Samuelito.
5. I love that in your eyes I can see what you feel for me.
6. I love that you look out for my health and well being.
7. I admire your will and effort in tough times.
8. I admire your smile because it brightens my soul.
9. I admire your face because you are beautiful.
10. I give thanks to God for putting you in my path.
11. I give thanks to God for giving me this opportunity.
12. And with this 12th Rose, Josephine Sanchez, I want to tell you that you have been my best friend and supporter. And today in front of all these witnesses and our family I would like you to make me the happiest man on earth…

For every rose people laughed, ooohed and aaaawed but on the last one as I untied the ring from the rose, everyone started screaming and cheering. Josie and I where crying and I could not hold my tears back as I got on one knee and said…

Will You Marry?

Her answer, while sobbing… Y-E-S!!!

And that ladies and gents is the story of Josie and Sammy’s proposal. It was a great night and it will be something Josie and I will always remember and treasure.

See the whole Flickr Set HERE

Please do keep us in your prayers and please so send us lots of money. LOL No really we need it.

Stay Blessed,

Sammy OUT!!!