Bobby's Fam

Wedding Bells

Let us skip the next few months (it’s just a lot of smoochin’ and hand-holdin’ anyway) and get to the part you have all been waiting for.  This is where “Our Story” really begins.

So we had our first kiss in December of 1996.  Jump ahead 6 months to June, 1997.  Rennee and I both had a day off so we decided to take a day trip to Ouray, Colorado (for those of you who don’t know where that is, good.  Stay away, you’d only ruin it when you got there).  Anyway, we packed a picnic lunch and drove up into heaven (God lives in heaven, heaven is in Ouray, Colorado, therefore God lives in Ouray, Colorado… seems logical to me).  We spent the day together walking in the small mountain town window shopping and dreaming of the future. 

Then we got bored (yes, I do realize that I just said heaven got boring… don’t get all theological on me now).

So we drove back to Grand Junction and went to the mall.  Now for anyone who has spent any amount of time in any mall in America you know that on every corner there is a jewelry store.  So we looked at jewelry.  Then we found a ring that Rennee just loved… so we bought it.  Now, remember, I have not asked her to marry me yet.  The man in the store made us a “great deal” and threw in my ring at no charge (a few years later when I got into sales myself is when I realized how “great” of a deal I really got).  We both agreed not to tell a soul (after all, I had not asked her father yet if I can have her hand in marriage… something I was not looking forward to at all).

We were both all aglow as we walked out of the store and there to our shock and horror was Rennee’s boss and her daughter (who also happened to be one of our best friends).  They both went to our church.  Now, let me set the scene one more time for you.  Rennee and I are walking out of a jewelry store just beaming with pride and excitement.  Got it?  Yeah, we got it to.  The thrid degree, that is.  “Whatcha doin’?” “Why were you in a jewelry store?” As Ren and I stared blankly at one another gasping for the now thinning air inside this concrete coffin of a mall, we just blurted out, “Can you keep a secret?” Well, the ensueing shrills of joy that three women make in a mall is not something that is soon forgotten by anyone who hears it.  And to Audie and Amy’s credit, they never said a word to anyone… but we did have to up our timetable a bit as far as telling our parents.

I took Rennee’s ring home with me (much to her delight as you can imagine… it’s hard to do sarcasm online).  I went into my room and I could not take my eyes off of it.  And I began to think of how I was going to tell her Dad.  Let me tell you about my father-in-law.  He is an avid gun collector and know’s how to use them better than anyone I know.  My saving grace is that he’s also the wisest and most level-headed man I know.  So I knew if he killed me it would be clean and no one would ever know.  Comforting, isn’t it?

But let me interject something right here.  I could not have ever asked or imagined for better in-laws than what I have.

Now, telling my parents was no big deal.  After all, this was only fulfilling their lifelong dream of having a daughter.  Not only that, but it was obvious that they loved Rennee like their own and Rennee loved them the same way too.  Which, in my book was the top qualifier for a wife.  I wish to this day I can remember who I told first, my Mom or my Dad (maybe it was both at the same time?)… I’ll have to find that out.  All I do remember is that my parents were happy and scared at the same time.  A feeling that I too was dealing with.

This was on a Saturday (the day trip, the ring purchase, and telling my parents).  The next morning at church I ate butterflies for breakfast and went to church, knowing I was going to see my girlfriend’s father.  As I walked into the church there he was.  Standing between the drinking fountain and the door to the worship center (ever notice it’s the scary details you can always recall?).  I got the limp noodles that had replaced my legs to transport me over to where Tom was standing (but just out of arms reach) and I said, “Tom?  I need to talk to you.  Can we talk this afternoon?” (I’m sure it sounded more like, “shlaw?  Fluh bee con su few...") He said yes and to come over to his house that afternoon.

Ok, I past that part.  Now for the hard part.  I went to their house and we took my truck (a mistake Tom would not make with his other two future son-in-laws; one of which is my brother.  For some reason that makes me smile) to the Wendy’s on Horizon Drive.  We walked in, ordered a couple of Frosty’s and went and sat at the second table next to the window in the front of the store (there’s those pesky details again).  Now, Tom’s no dummy.  He knew exactly what we were there to do and had it all prepared out.  At least one of us was prepared.

I asked, he said yes, with some requests of his own, and I took him back to his house.  No, I didn’t go inside his house with him when we got back.  No, I didn’t wait around after he got out of the truck to see Rennee.  I just sped all the way home to change my drawers.

Now, being the loving, kind and considerate man that I am I made Rennee wait until I asked her to marry me.  She wanted that ring so bad she could taste it.  But nope.  I made her wait a full week and two days until I asked her.  If there was ever a part of the whole courtship, proposal, engagement process that I could change, it would be the proposal.  I wish that I can sit here and tell you that I planned this huge surprise and there were a lot of tears and hugs to go around, but I can’t.  I botched this pretty bad and I’ve been making up for it ever since.  No, it was a Tuesday night and we had an “Experiencing God” class with the BSU (Baptist Student Union as it used to be known as).  Afterwards Rennee, her friend Polly, my brother Danny, and myselft went to the park behind the City Market on North Ave; I can never remember the name of that park (See!  No fear, no details!).  We were all playing around on the playground and Rennee was on top of this twisty-curvy-type-thing so I climbed to the top of it and gave her a kiss.  She asked, “What was that for?” And I pulled the ring out of my pocket and said, “Will you marry me?” She said, and this is the most romantic part of the story, “It’s about time!” Then she said yes and gave me a peck on the lips.  After all, why waste time kissing when you have a ring to put on your finger!