'Twas the Night Before . . .

As I was walking up the driveway after returning from an errand on Christmas Eve I saw a tall dark figure approach me from the shadows. At first I was uncertain of who it might be but a moment later a good looking young man in a suit and tie approached me. It was Josh. He seemed a little on edge and a bit hesitant, but asked, "Could I talk with you for a minute?"

"Sure," I responded. Because Josh had been dating Michelle for the last year or so I sort of suspected that this might have something to do with that relationship and was not entirely surprised. After all, Josh all dressed up in a suit on a Wednesday night, Christmas Eve, was a clue even I couldn't miss. And believe me I have missed some great clues in the past.

"I really love Michelle and I'd like to ask you a question, I mean I want to ask your permission or rather your blessing," he said haltingly. "I'd like your blessing to ask for Michelle's hand in marriage."

I remembered how uncomfortable I had been when I had asked a similar question years ago, first of Mom and Dad Faux in their old green Dodge when they were visiting Barbara in Provo, and then years later when I had asked Elder Scott in his living room while Mary Lee was in the dining room or kitchen nearby. It is one of those times which is rehearsed somewhat in imagination, but always happens differently than planned.

"Well, Josh, first let me say that we really think you're a great young man, and we have heard great things about you from Michelle. But let me ask you a couple of questions."

"Okay," he replied, not quite sure of what was coming.

It seems like he swallowed hard as he looked at me. Perhaps he had heard of some of Michelle's previous dates' experiences, like when she was going to the prom with Brent. I had the obligatory pre-prom interview with him and it turned out that evening my father was visiting so I asked Dad to also do a little interview. Just as Brent and Michelle were leaving, Elder Scott arrived so I asked him to have a little interview as well. All in all I think Brent and Michelle were glad to be on the road when the multiple interviews were over. Anyway this was a much more important event and the question at hand of substantially greater import.

As I looked Josh squarely in the eyes I asked, "Josh, my first question is, ‘Will you put the gospel first in your life?'"

Without hesitation he responded, "Yes." I could tell that this was not just a quick answer, but rather a decision he had made long ago even before he had met Michelle. It showed in his kindness, his courtesy and respect for people in general. It was manifest in the feedback I had from Michelle, from Bryan, his cousin, and Camille. I already knew the answer to the question but wanted him to reaffirm it for both of us. It was kind of like a formal agreement confirming priorities that had already been established.

"Great." I said. "And will you always put Michelle next in your life?" I continued.

Almost as if he had anticipated the question Josh said firmly, "Yes, I will."

"I guess that is all there is to it. We are excited and honored at the thought of having you in the family. One bit of insight, and you might have heard me say this before, but don't worry if things are tight financially. I have often thought that some people miss out on the closeness that comes from working together through tough times. Because there will certainly be plenty of tough times of every type ahead. And for that matter, if we can be of help at any time do not be afraid to ask. We will be glad to help any way we can."

He seemed much more at ease as we walked into the house. I did not know when Josh planned to "pop the question," but that was up to him. I knew what I needed to know and I appreciated his respect in asking for our little talk. I certainly would not have been upset if he had not asked, but at the same time I had a greater admiration and respect for him because he had asked. It is one of those little things that doesn't have to happen but you are really glad when it does.

It was only a little over two years earlier when Bryan had called me on the phone at the office and had asked a similar question. Bryan and I had a similar discussion and it got our relationship off to a good start then as well.

The remainder of Christmas Eve was filled with the usual preparations for the next day. We got the last of the presents wrapped, checked to make sure that everything was in place, and went to bed knowing that the day would begin early the next morning with Craig's call from Taiwan.

Sure enough, a little after 6:00 a.m. our time and about 9:00 p.m. his time, Craig called. He reported to us that he was doing great. It was wonderful to hear his voice and to learn first hand of his experiences and how he was doing. He spoke every other word in Mandarin Chinese, which of course we all understood with ease. It sounded like he was learning the language quite well. He could have been speaking pure gibberish and we would not have known the difference. In fact it was indeed gibberish to us. The marvels of modern communication are amazing when you think of it–we were able to hear Craig from thousands of miles away on a little portable cell phone that is no larger than the palm of your hand. With the speaker ‘on' all of us in the room could hear him and he us. Amazing!

After catching our breath just long enough to realize that it was Christmas morning, we rushed to get ready for the excited kids: Alison, Kaitlyn, and Max. (Max, age one, did not know that he was excited.)


At the bottom of the stairs appeared four eager eyes on two smiling faces–Alison and Kaitlyn were ready for Christmas fun. I couldn't believe how obedient and well behaved they were. They actually waited patiently for the approval from their mom and dad prior to storming the living room. Once the ‘okay' sounded, you could have been trampled by the stampeding feet as they ascended the broad hall stair.


Part of the fun of Christmas morning is watching the reaction of the kids as they open their gifts. They sometimes try out the toys or try on shirts or pants. It is such a treat to see their enthusiasm and to hear their heartfelt thank yous. We were busy taking pictures and trying (often in vain) to capture the moment in a few candid shots. More often than not we just missed the right moment, but at least the camera and the video camera were going like crazy. (Because we have such great looking girls in the family I had to sneak in this picture of the three in their new blouses. Take a good look now, because rumor has is that some of the blouses are being returned for a little different look.)



After the gifts for the younger children are opened there is a time when the rest of us begin to open gifts. It was during this time that Camille said for me to be sure to get the video on Michelle and Josh. I began to catch on to the possibilities after considering the events of the night before.


Josh gave Michelle a cookie sheet and then a cookie mix then a few other cooking utensils. Next he pulled out three envelopes and asked Michelle which one she would like to send out. Each had a slightly different picture of Michelle and him along with a greeting, "Merry Christmas from the Cooks." About then we were all starting to catch on. Michelle was all eyes as he began to read a poem. It was in perfect rhyme and extolled some of her many virtues and highlighted some of the attributes he loved about her. As it progressed it became more serious and finally he concluded with a proposal and a little box.



Michelle was all smiles as Josh got on one knee and asked, "Michelle, will you marry me?" and opened the little box to reveal a beautiful ring. It was a simple white gold band studded with 60 small diamonds. He paused for a moment as Michelle responded vibrantly, "Yes!" she said as she gave him a kiss.





Although everybody was transfixed by the scene, it didn't take long for us to realize what had just happened. With swoons and applause we all erupted with excited congratulations. It took me a little to put it all together, but all the cooking stuff was a clue. He wanted Michelle to be a Cook, not just a cook.





Making sure that all the bases were covered, Josh pulled out a second ring which was styled quite a bit differently. It was a solitaire in a spiral rising stem. Just in case Michelle would prefer a different style, Josh was ready. It was clever and thoughtful, just what we had come to expect from Josh.

What started out to be a simple Christmas morning had turned out to be an unforgettable event. We had all been able to participate in Michelle's engagement proposal. You got to love it. They make a great couple.






With the kids going every which way and all the engagement excitement going on we could well have missed Bryan whispering in Camille's ear, "Come this time next year . . ."