July 4th

I got this email yesterday in the middle of an otherwise crappy day.  T entered a contest about his favorite July 4th memory in downtown Indy.  If we win, we get a free night's stay downtown, so keep your fingers crossed!  (Side note:  I married one of the good ones, what can I say?)

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My best downtown July 4th memory would easily be July 4, 2009. You see, that was the day I proposed to my wife. My (then) fiancee had planned a wonderful weekend downtown for my birthday that weekend. My birthday is July 9th. This was a surprise gift to me. She had thought of everything. Little did she know I was planning a huge surprise for her. I remember so clearly on Friday night that she was frantically watching the weather as rain was being called for on Saturday. I told her not to worry, that the weather would not ruin our plans. We headed downtown and went to Rock Bottom Brewery for lunch. I was nervous, but was ready to propose. I knew in my heart she was the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. We had a great lunch at Rock Bottom. When we finished, I insisted we walk to the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. This is her favorite location downtown. Not only that, I know she loves the grand architecture of Statehouse and Capitol buildings. I took her to the side of the Monument facing the Statehouse.

Now, you see, it was pouring rain and not really warm for July 4th. She was wondering why I dragged her to the Monument in the cold, rainy weather. We stood there under an umbrella, and that is when it happened. I looked her in the eyes and said, "I have a question for you." She looked back and said what. I pulled out the ring and said, "Will you marry me?" She gasped and immediately said yes! She put on the ring and we stood there, happy as could be, in the cold and rain under an umbrella. We kissed and gasped and laughed for half an hour and had not a care in the world. We were the happiest people on earth right then and the rain was not going to dampen that. Once we finished celebrating, we headed to the hotel and checked in. We called all our friends and family to tell them the big news.

Once we changed into some drier clothes, we headed to Victory Field for the Indians game. You see, my fiancee had bought tickets right behind home plate back in March for my birthday present. We headed to the field, and waited under the bleachers because of the rain. At that point, the game was postponed. We headed to our seats, wearing rain ponchos, and took many pictures of us and the ring. We still could not believe we were actually getting married. The game ended up being rained out, but that did not dampen anything. The fireworks planned that night downtown were also rained out, which bummed us out a little, but we still were so, so happy.

It was the perfect weekend, even though every plan fell through the cracks due to the weather. I will always say that July 4, 2009 is the second happiest day of my life. It is the day my wife said yes to marrying me, and I could not think of a better place than downtown Indianapolis for it to have happened. We had been on many dates downtown when were were dating and the Monument holds a special place in our hearts. The happiest day of my life, of course, is September 18, 2010, the day we were married.

This is my best July 4 memory of downtown.