"Will you marry me?" "Um, duh!"

For Christmas, I knew I was getting 1 of 2 things from my boyfriend. It was either an engagement ring or a new desperately needed camera. I'd been pestering him about both for about a month before Christmas. He kept the gift at work so I wouldn't know based on the package. I got the camera.

I left for Michigan to visit family the day after Christmas for about 5 days. I was planning on coming home to spend New Years with Dave. He had to work, so I went alone.

My grandma got sick, went into the hospital on Christmas Eve. We went to the hospital when I got up there and the doctor came in to tell my dad and grandpa that she was not expected to live very much longer and any option they had would only "delay the inevitable". So I decided to stay in Michigan, basically until she died. My dad didn't want me driving back to Tennessee just to get the call and bad weather kept popping up.

New Years, I spent hanging out with my mom and step-dad in Ontario about 4 hours from my dad's house. Dave and I were fighting every day over my decision to stay - to the point where I told him not to call me unless there was something to talk about that didn't have to do with Michigan and him missing me. My grandma passed away on January 5, 2009.

On the 6th, Dave decided to drive through the night after work to make it up to Michigan in time for my grandma's visitation. He never got to meet her, which is soooo unfortunate to me, because she was the only member of my family I have ever been really close with. I found out later that I was her confidante too.

So he got to my dad's house about 5 minutes after I woke up on the morning on the 7th. My dad went out to handle some of the arrangements for my grandma's funeral with my uncle. Dave and I were basically making out on the sofa and "Will you marry me?" just fell out of his mouth. I looked at him and said "Um, Duh!". He took my anniversary ring (1 ct. round and baguette channel set) off my right hand and put it on my left.

My grandma's funeral was the morning Jan. 8. Later that day, my dad gave me my grandma's jewelry, without her wedding ring. I went through everything and decided most of it needed to be cleaned. We went to the mall and the first store we came across was Zales. I gave them everything and started looking around. Dave took off the the bathroom. By the time he got back, I saw 2 rings I was interested in looking at. 1 was a .75 emerald cut 4-prong tiffany style solitaire. It was stunning! The other was a 1.25 cttw Princess cut set above a river of round diamond running up one side and back down the other side. It has channel set baguettes on each side. It was very unique. The guy pulled it out and said it was on clearance with 70% off and they were having a sale that everything in the store was an additional 30% off. The final price was $636 including tax. That's how we picked out my engagement ring.

We were on our way back to my dad's house and were talking about when to get married. After everything in the last few days, I said May 1 next year, with out even caring what day of the week it was (it's a saturday). My grandparents were married May 1, 1948 and celebrated over 60 years of married together. Dave decided that would be perfect for us.

The next day, my dad got up before I did and went to the funeral home to pick up the rest of the personal belongings. When he got back he handed me my grandma's wedding ring.

I decided that I'm going to wear that after the wedding. It's a 1.65 cttw 5 stone round diamond platinum ring. My grandpa cried (happily) when I told him I was going to share his anniversary date and the ring he gave my grandma.

Great story and how wonderful to be able to celebrate your grandparents love through their wedding date and ring!

Wonderful story - thanks for sharing!

Beautiful story- sorry for your loss. Post pics of those beautiful rings!