Pop Goes the Question

So Jess and I had been talking about marriage since January, and based on our discussion, I felt quite confident she would say yes.  (Maybe I knew this because we had talked about the ring I would have to get her.)  But what we hadn't discussed was how I was going to pop the question?

There wasn't much suspense in whether she would say yes, or in what kind of ring it would be; but the only stipulation was that I had to surprise her and make it memorable.  Personally, I felt of that this was going to be an impossible task just to satisfy one of those tasks let alone both.  I had to call in Jess' best friend Angie to help me and boy did she ever.

First, I needed a location that would be romantic, fantastic, memorable and willing to help me out.  Angie didn't let me down and got me all set up at the Mount Vernon Country Club outside of Denver.  The balcony overlooked Denver and the foothills, breathtaking on a clear day; but I had to trust Angie that it would be the perfect spot since I was a couple thousand miles away in Green Bay.  Angie and I were able to set up everything, including some Calla Lillies (Jess' favorite), Champagne and Strawberries.

Next, I needed to make it a surprise; so I had set up my travel plans to Denver for a weekend in mid-February, just after Jess came back from a trip to Korea.  I had purchased the diamond a couple weeks prior to, just having it simply set so that she could later choose the "right" setting for her.  Now it was time to set her up.

Angie and Jess had been scoping out potential venues to have our wedding at; this provided the perfect alibi in order to get Jess to the spot.  I then called her on the phone driving up to the country club, acting like I had a long night out with friends.  This did not sit well with Jess, and for this, she got pretty angry at me.  She thought something was up and that I wasn't being honest with her.

Oh no! Did she find out?  I could never lie to her as she always saw right through me.  I had to pull off the best acting job in order to ensure this would be perfect.  After telling her I would call her in a bit, as I had to take the dogs out for a quick walk; she bit it and was thrown off the scent.

I set up shop at the balcony, the staff at the country club had already set up everything with the exception of the ring, which I had held on tightly since arriving to Denver the night before.  My heart was racing and my breath short, I convinced myself that it was the altitude, but deep inside I was nervous and excited.  I hadn't seen Jess since December and I missed her terribly.  Just then I got a text from Angie, they were in the parking lot heading in.  Show time.

The staff led her outside to see the spectacular view and talk through what all would be covered in the wedding package.  It was then her eyes caught mine and her serious face turned in to a beautiful smile.  She was honestly surprised to see me and I had succeeded in step one, now on to step two.

The staff and Angie, gave us some time and space alone; I led her to the gorgeously set table and poured her a glass with some berries.  She couldn't believe how I had surprised her, she was speechless.  And so with my heart now racing frantically and my head dripping in sweat, I dropped to one knee and looked up at here.  I wish I remembered what I said, heck it could have been mindless babbling on my part, but she replied the only word I wanted to hear.

"Yes!!"

I slipped on the ring, which was slightly too big, but that wasn't going to ruin it.

So I asked her, "Was this memorable?"

I got a resounding, "Yes!"

After a few congratulations from Angie and the staff, we headed to Boulder for a dinner reservation to the most romantic restaurant in the front range, Flagstaff House.

I couldn't think of a better place then the Flagstaff House, over looking a night skyline of Boulder a top a mountain-side.  We decided that this was a special night and it deserved a special meal.  We settled on a 9 course tasting meal that cost "a few bucks"; but as we were both foodies, we looked forward to an amazing meal with a view.  We were not disappointed, every morsel and mouthful was heaven.  From duck to desert, everything was a joy in my mouth.  You can't ask for a better ending to a night then spending it with my Fiance and making a new memory together.  I was the happiest man alive.

White Christmas in Colorado

Things were getting much more serious between Jess and I; as our conversations began lasting an hour or longer, new questions began to surface:

Where was this relationship going?  Were we "exclusive?" What is it that we want from each other?

The line of questions that a couple usually reaches at a certain point in the relationship. We agreed, with a little coaxing, that we were committed to one another and that we would see where this would lead us.

Following our third (and successful) date, we made plans to meet up again over the Christmas holidays.  We decided to get together at her timeshare condo in Steamboat Spring, CO; it would be a 2-day date in a literal sense.  It would also be the first time we spent substantial period of time together.  To through a twist in the date, we were also joined by her Aunt and two cousins, as well as her sister Chris and her two nephews, Aaron and Baby Alex.  Not only would this be a date with her family, I felt it was a two-day interview process.  The first thing that hit me as I first entered the condo, was not the number of new people, but the temperature of the condo!!  I think it was at least 78 degrees in there, coming from the frigid cold and snowy conditions outside, it slapped me in the face.  (Let me preface that before I got married, the thermostat in the house would always be set to 65.  I like a cold house.)

Our first photo together

Some, including I at first, would be in fear of the situation, especially how uncomfortable the situation could have been.  But her family were so welcoming to me and appreciative of the kimchi I had brought up from Aurora that my mom had recently made.  It was like bringing a dozen roses and showered everyone with gifts. They were so thankful that I had come and welcomed me with open arms.  I am not a very outgoing person, but everyone more than made up for my shyness. We all went out for dinner to a grill your own steak "restaurant" and I took over as the head "griller" of every one's steak.  I tried to do my best impression of Bobby Flay, but ended up looking more like Ricky Bobby.  Dinner was a success though and we all enjoyed the meal.  We needed all the energy for a long day of skiing the next day; but before calling it a night, Jess and I exchanged gifts.  She got me some Chanel cologne and I gave her an iPod Touch that I had engraved with "iBelong to Jess."  It had a duel meaning: (1) She had lost her first iPod and so I wanted to replace it and (2) it was a subliminal message the I belonged to her.  She got neither as she didn't open it and I all but had to force her to look at the back.  She loved it.  And I loved the new cologne.

The next morning, we gathered our skis and boards and took the shuttle to the ski resort.  Her cousins would be taking lessons and the oldest nephew Aaron would learn to ski for the very first time, so it would be Jess and I for the majority of the day.  Granted I hadn't skied in over a year, but I was a Colorado native and had learn to ski when I was 8.  Like riding a bike, I made my way down until I got the skis under me again and proceed to speed up.  Jess, being very competitive herself, had to stay ahead of me.  She was a much better boarder than I was a skier and it showed.  I spent the entire day chasing her down the slope and by mid afternoon, my legs where so sore.  So we decided to grab lunch with her cousins and had our very first picture as a couple.  I wish my legs were more in shape as well as my whole body, but we could only manage one more run before my shins and feet had given up.  Needless to say, it was quite the memorable day, even if we had to cut it short.

The next day we all headed out and drove back to Denver, Jess and I in one vehicle and her family in the other.  Jess had proclaimed at the start of the trip that she never sleeps in vehicles, especially with someone new driving.  And as ironic as it sounds, within 30 minutes, she was passed out in the front seat.  It would be another hour until she would wake up, embarrassed but rested.

Let's do this again

I got that second opportunity a couple weeks later; I had to pick up my dogs from my sister, who graciously helped me by babysitting Miles and Louis, along with her own Wheaten Terrier, Milo. The three terrors were quite the handful, but my sister was more than happy to watch them. Jess and I agreed to a second date, this time to Sushi Den; a common passion of sushi drew us to this place and as this was Jess' favorite sushi restaurant. Much like the first date, things were moving along well, until the subject of meeting her dad came up.

"He wouldn't like you," she claimed.

"How do you know? He never met me," I promptly replied.

Instantly things went south and instead of a start to a great night, it turned sour and ended with both of us returning to our cars, unsure of our futures together. I drove home thinking, how could things have gone so poorly. I thought we clicked, I thought she was the one. Deep in my heart, I knew that to be true; I would not let a bad date ruin what we had started. So I called her back that night and set up one last date. If she didn't have fun or if we didn't click anymore, then that would be it. She agreed and we had one last date before I left Denver to get back to Green Bay. I told her I would set everything up and that she had to promise me to try to have fun.

I decided that this date needed to be fun and the best way to get the endorphins flowing is to get us moving, doing activities. First place would be bowling at Lucky Strike, I hadn't bowled since I was on the Carl Vinson a few years back, but I always had fun. Jess is very competitive, even to the point that she really gets in to something; bowling was no different and I had to pull out a few good frames in order to beat her. She started to have fun and open up again, that was my plan; so it was off to Dave & Buster's for some pool. Jess said she was very good at it; but heck I am a sailor, that is like drinking a playing poker and drinking, it is what we do. So I took on the challenge and played a little 8-ball action. I "let her win" the first game and "took" the second. Unfortunately, she was the one that was dictating who was winning and losing as I was schooled on the third and final game.

It was a fantastic date and we both had a great time. So we decided that the previous date was not an indication of things to come, but a blip on the radar. I had accomplished my goal, I showed her that I was committed to this relationship, as early as it was. This would be a defining moment in our relationship.

"When Joey met Jess" or "Sleeples in Saratoga"

Let's start from the beginning, way back in July of 2008, back to New York City. My parents and I traveled to NYC and did all the touristy stuff, expended a lot of energy and building a huge appetite. We stopped in to a Korean Barbeque in Korean town on West 32nd Street and chowed down and delicious bulgogi and kalbi. My mom turned to me and asked those word a single 31 year old guy hates being asked, " When do you plan on dating someone and eventually getting married?" I replied, "I tell you what mom, you find me a nice Korean lady and I will see what happens." We all laughed and enjoyed a few more bits of kimchi and rice and topped it off with a few shots of soju. The next day to took the train back up to Saratoga Springs and did not even think about the conversation I had with mom.

It would only take a few days until my mom calls me out of the blue to tell me that she just met a nice lady and Neiman Marcus with her mother in-law, and they thought the lady's sister would be a great match for me. She was Korean, single and graduated from CU with a Political Science degree. Her name was Jessica Kim and they all thought it would be the perfect match. I was shocked, it took my mom 4 days to already find someone for me. Boy she is quick. It took me 4 days to build up the nerve and try to write her an email introducing myself. In military fashion, it was short and concise.

Hi Jessica,

My name is Joey Trudeau and I have been asked by both your sister Christina and my mother, to introduce myself. This isn’t something I have ever done, just blindly meet new people online, so I guess I will be brief.

I am in the Navy and have been serving for almost 10 years now, currently as a Naval Nuclear Propulsion instructor here in Saratoga Springs, NY. This is definitely something I hadn’t thought about doing when I left college ten years ago (I too went to CU, but as a physics major). I have the pleasure of being an owner of two lively Wheaten Terriers named Miles and Louis; they occupy a majority of my time when I am not working. Currently, I am actively pursuing my next endeavor, a post-military job. Outside of that, I enjoy golfing, softball, photography and catching up on my recorded shows on TiVo.

So tell me a little bit about yourself.

Sincerely,

Joey

Jess was nice enough to write back to me almost immediately; we started with small talk, then some more probing topic. We eventually were exchanging page long emails to each other, so the next logical step was to start calling each other. And from there, we made an instant connection. My hours of playing World of Warcraft, raiding and questing, shifted to talking to Jess about hot topics, small talk and daily happenings. All I wanted to do was call her and find out how her day was, I had to meet her in person.

I got my opportunity later that fall in Early October, I was on terminal leave from the Navy making my transition to civilian life. I flew out to Denver to see the family as well as my first date with Jess. The night was going to be a simple dinner, little would I know, that it would be the night I knew she would be "the One." We decided on the Denver Chophouse and would meet there in separate cars. Having not bought any nice clothes in years, I enlisted my sister to help me buy some clothes that wouldn't make me look like a bum. I settled on some khakis and a nice comfortable shirt, prime and in style, ready to impress. We had exchanged website information earlier, so I already knew show was beautiful, but when I first laid eyes on her outside the Chophouse, I was blown away.

"Sorry, I am late. I just got out of work," she said smiling at me and I couldn't help my heart from beating rapidly as I heard her speak. "That's fine. I didn't wait to long." We moved inside where I had a table waiting on us. Now most first dates, when dinner is the setting, the lady usually lingers on the menu then finally choosing something light. Not Jess, she knew exactly what she wanted and ordered Tenderloin Tips and Mushrooms, I was impressed how quick and decisive she was, but also how confident she was. The bread basket and butter basket came to our table, she grabbed one and began to butter it with the delicious Chophouse concoction. It sounds odd, but it was that small gesture, that click a switch in my head,"This is the woman I will marry." We finished dinner and she dropped me off to the parking garage where my car was. We gave each other a big hug and agreed to see each other again when I come back. That couldn't come fast enough for me.

Well it is time to catch up (Episode 4)

Two life changing events blessed my life since my last blog:

1) I married the best person in my life.
2) She gave us a baby girl to fill our lives.

There are so many things to talk about and I am not sure how much of it I fully remember; but I will try my best to cover all the major events in my family's life. I figure I could hit the high points and maybe jog the old noggin a bit.  So the game plan over the next few blog entries is to get caught up with all the major events in my life:

• How I met Jess?
• How I popped the Question?
• Wedding day
• Honeymoon
• First Year
• Birth of Ally, our daughter

I figure I could add more post as I see fit, but I wanted to give myself something to build upon so that I can start capturing my current life events with the family in this blog.

Wish me luck!!

To Bring Everyone Up To Speed

Well, let me start by telling everyone that after 10 years of proud service in the US Navy, I decided to try my fate in the real world and see if the "Big Money" is really out there for us nukes. And let me tell you, it is. The best decision I had made up to that point in my life (the other would come shortly after.) So after a few interviews here and there, ranging from Senior Reactor Operator to Auxiliary Operator to Training, I decided that my best transition would be in training as an instructor. So I accepted an offer with Florida Power and Light to be an Operation Training Instructor at their Point Beach Plant in Two Rivers, WI.

It did not take too much thought on my part to accept the offer. I got paid a lot for my job, I did not work shift work and did I mention the money? Not too mention I got paid a whole lot of cash to go to training and class for the next year and a half getting my Senior Reactor Operator certification. So since I had the job, I needed a place for the Boyz and myself to call home. I had put off buying a place while in the Navy, since I didn't want to risk having to be stuck with a mortgage payment if I had to move. So with the help of the parents as my trusty advisers and a few days to house hunt, I finally found a place I could hang my hat in and call it my own. I found a new construction, ranch style, in the northwest portion of Green Bay, near the campus of UW-Green Bay. I could not ask for a better place, a great kitchen, fireplace, a 3 car garage and a spacious backyard for the boys to run around in.

I returned back to Saratoga Springs, NY to pack my stuff, separate for the Navy and begin the long trek from New York to Wisconsin. Surprisingly enough, even though I drove the whole trip solo, it went fairly fast with one exception, Chicago. What a freaking mess that place is on a Sunday afternoon. It took me 5 and a half hours, through bumper to bumper traffic to get out of that hell hole of a city. I still managed to make it to Green Bay at the time I had planned out and so I did not fret too much about the lost time.

Green Bay, is what you might expect. Small town, all about Brett Favre and their beloved Packers. But the town is starting to feel a little more like home, though there is still no mountains and no Broncos. It is how ever home to Brats, cheese curds and Leinenkugel Beer. If not for my fortuitous workmates, I might have never bought a snow blower and I may have been still shoveling snow. My real estate agent told me that it does not snow much in this part of the country and that it just gets really cold in the winter. Well she got the last part right, it was not only one of the coldest winters on record for Northwest Wisconsin, it was also one of the snowiest on record. Ok, so I talked about getting out of the Navy, finding a new job, buying my new house and a little about Green Bay; oh yeah, Jess!!

New Adventures

I have seriously slacked on my blogging and I really should start again. Since my last post, I got out of the Navy, bought my first house in Green Bay, and got an Operation Training Instructor position at Point Beach Nuclear Station. Also during that time frame, I met, dated and proposed to Jess Kim and we will be married next Saturday. So you could say I have been a very busy person. I will do my best to catch up on this blog and try to keep it up to date. In the mean time, enjoy one of the last photos I took of Miles and Louis before I found them new homes.