the proposal

S&T get engaged: part II

once again, this little blog has served as somewhat of a consistent documentation piece for me for the last four years, so I figured it only natural to include one of the most momentous pieces of my life. it's so interesting, puzzling, (albeit embarrassing) to witness the metamorphoses that has taken place on these pages. if you had told me just one year ago that i would be writing about my own impending marriage, i would've fallen right out of my chair! dr. seuss was right, "oh the places you'll go"

okay. cue to cut out the self contemplation. i'll get to the good stuff!

the first thing everyone has asked me, is "did you have any idea that he was going to propose?" the answer is NOOOO WAY! i was absolutely, truly SHOCKED. there have been very few times in my life where i have been utterly surprised (my analytical side usually does the foreshadowing) but in this case, theron pfeifer pulled it off.

we were on our way to dallas for the cotton bowl game (baylor vs. tech) and theron suggested that on our way to dallas we have dinner at the stagecoach inn in salado. (now i can recollect wanting to change into a t-shirt and shorts thinking we were just on a road trip, but theron saying, "well you might want to keep your dress on!") should've tipped me off, but i just thought he wanted to have a really nice dinner (he's into spontaneous romanticism - much more than even me if you can believe it.)

we drove to salado and had a table waiting for us with our sweet-as-could-be waitress melody. if you haven't been to this restaurant, you must! the food is excellent and the staff recites the menu from memory...not to mention the place has been running since 1860 and it is the definition of southern, homespun charm.

after a nice dinner, we came out on the two story, sweeping porch (SO TARA-LIKE) and theron declared, "let's go sit on that porch and watch the sun go down."

"well i really want to get on the road, it's getting really late and we still have to get to dallas tonight."

"come on, babe, i really want to go sit on those rocking chairs."

"THEROOOON, i'm cold and i don't really want to just sit on the porch and soak it all in. LET'S GO!"

this went on for a few minutes (little did i know the man was trying to ask me to marry him) and finally he just lays it all out on the line.

"shannan. i have to ask you something. (GETS DOWN ON ONE KNEE) i've loved you from the moment i saw you and i want to ask you to be my wife and make me the happiest man in the world. i want to take care of you and i want to build a life with you...and a whole lot of other stuff that i'll keep to myself ;) you get the point.

i screamed yes without a moment's hesitation and then i ripped open that infamous tiffany's box (that i secretly prayed for years i'd always see when this occasion presented itself, but never really allowed myself to believe.) we then walked through the streets of salado as if we were walking on clouds and called all of our friends and family. of course everyone knew except for me and he had been scheming with my father for weeks. he told me later that night that my dad had called him earlier that day to ask if he was going to "pull the trigger." HOW LOVELY.

we then went on to dallas where we celebrated the engagement all weekend long and had a blast stuffing our faces at the state fair, galavanting around downtown ft. worth, and spending time with our loved ones. it will always be a weekend that i will treasure and remember forever. now the wedding planning shall commence! can't wait 'till i get to be mrs. pfeifer!!!!!!!!!!!


riding the largest amusement ride in the western hemisphere....that great big 'ol ferris wheel at the state fair! (and very happy to be newly engaged.)


celebratory dinner at the reata with these tamales that i would die for.


on our way back to SA, we stopped in salado to recreate the engagement. ha yes, we're that cool. here's the handsome man at the scene of the crime.


i'll love this porch always...


yep, we're gettin' married!

he liked it, so he put a ring on it!

S & T get engaged: part I

that's right folks. shannan d'aun sowder is getting hitched! and if i wasn't looking down right now at my sparkling ring finger as i type, i wouldn't believe it myself! we know, we know, WE KNOW you all think we're certifiably insane and we realize we have had a whirlwind courtship...but i guess the cliches are true, WHEN YOU KNOW...YOU KNOW.

i just want to take this opportunity to thank all of you well-wishers for your warm congratulations and best wishes. it has meant so much to both of us to receive the outpouring of support from friends and family. we are so lucky to have so many people behind us and neither of us take it for granted at all! to keep all of you posted on wedding details, i will use this blog to chronicle my adventures in brideland. (which for the record, i'm having a tough time navigating seeing as though i seem to be the only girl who didn't have all the details ironed out at age 6.) but know this, it's going to be a VERY exciting, VERY texified evening in the hill country complete with TONS of eating and dancing!

a lot of people have asked me how we met, so i guess i should start with the beginning...

once upon a time, a handsome prince met a lovely young maiden in a far away place known as HELOTES, TEXAS. on that steamy, hot-as-the-hinges- of-hell night, they were both serendipitously at FLOORE'S COUNTRY STORE to see their beloved robert earl keen. the young prince was only there to "experience the music" and cared nothing for the fair ladies vying for his attention, while the princess had grown incredibly disenchanted with love herself and was there as a true aficionada of the music as well.

the princess had grown very weary of being set up on horrible bad dates with co-worker jamie's cousin, mom's long-lost room mate's son, and someone from the rodeo committee. she detested the idea of meeting anyone on the bloody internet or premeditating the "right place at the right time" scenario. so, being a scribe, she took to her blog and banished dating FOREVER! (or at least until the hero on the white horse came riding up on his trusty steed...)

the princess didn't know when or where she would find her knight in shining armor, but she prayed that it would be downright obvious and she would be undoubtedly, undeniably, knock-me-over-with-a-feather convinced that he was the one from the moment she saw him.

ahem, back to the night at floore's, the young princess was coming down a flight of steps when she saw a mysterious, bearded cowboy confidently strolling around waiting for the concert to start. the moment she saw him, she was entranced and deeply magnetized toward this man. voices kept playing in her head telling her she must find out who this mystical creature was, but lord have mercy...shannan sowder would NEVER hit on a man! why, heavens, it's in the rule book...let a man pursue you, never make the first move if you are truly a genteel lady! the inner battle went on the rest of the night, when finally the voice would not go away: "IF YOU DON'T TALK TO THIS MAN, YOU WILL REGRET IT FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!!!!!!!" Okay, okay she finally relented.

before she knew it, the irresistibly charming stranger was by her side and she casually turned around and asked him something really cutting edge and witty..."so, you a big fan of robert earl keen?" he gladly joined in on the banter, but quickly added, "umm...is your boyfriend going to mind that i'm talking to you?" forgot to mention, but the young lady had dragged her 6'4'' grid-iron, football player brother along to the concert. once that relationship status was cleared up, well, the rest is history as they say.

the two young whipper snappers went on a date the very next day (swing dancing to be exact!) and spent the whole summer in a haze of euphoric bliss traveling all over the great state of texas and fallin' in love. for some reason, the young prince decided he absolutely had to marry this stubborn, crazy, peculiar girl and after just 116 days they decided to get engaged!

believe me when i say the princess had to kiss a lot of frogs to find this prince, but it was well worth the wait.



TO BE CONTINUED...