While we were all waiting on Saturday February 2nd, Ground Hog's Day, to hear if the ground hog saw his shadow or not - there comes a ring upon Sue's phone with the news.
Overshadowing any Ground Hog shadow news, was news from our son Grant and Kaileen announcing their engagement to be married. They had just finished up a wonderful day out in New York City celebrating the grand news with their friends. Grant had coordinated and schemed for months among their mutual friends to pull off a proposal and a party. From all accounts, despite his natural anxiety, he managed (with a little help from his friends) to (almost) completely surprise Kaileen and put together a sweet and wonderful event around the momentous moment. Grant had worked with a distant relative of Kaileen's father, a jeweler, to select and design a suitable ring for his future wife. He had shown us a photo of the ring at Christmas time while he was in town. He had craftily hidden the ring in their small Queens, NY apartment and was now waiting for all the needed coordinated pieces to fall into place in order to select the right time to propose. Many of Kaileen's closest friends were consulted on how to properly do this once-in-a-lifetime kind of event, so secret spreadsheets and secret communications were then woven together over the weeks to make sure everyone could and would be included. It worked like a charm says Grant's beaming fiancee, Kaileen.
Kaileen professed to be not all that suspicious when Grant suggested that they take a walk by the water-side, and when Kaileen threw on some clothes suitable for strolling along the water in 30 degree weather, Grant tactfully suggested she might want to change into another set of clothes, since they were "going to meet up with a friend later in the day, and he might be taking some photos that he might post on social media sometime later - so maybe you just might want to look a little more arranged just in case you end up in a photo that is shared." Grant is not usually so sly, but he was primed and ready to do what it takes to make this event a success.
It worked! She said "Yes", and the score of friends and conspirators that had secretly gathered in the upstairs loft of the Alewife Pub cheered and celebrated and toasted the happy couple. The event which Grant hosted, was documented by a professional photographer friend from Mizzou. Kaileen was surprised and said it was the 'best day of my life - just perfect!', while Grant professed relief that it had worked so well, along with all of the other emotions that go without saying. We got the call with the announcement after all of the Alewife festivities had subsided.
From our end of the ring tone, we are well pleased with the Ground Hog's Day news as we love Kaileen and believe they are a well suited to one another and make a fine couple. We welcome Kaileen into our family! This is great news!
******
The next we hear from the couple is that Kaileen has scored some cheap plane tickets from NY to Houston for March 2 - Texas Independence Day; and we were invited to join Kaileen and Grant at her parents home in The Woodlands, about 45 miles north of downtown Houston for a Celebration of the Engagement. Done.
Sue and I left Friday afternoon to meet up with the Gauls and have dinner together that night. We picked up Kaileen and Grant Saturday afternoon, to later go out to a marvelous dinner there in The Woodlands, and toast the 'kids' and enjoy the possibilities of their future together and the uniting of the Gaul and Suneson families. It was a wonderful time, but brief as we had to return to Dallas later on Saturday night.
We took some photos, talked of preliminary ideas for the coming wedding and ate and drank and truly enjoyed the good news and good fortune before us all.
The details are just starting to be explored and not much has been established for sure; but what we are told is that the wedding will be in the Houston area, aiming for March or April of 2020. Barbecue will likely be featured for dinner somewhere in this happening.
Cheers! And our love to Grant and Kaileen!
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| Grant and Kaileen announce their engagement |
Overshadowing any Ground Hog shadow news, was news from our son Grant and Kaileen announcing their engagement to be married. They had just finished up a wonderful day out in New York City celebrating the grand news with their friends. Grant had coordinated and schemed for months among their mutual friends to pull off a proposal and a party. From all accounts, despite his natural anxiety, he managed (with a little help from his friends) to (almost) completely surprise Kaileen and put together a sweet and wonderful event around the momentous moment. Grant had worked with a distant relative of Kaileen's father, a jeweler, to select and design a suitable ring for his future wife. He had shown us a photo of the ring at Christmas time while he was in town. He had craftily hidden the ring in their small Queens, NY apartment and was now waiting for all the needed coordinated pieces to fall into place in order to select the right time to propose. Many of Kaileen's closest friends were consulted on how to properly do this once-in-a-lifetime kind of event, so secret spreadsheets and secret communications were then woven together over the weeks to make sure everyone could and would be included. It worked like a charm says Grant's beaming fiancee, Kaileen.
Kaileen professed to be not all that suspicious when Grant suggested that they take a walk by the water-side, and when Kaileen threw on some clothes suitable for strolling along the water in 30 degree weather, Grant tactfully suggested she might want to change into another set of clothes, since they were "going to meet up with a friend later in the day, and he might be taking some photos that he might post on social media sometime later - so maybe you just might want to look a little more arranged just in case you end up in a photo that is shared." Grant is not usually so sly, but he was primed and ready to do what it takes to make this event a success.
It worked! She said "Yes", and the score of friends and conspirators that had secretly gathered in the upstairs loft of the Alewife Pub cheered and celebrated and toasted the happy couple. The event which Grant hosted, was documented by a professional photographer friend from Mizzou. Kaileen was surprised and said it was the 'best day of my life - just perfect!', while Grant professed relief that it had worked so well, along with all of the other emotions that go without saying. We got the call with the announcement after all of the Alewife festivities had subsided.
From our end of the ring tone, we are well pleased with the Ground Hog's Day news as we love Kaileen and believe they are a well suited to one another and make a fine couple. We welcome Kaileen into our family! This is great news!
******
The next we hear from the couple is that Kaileen has scored some cheap plane tickets from NY to Houston for March 2 - Texas Independence Day; and we were invited to join Kaileen and Grant at her parents home in The Woodlands, about 45 miles north of downtown Houston for a Celebration of the Engagement. Done.
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| Kaileen, Grant's fiancee |
We took some photos, talked of preliminary ideas for the coming wedding and ate and drank and truly enjoyed the good news and good fortune before us all.
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| Kaileen flashes her engagement ring while home with her parents in The Woodlands for an Engagement Celebration among the Gaul and Suneson Families |
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| Grant and Kaileen enjoying the 70 degree shirt-sleeve Texas Independence Day weather after flying in from snow-covered New York City |
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| Grant with his smirking fiancee, Kaileen in front of the Gaul's home |
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| The couple is forced to pose for photos by the future in-laws along Lake Woodlands before going in to dine and celebrate |
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| Kaileen's father, Greg, photo-bombs while Grant and Kaileen are seated on the "selfie bench" art project |
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| Kaileen and Grant Hand-in-hand, lakeside |
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| Glenda shows Sue a good photo she has captured of the kids |
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| Newly Engaged |
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| Newly staged |
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| The celebration begins! Greg and Glenda hosts us all for a fine meal and pleasant talk of the joyous future |
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| A toast! |
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| Just like the Celebration Cake says, "Congratulations" |
The details are just starting to be explored and not much has been established for sure; but what we are told is that the wedding will be in the Houston area, aiming for March or April of 2020. Barbecue will likely be featured for dinner somewhere in this happening.
Cheers! And our love to Grant and Kaileen!
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