Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

Hey! We have great news!

Our son Keaton popped the BIG question to his longtime partner Jessica and SHE SAID YES! Our family is expanding, at least in an official sense!

Backstory:
Our boy met Jessica Lyver in the most Millennial manner, through an online dating site, and while it was initially a smouldering fuse, once caught, the resulting fireworks and trumpets were thunderous! The courtship successfully spawned a kindred love that prompted some relationship hurdles in a less than traditional order, with cohabitation and home ownership coming before the ring, but if you know both of these amazing youngsters, you'll not be surprised in the least.

Present:
Something you should know about KP, if you don't already, is that he is very self-assured, caring little for what others think or say about him. You simply cannot tell him to do anything, and I mean that with all of the parental love I can muster. However, you can offer information about this or that, and he'll take it under advisement for a long pondering. When he contacted us a couple of months ago seeking opinions on a ring he was having designed for Jess, he'd already made up his mind and was simply looking to confirm his good taste. Jessica is an amazing other half for KP because her strengths compliment his weaknesses, and armed with a firm understanding of her desires, he sought out a well respected Guelph-area goldsmith for the vital task of creating the perfect symbol of his love. I will tell you that pictures do it no justice, and seeing the ring in person recently, I was struck by the obvious craftsmanship that went into its forging.

The clever bugger had it all planned out. 

You see, Jess has a bad case of the "travel bug" and had convinced Keaton (NOT a tough job) that a two week trip to Italy was high on the list of priorities for 2024, so he thought what better place to bend a knee than the Il Bel Paese (the beautiful country) with its majestic mountains and picturesque architecture. Of course, even the best of plans require a little impromptu 'tap dance', but once the wheel was in motion, the ring presented, and the question posed, a resounding teary eyed YES sealed the deal. 

How romantically cool is getting engaged in Italy?

A little while ago, Joyce and I made the quick trek from Wasaga Beach down to the Big Smoke, a direct result of Keaton and Jess' generous bequeathing us Les Mis tickets last Christmas, and as luck would have it, our first opportunity to share some face-to-face time came shortly after their return. Joyce and I had watched the Hollywood version of Les Mis starring Hugh Jackman a while back, but it was so long ago, we were a little foggy on the specifics, and with the musical featuring dialogue that was 99% sung, we struggled at times to figure out was was going on. The proverbial 'curtain' eventually lifted though.

The spectacle of the show was overwhelming at times, the talent of the cast sending sound shock waves at us as they chorally hit every note, the staging and special effects a perfect compliment to their thespian brilliance. We spent the nearly 3 hours siting immobilized, nary a word spoken between us, and the 30 minutes or so immediately following the final bows were spent in a bantering critique of what we just witnessed.

We thoroughly enjoyed the production and tasty meal (at St John's Pub) afterward, but the highlight of the day was seeing first hand the obvious love the two share as a newly-engaged couple, the excitement of the whole thing bubbling over as the trip was debriefed and photos shared.

It was indeed a memorable afternoon.

There are no firm details of the pending union to share. They both were adamant they intend to take their time with the planning, investigating and exploring what they truly wished their special day to become. For now, Joyce and I couldn't be happier that they've committed to each other, and we'll gladly enjoy the process of them figuring it all out. 

Unlike our Maddi and Chris, they won't (fingers crossed) have to deal with a pandemic, although the ramifications of Covid certainly made for an incredible day on the shores of Eagle Lake, something that this old codger will always cherish.

Life is most assuredly good.