Jessica Earley



When my husband, Jamie, proposed to me in October of 2008, he knocked my socks off! Jamie managed to have all of my friends and family in on the most amazing surprise of my life. The plot began several months before Jamie proposed, when he told me that he would be on call the first weekend of October. I was disappointed because our anniversary and my birthday both fell on that weekend. He promised that he would try to break away from the hospital sometime over the weekend so that we could get dinner. About a week before my birthday, my roommate, Madison, suggested that we go out Friday for a “girls' night” to celebrate. I thought it was a great idea, and Madison said she would make dinner reservations. We invited some other friends and agreed to meet at Nonna’s. The week leading up to our engagement wasn’t the best… I was a second year law student, living in Norman, and juggling a heavy course load while working in downtown Oklahoma City. Meanwhile, Jamie lived and worked on the other side of Oklahoma City. I was generally exhausted and spent a lot of time going back and forth. Jamie and I usually talked on the phone for a while each night, but that week he was distant and ended our conversations quickly. My friends weren’t returning my calls and seemed to be avoiding me at school. When I called my Mom, she was too busy to talk. Some of the friends that I invited to our “girls' night” cancelled—which left only four of us. I felt a bit brushed off. By the time Friday rolled around, I was really looking forward to going out with the girls to lift my spirits. Jamie called me from the hospital that afternoon and told me that he had been swamped all day, but he thought he could get someone to cover for him so that we could have dinner on Saturday. I was relieved that sounded like himself again—happy and cheerful—instead of the distant person he had been during days prior. When Madison got home, she suggested we get dressed up because it would be a nice change from the jeans, sweatshirts and ponytails that had become uniforms since we began law school. As Madison and I got dolled up, I got even more excited about a night on the town. At Nonna’s, Madison spoke with the host. He led us upstairs, and I remember noticing that we were walking down an awfully long hallway—and I didn’t see any tables. We eventually stopped in front of a closed door. He opened the door to a beautiful, intimate room. The lights were dimmed. Madison said, “You go first.” My initial thought was that Madison had arranged for us girls to have a private room for dinner—and—just as I was turning to thank her, Jamie stepped out from behind the door wearing a suit and holding a rose. I heard the door close behind me. It was just he and I in the room. He got down on his knee, pulled a ring from his pocket, and asked me if I would spend forever with him. I was trembling. My eyes filled with tears. After I gushed, “Yes!” we kissed and hugged for a few moments. Jamie asked, “Don’t you want to see the ring???” I was so excited that I hadn’t even looked at it. It was the perfect ring! I was still in semi-shock when he asked me, “Well, do you want to go eat?” As he led me out of the room, I asked if my friends had gone home. He answered, “Your friends are still here,” with a mischievous grin across his face. We stopped at yet another closed door. I looked over at him, confused. When he opened the door my jaw dropped to the floor. The room was filled with all of our loved ones. Our families and our good friends all shouted, “Surprise!” The entire evening was a like a dream. (It was good preparation for the wedding!) We spent the evening talking, eating and laughing with family and friends. While leaving Nonna’s told me he had a birthday present for me in the car. I looked at him and asked, “You mean tonight wasn’t enough of a present?” With another mischievous grin, he said, “Well, it’s just a little something…” When we got in the car he handed me a card. Inside was a picture of a green Mini Cooper that said, “Jessica’s Mini.” The card read, “I love you. Vroom vroom.” I was shaking. Jamie had gotten me a brand new Mini! Until then, I had been spending several hours each week in a twenty year-old car with no AC, no radio, and over 300,000 miles on it. Words still cannot express my gratitude! As an end-cap to an already perfect evening, we met several of my friends who were waiting to toast us at the Speakeasy. Jamie had told my friends his plans at an OU tailgate party the weekend before. (As it turns out, everyone actually was avoiding me—it wasn’t just in my head!) It was a true celebration! Jamie’s proposal to me was personal, romantic and a complete surprise. He knows how much I value family and relationships and I will forever be touched that we were able to share our joy with our family and friends that evening. Although the night is still somewhat of a blur—I will always cherish it as one of the best of my life. I am still amazed at how much planning it took for him to put it all together. Jamie and I married on July 25, 2009. I am happy to say, he continues to surprise me and make me smile each day.