A bit surreal, but definitely true!
September 2, 2005
So it’s all a bit surreal - like it kind of came out of nowhere - like all of a sudden, I just woke up one morning and was like “Wow. How did THAT happen?” But while it’s all a bit surreal - it’s also true. Sarah and I are engaged! Our relationship which technically began March 8th entered into a new stage August 27th when I asked her to marry me and be with me forever. And she said yes! Which is so amazing!
So the question everyone has been asking (other than “Now wait a minute, HOW long have you two been dating?”) is “So, tell me how you did it…” So, I’ll fill you in. Last Saturday morning, while Sarah was out at breakfast with a friend (who helped me by keeping Sarah busy that morning) I went out to a friend’s house to get some things ready for the evening. Then Sarah and I went out for a hike at Red Top Mountain, and then came back to get ready for dinner at Hal’s. We got to dinner and we had a great little corner table with two dozen roses (which a friend had taken to the restaurant earlier in the day for me) - had a wonderful dinner, very elegant. After dinner, I drove Sarah out to “the spot” where our friends Jake and Mark (who we’ve asked to marry us next year) had set up the candles and my guitar out near this gazebo/lattice area. I didn’t find out until that morning that this beautiful little “spot” was behind the Gwinnett Senior Center (which was funny when Sarah said, “So, you’re taking me to a senior center?” as we pulled in) but it was a beautiful area and Jake and Mark did a great job setting things up.
Once we got there, I played “It’s Your Love” (a Tim McGraw song) and a song that I wrote for her that incorporated many of her favorite stories from Story People. After I sang the songs, I got down on one knee and knocked over a candle, which I quickly fixed and asked Sarah to marry me. She didn’t quite look at the ring at first, she just hugged me and said “Yes!” So after a minute or so, I was like, “Umm, do you want to see the ring??” She saw it and loves it - I found it in Palestine (Ramallah) this summer. After that we went to a friend’s house where many of our friends from Columbia Seminary and some of my friends from Princeton (who now live in Atlanta) were waiting for us to celebrate!
It was an absolutely perfect evening and Sarah and I are now officially engaged and planning to get married next spring. Also, Sarah has blogged her version of the evening here.
Tags: Marriage, Sarah
Posted in General
Adam Walker Cleaveland: 
September 2nd, 2005 at 11:20 pm
You have a nice voice. I like your song. Gongratulations by the way.
September 3rd, 2005 at 12:26 am
Congrats! Getting married is one of the worst things that I’ve ever experienced, but being married is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. If you can make it through the wedding, you’ll be fine.
September 3rd, 2005 at 12:44 am
Having married an Aussie (being a Canadian myself), we ended up having 3 full weddings! Best bit of advice is this. The wedding is 65% about other people, so choose your battles. As Phil alluded, the marraige is where the real adventure begins. Keeping that in focus…
Congrats and blessings!
Peace,
Jamie
September 3rd, 2005 at 1:06 am
cleave…love it bro. congrats and many blessings in it all.
September 3rd, 2005 at 2:26 am
Congrats Adam! I am so wishing you and Sarah all the best! Blessings!
September 3rd, 2005 at 3:59 am
That’s awesome! Blessings on your journey…
September 3rd, 2005 at 6:12 am
Kudos, Sweet Cheeks. See you in a week…
September 3rd, 2005 at 7:17 am
well done dude… thats great news :-)
September 3rd, 2005 at 9:47 am
congrats from a complete stranger!
September 3rd, 2005 at 9:50 am
Congratulations Adam! Very romantic too! Mrs. ICTHUS & I got engaged after only 6 months too, so that’s awesome. Just don’t forget to revisit “the spot” for years to come. Sarah will appreciate that.
Peace.
September 3rd, 2005 at 9:56 am
Many blessings to you as you walk this next leg of your journey together.
September 3rd, 2005 at 3:25 pm
Congrats Adam! Very cool. You’ve had quite a year!
Mike
p.s. thanks for the Green Day / Jimmy Eat World post recently. I’m going to see that show in about 2 weeks. Looking forward to it after your post!
September 3rd, 2005 at 4:09 pm
I’ve been lurking around your blog for a few weeks, since I’m interested in postmodern theology, and then I had to go back and follow the history of the romance. Congratulations! I ive in Gwinnett, so I will have to see if I can get a peek behind the senior center.
Cheers!
September 3rd, 2005 at 5:51 pm
happy happy! good for you!
p.s. i was JUST about to change the header of my blog and put scrabble pieces. we just played it and was thinking that would be cool looking - and then i see you have beaten me to the cool scrabble letters.
anyway - very cool about the engagement. when i smoke my pipe next on our deck, i will say a prayer for you both.
September 3rd, 2005 at 6:54 pm
Congratualtions!!! You both look very happy!
September 3rd, 2005 at 8:33 pm
Good job. (o. and congrats. ;)
September 3rd, 2005 at 8:46 pm
Congrats!
September 3rd, 2005 at 11:54 pm
…add my congrats to all the others. May you two find yourselves blessed beyond your wildest dreams!
September 4th, 2005 at 3:29 pm
i came back to princeton SO EXCITED that my roommates had bought a cool new tree only to hear, “oh, that’s not ours, it’s adam cleaveland’s” . then, just now i was sitting on the couch reading through bloglines, and i said “hey guys! adam cleaveland is engaged” and one of my roomies said”hey, maybe his fiance won’t like the tree and we can keep it.” :) anyway, CONGRATULATIONS, ADAM! love, traci, julie and robin
September 5th, 2005 at 1:34 am
hal’s…..i’m very jealous. that place is amazing. congrats!
September 5th, 2005 at 1:57 am
Zach…are YOU the one who recommended Hal’s to me? I knew someone did - and I thought it was my friend Jake (who came to the concert with me) but it wasn’t and I couldn’t remember…Hal’s was and IS amazing…thanks!
September 5th, 2005 at 10:03 am
CONGRATS!!
September 5th, 2005 at 1:28 pm
“Love is a wonderful thing!” - Michael Bolton…and it’s a amazing what it can do. Congrats to both of you on finding it with each other and may it live on through your generations to come. In God love never fails and His unity never dies.
September 5th, 2005 at 4:45 pm
Adam, how exciting for the two of you! Many blessings and congrats!
September 5th, 2005 at 5:57 pm
Awesome - congrats.
September 5th, 2005 at 7:15 pm
Adam, Congratulations. It’s great to follow your life online. I hope I see you soon, and definitely at the November thing.
ps. the Brian McLaren meeting was awesome, gave us a lot of momentum going into the fall and I’m blogging more now.
Jeff
September 6th, 2005 at 9:11 am
Congrats, bro. As for the short-term dating-to-engagement thing, it happens all the time. Three weeks after my wife and I started dating, I went out on the limb and proposed. Lest you think I was some desperate fool, I just knew. (Of course, we were engaged for two years - something I don’t recommend.) When you know, then it doesn’t matter who understands. I’m sure you guys are perfect for each other. You guys are truly blessed. Congratulations.
September 6th, 2005 at 12:41 pm
CONGRATS… I met and married my wife within one year. Hey, timelines don’t matter in God’s timing.
September 6th, 2005 at 2:56 pm
Adam,
Congratulations on your new journey. She is a lucky woman! Loved the song too…gutsy stuff.
Don
September 6th, 2005 at 5:34 pm
Congratulations. We’re very happy for you.
September 6th, 2005 at 6:13 pm
I hadn’t checked your blog since April 1 - I seem to stop by whenever something really exciting is going on! :)
I’m excited for you and Sarah!! Congrats!
September 6th, 2005 at 7:35 pm
just want to throw in my my CONGRATULATIONS! Super wonderful thrill ride ahead, man.
September 6th, 2005 at 7:40 pm
Congratulations!!!!!! What an awesome evening it must have been.
Great blog too!!!!!
September 7th, 2005 at 10:14 am
Congratulations!!! Marriage is terrific blessing from God and I’m sure you will both be very happy with the rest of your lives together! Bless you both!
September 7th, 2005 at 4:53 pm
cleave [full stop]. i do hope that you called jamie and drew to get the point/counterpoint before making your decision {long pause}.
CONGRATULATIONS [exclamation]. well done. Best wishes for the both of you as you begin your planning.
September 7th, 2005 at 7:23 pm
Hooray, hooray, hooray… how fantastic and wonderful to hear about your engagement! Congratulations! May you enjoy the planning, enjoy the wedding, and enjoy your life together. HUGE blessings to you both. :)
September 8th, 2005 at 10:03 am
hadn’t been by in a while…WOW! congrats and great blessings!
you’ve made my day! and i will send greetings back to you over at lilly’s pad too!
i sure needed some good news after all the bad the last couple of weeks!
so here’s to love…
and remember long distance makes you great communicators not just great kissers! : )
and your proposal gets big romantic points too! love you! lil
September 8th, 2005 at 12:04 pm
Adam, I’m guessing from your photo album of “Washington/Idaho,” that those were your folks or hers with you. The dad kind of has the Clint Eastwood squint going on. Anyway, we’re all very happy for you.
September 8th, 2005 at 11:13 pm
congrats adam! i just got married about a year and a half ago and it ROCKS!
btw, do you know a girl at princeton named jourdan?…she went to baylor for undergrad. she interned at our church a few years ago and my wife and i were wondering what she’s up to these days.
also, great site…i’ve enjoyed reading the conversation about NP.
September 9th, 2005 at 4:47 pm
CONGRADULATIONS!!!!