I went shopping with Seth three weeks ago. Leah was enjoying her first college visit (at Calvin), and I was able to sneak away in the afternoon, pick up Seth, and head to Jared. And I'm not talking about his brother Jared here. We're talking the jewelry store...yes, we "went to Jared."

Let me tell you, it's really, really fun to help your son pick out the engagement ring for his intended. In fact, I was so "in the moment" that I forgot to take pictures for my future blog post. You'll just have to take my word for it when I say Seth was somewhere between beaming from ear to ear and looking like a deer in the headlights throughout our little trip. I also noticed things have changed a bit since 26 years ago when I went window shopping with Tom for my diamond. As soon as the salesperson heard we were shopping for a diamond, she gave us a tour (yes, a tour!) of the store, and then took us into a little private room to view a powerpoint-type presentation on the "4 C's of Diamonds." While the 4 C's (Color, Clarity, Cut and Carat) haven't changed in 26 years, the manner in which they are presented sure has!

We then looked at rings, keeping in mind the features we knew Maddie loved. Seth quickly "fell in love" with a sparkly 3-stone model. Being the impulsive kid he has always been, he was ready to buy. I encouraged him to slow down, and look at a few more stores. So we headed for Woodland mall, and walked to the center court where we found the predictable five or six jewelry stores. Rogers and Holland, Kay, Fred Meyer...by the time we got to Zales, Seth's eyes were glazed over. He said he was "seeing sparkles." I could also tell he wasn't going to seriously consider any other ring or diamond...none compared to the first one. Just like his favorite girl, the first ring he found had won his heart, and he didn't need to shop around. Back at Jared, Seth was a silly, giddy mess. He kept commenting that he couldn't believe he was really doing this (neither could I!), and he knew she was going to love it. He could hardly contain himself when we met Maddie later for dinner....he has always been a terrible secret-keeper! But he somehow managed to stay composed, sort of. I think she had suspicions.

Then a week ago, Seth let me in on the secret that he had asked Maddie's dad for permission to marry his daughter. I think it's great that this old tradition still stands...awkward and nerve-racking as it may be for the young guy. It's only fair that the man who has brought up this young lady since birth has some say in giving her away to another man. Anyway, Maddie's dad reportedly said "yes," and then it was just a matter of Seth pulling off the proposal. I quietly waited...wanting to share the secret with my sisters, parents, in-laws, friends, you-name-it.

Today (Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014) was the day. We got the call around 6:00 p.m. from Seth and Maddie, who were wanting to share some big news. With the two of them "on speaker," the girls and I waited until the announcement was made, and then let out our screams in unison. We heard the fun details of the proposal. Seth's main goal was to surprise Maddie, which he did; and to keep it simple, which he also did. Funny how the date "Feb. 27," "snow day," and "tacos" mean nothing special one day, and the next are tied to an event the two of them will forever have engraved in their memories.

The saying goes: "diamonds are a girl's best friend." In Maddie's case though, diamonds must take second place. According to her Facebook post tonight, she's engaged to her best friend...and there's nothing better than that! So let the hoopla begin! We couldn't be happier for Seth and Maddie.

Shine bright like a diamond