Two Girls, Means Two Rings and Two Proposals

Earlier in the month Claire proposed to Carter. So Carter had her moment and got her ring, but what about Claire? Carter has been planning on proposing to Claire on New Year’s Eve for months, but it was a surprise. It was important to Claire that her family was near by. So Carter coordinated with Claire’s parents, brothers and sister-in-laws since everyone was going to be together for New Years. The surprise was that Russ and I would be here too.

With a large What’s app Group text going of everyone, except Claire, there was lots of discussion about the location and logistics. Cameras were charged and champagne was chilled. Russ and I flew up to Connecticut yesterday. We hid out in Stamford and sent decoy texts to Claire and Carter making look like we were home with Shay. My blog yesterday was about my bed at home so there were be no digital foot print of us being in Connecticut.

We tracked Carter and her location on our phones so we made sure not to run into them. The plan almost got pushed back by Claire’s trip to Old Navy. Russ and I met up with Alex and Lilla, and baby Hadley (Claire’s next up brother’s family), at the Weed Beach Parking lot and we walked to the snack shack where we were going to be hiding. The rest of the family joined us. Barb, Claire’s mother held her grandson Hadley to quite his sweet coo’s as we hid. Claire’s Dad, Duane, was across the water with a paparazzi sized lens on his camera shooting the whole proposal from afar.

Carter proposed to Claire on the dock and we all peered out from behind the snack shack. After Claire said yes, she said we could come out. Having seen the iPhone’s around the corner. Russ and I came out with the rest of her family and she was surprised that we were there. She might have suspected the proposal at the time, but she was not suspecting us.

There were hugs and champagne, tears, a toast and more photos. It was a glorious time. Carter and Claire are so loved and it was so wonderful for me to get to meet Robert and Andrea, Claire’s oldest brother and wife who got married in Germany in September and Lilla and Alex and Hadley, and see Barb and Duane again. These people who love Claire have welcomed Carter into their family and that means everything to us.

Tonight the celebration will continue at Barb and Duane’s House with a party. As far as I am concerned this is the best thing to happen in 2024. I am looking forward to the future for these sweet girls who are surrounded by so much love.