UKRAINIAN WEDDING BREAD

Today, we have a special treat. Christina, who lives in Ukraine, agreed to tell us about her surprise engagement. It’s touching, romantic, and I think you’ll love Christina’s delightful accent. Enjoy!

On September 20, 2007, my boyfriend Illya made me a proposal! He is so inventive! It was WOW! I did not expect it could happen until the very last moment. Ok, I’ll tell you the story. Illya and his two apartment-mates (Artem and Dima) decided to give a house-warming party. By the way, I heard this idea from Illya back in summer. So now finally he and they were ready for the secret party which turned out to be my surprise.

Illya invited many friends, our common friends, guys whom I was happy to see. In the afternoon Illya called, and I ask him if I can put on jeans. (Strange, why on earth did I ask it?) He answered that it would be better if I have a dressing-up, a skirt is desirable, saying that after the party we will go for a walk together. (Honey likes when I wear skirts). I did what he wanted and dressed up.

Finally we all got together in the boys’ apartment at night. Before that the boys had a good preparation. They arrived wearing festive caps on their heads and were funny and happy. My boyfriend had a little bit of a troubled look. I could not understand why. I do now!

So during the house-warming party we were talking to our friends, playing games, eating, and simply having fun. I thought it was only a house-warming party until the contest “Who is the most sensitive?” Three persons played the game in a blindfold. The task was to guess what you eat or drink, what you smell and what you touch. I was the third and the last player (I was chosen as a third player for a purpose). I tasted mango, smelled roses, and finally touched a ring!!! Yes, it was my engagement ring!

Then I opened my eyes while the violin was playing (Yura played), the light was off and just candles were lit. I saw Illya on his knees with a huge bunch of flowers (there were 30 yellow roses, right as I like). He uttered cherished words, “I LOVE YOU, Christinka…Would you marry me?”

What do you think I answered? I said, “Shall I answer right now?”

He nodded. I came closer to his ear and whispered, “ok”.

And he said to me: “Please, say it once again and aloud so that everybody can hear.”

I said, “I AGREE”!
We kissed. The friends were applauding, producing joyful sounds. They were surprised. I was too. For all that time before this moment Illya was in a great tension. But after my “yes”, he breathed with relief. He was so happy. A strictly undesirable answer for him was “I will think” and of course “no”. So he still didn’t know what to expect from his girlfriend. He was all sweat, as he told me later. Our friends ran up to us and begin to congratulate us sincerely.

I was happy. But I didn’t expect this engagement would happen to us now, so soon. I thought I would get the proposal later, maybe in spring, not now. I was shocked, I could not believe it.

The guys turned on the music. They were very excited, too! Illya said, “Ok, guys, thank you all. You may have the party go on without us, ‘cause the table is ordered for two of us in the restaurant, so we need to go.”

This was one more surprise for me. We were going out to dinner. Once we were almost ready to leave, the friends asked us to dance in a circle. My favorite worship song was sounding, called “Redeemer”. I can not help dancing at that time. It was a slow short dance in the middle of the room in front of our friends for the first time. Amazing! Then was, “Bye, we have to go!”

Somebody suddenly shouted, teasing, “Christina, throw out your flowers”. You see, like according to the wedding tradition of throwing the bouquet. So I took one rose from the bunch, and threw it away. A girl already married caught it. So I took another one, and threw. That time unmarried girl caught the rose.

Then there was the restaurant Deja-vu. I always wanted to visit it. There, live music is played. When we just came in, a very romantic and famous Russian song was sounding, called “I love you and the tears rolled”. I was touched by that coincidence. We spent a great time there. We called my parents to tell about this event of great importance. We were sitting at the restaurant until the midnight. Only in an hour or two my shock passed.

Yes, God gave us that wonderful day. I did not even expect that a normal day could turn to such a life-meaning-event!

Love,
Christina
Ukraine