School was ending two hours early on Wednesday, November 26, 2008. Steve asked if we could then go shopping in Old Town, Alexandria so that he could browse for some things to put on his Christmas list. I thought shopping, sure! But a little strange that Steve would ask to go shopping. But I went along with it. Tuesday night I suggested that Steve meet me at my school since I work near Old Town, but he insisted that I come home first and we would just ride together from there. "Fiiiiine," I said. Steve told me to call him as soon as I left work Wednesday so that he could leave work to meet me at home.

Wednesday came and I called him as soon as I got in my car. "I'm already home, so I'll see you when you get here," was his reply. Driving home I kept having these thoughts that something seemed strange. 1. Steve never asks to go shopping and 2. Normally, he would have agreed that it would make sense to meet at my school and drive to Old Town. But I just drove on my merry way. I pulled up in our parking lot to find a black limo parked near our place. Things were really starting to feel strange, but I just thought it was all a big coincidence.

Whenever Steve is home, he rarely ever locks the front door. I'm the obsessive locker in the relationship. So I walk up to our door and go to walk in and to my surprise the door is locked. So I fumble for my keys to unlock the door, only to find this:

In the box was a note that said "SURPRISE!!! Hi beautiful, I hope you like all the decorations, but you need to blow out all the candles and hop into the limo that is waiting outside. I love you, Steve" (I have no idea why this picture posts sideways...)
I look down to remember I am wearing jeans and comfy slipper-like shoes. I think to myself, if I'm getting in a limo I certainly need to be dressed a little nicer than this. Quickly, I ran to my closet, grabbed a pair of dress pants, threw them on, slipped on black boots and ran out the door. The whole walk down the sidewalk, I could only wonder who was sitting in that black limo watching me walk out. Was Steve waiting for me inside? Was my family in there to surprise me? So I walk up to the limo, the driver opens the door, and I peek in to find...nobody!
The limo driver explains to me how to control the radio and the temperature and points to some drinks I can help myself to if I'm thirsty. Yeah, that's all great I thought, but I looked up at him and asked, "Um, am I allowed to know where I'm going?" "Hmm, not yet," he replied. And then he started driving.

What do you do in a big, comfy limo all.by.yourself.?! I rode for a little while anticipating what I thought was about to happen. I couldn't take it any longer and had to call my best friend, Gill. "Hey, what are you doing?" I asked. "Sitting at Austin Grill with my dad, what's up?" replied Gill. "Ummm, I'm in a limo all by myself...I don't know what I'm doing or where I'm going." Gill says, "YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING...I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING!!! How exciting!!!!" So I talked with Gill for a little while, then rode along listening to Christmas music in great anticipation. I thought I was still headed toward Old Town, but the limo went a different way than Steve and I normally drive, so I wasn't positive. I was getting nervous and excited with anticipation and then the limo pulled up to this:

The driver came and opened my door for me. He told me to follow the path along to the side of the house.