Today our daughter, Heather, contributes to this blog post for you as this month we celebrated Chris’s 65th birthday with his dream golf vacation in Scotland. All of our adult kids, including Andrew, his wife, Sarah, Heather, her boyfriend, Aaron, and Robby, joined us. We took in the sights, visited friends and relatives, golfed, shopped … and enjoyed much excitement around a surprise proposal, which Heather shares here:

STORY TIME! Aaron proposed on Princes Street with Edinburgh Castle in the background and caught me completely by surprise. He initially was not planning to propose on this family trip, but with some encouragement from my momma, he decided to do the thing.

He bought a ring in St Andrews with my mom and sister-in-law, Sarah, while I was watching my dad and brothers golf, and he began to formulate a plan. We were heading into Edinburgh the next day with hopes of visiting the castle, but I bought the wrong tickets and we couldn’t get in.

Sarah suggested we get lunch, so we headed back down the hill to Princes Street. We found an excellent view of the castle on the hill and stopped to snap a few photos. I was very ready for food and tried to move things along, but Aaron wasn’t budging.

The next few moments are a bit of a blur, but he kept saying “I love you so good” a suspicious amount of times. I just wanted a snack, and then I felt him shaking and I realized what was happening. I cried, he said more stuff, and then I said yes!

Apparently, my family is super good at keeping secrets because he told them what was happening and nobody spilled the beans! We had a celebratory dinner in Edinburgh at a gorgeous Italian restaurant.

It was a thrilling end to an amazing trip!

Now, a Word from Momma

Many of you know that Chris immigrated from Scotland with his parents when he was five. The Warren family joined Melrose Baptist Church in Oakland, California, which happened to be the church that supported our family while my parents served in Nigeria. Each time our Jones family returned to the US for furlough, the Warrens invited us into their home. In my senior year of college, Chris proposed to me.

Chris has always dreamed of moving back to Scotland, and we’ve started spending a month there every year with wonderful visits to his friends and relatives. This year Chris turned 65 and wanted to take our sons on a golf vacation back in his homeland–the home of golf. The rest of our family and I insisted on tagging along.

In the British Airways lounge at SFO before we left, Heather’s long-time boyfriend, Aaron, caught Chris and me in a quiet moment while Heather was at the airport shops. Aaron said, “I’m planning to marry Heather, and I’d like your blessing.”

Chris replied, “I don’t have any objections.”

I patted Chris’s knee and grinned at Aaron. “Of course, you have our blessing!”

Aaron said he was planning to organize a surprise proposal with family present at the place they met, Redwood Glen Camp, but that would be toward the end of the year. I was excited this beautiful couple would be getting engaged soon. This was a good start to my vacation!

Secrets and Surprises

A few days later, at Clarke Cottage B&B in Dunfermline, Aaron sat with Chris and me after breakfast. “I might like to propose on this trip but I don’t think Heather would want to make it the focus of the trip,” he said.

I thought about that for a moment then said, “Actually, I’m sure Heather would love it if you did propose here.”

Aaron didn’t have a ring yet but decided to shop for a small, place-holder ring to propose with. The next day, it worked out that Heather chose to walk the course with the golfers since they were playing at historic St Andrews.

Sarah, queen of all things shopping and fashion, joined in the secret planning adventure. Soon the three of us found a jewelry store on Market Street in St Andrews.

Aaron chose a dainty silver ring with a Celtic knot twisting down the band on either side of three jewels. Next, he mulled over scenarios about where, when, and how to pop the question. He decided to wait until the following day when we planned to tour Edinburgh Castle and propose somewhere inside.

That evening, we celebrated Sarah’s birthday which was at the end of August, but she elected to postpone it until Scotland. Before dinner, she and I searched through the Harris Tweed shop where she found a light pink, tartan handbag. The golfers joined us for dinner at Mitchell’s on Main Street, and it was fun to celebrate our lovely daughter-in-law in the beautiful town of St Andrews.

A Very Special Day

In the morning, the golfers drove to Carnoustie, a semi-private course, where they needed a member to host them. Fortunately, at his home course back in Oakland, Chris knew of a club member, John Scott, who has a friend who is a member at Carnoustie. That friend, Brian Cuthbertson, happily agreed to play the round with the Warren men at that famous course. Carnoustie had been a part of the British Open rota several times.

In Edinburgh, Sarah, Heather, Aaron, and I trekked up the Royal Mile and arrived at the castle entrance. But the attendant turned us away—Heather had purchased the wrong tickets—long story. By now we had worked up an appetite, so we strolled down Princes Street in search of a café.

When we came to the light at Frederick Street opposite the Royal Scot Greys Monument, Aaron stopped. “Why don’t you take a picture of Heather and me with the castle in the background?”

So, Sarah and I started snapping away. We discovered that Aaron had found a perfect setting with the castle high on the hill overlooking them. As we dodged pedestrians and tried to get the best angle, Aaron suddenly got down on one knee in the middle of the sidewalk.

This Was the Moment!

Sarah and I quickly realized this was indeed the moment and got great photos with Heather’s jaw dropping to the ground. She was still flustered from the ticket fiasco and wondered if this was really happening. Her face flooded with tears as Aaron gave her the ring. Several passersby paused to smile, and a young woman on the other side of the street took photos before she strolled on.

Aaron explained he had been winking at Sarah and me. He’d tried to indicate that he was about to propose, but neither of us had seen the signal.

Heather was still ready for that snack. We found a restaurant near the tattoo place where he had a scheduled appointment as he’d done on his previous international trips. (No, the tattoo wasn’t Heather’s name or portrait.)

Because the proposal was such a surprise, Heather didn’t have her nails done. So next we stopped at Boots Pharmacy to buy a quick-dry polish. Then we enjoyed a coffee at Wellington Coffee while Heather painted her nails in preparation for more photos of the ring.

Of course, she messaged her dad and brothers the big news. After the golf, the men took a train into Edinburgh and met us at Amarone. This superb Italian restaurant had great gluten-free choices and fine champagne with which to toast the happy couple.

None of us minded that the proposal outshone the golf excursions, Sarah’s birthday celebration, the visits with relatives, and all our other daily adventures.

In Closing

Chris and I are delighted for Heather and Aaron. They’ve been friends since they met in high school at MAD Camp (Music and Drama Camp) in Redwood Glen near Pescadero, California.

Celebrating their big event has taken me back to our engagement forty years ago. During my childhood, I’d moved so often. I flew back and forth between boarding school and home, four times a year—and to a new city in California every few years. In college, I wondered how I would ever find someone I knew well enough to marry. When Chris proposed, I realized God provided a friend whom I had known most of my life.

Throughout four decades, my husband’s consistent love and support have helped make up for the lonely years at boarding school. There I was separated from my siblings and was so far from my parents and home. Chris, you’re the best!

I’m thrilled Heather is marrying someone she has been friends with since her teen years.

Welcome to the Warren clan, Aaron!

To read another story about my childhood connection between Egbe, Nigeria, and Edinburgh, Scotland click here.

Photos of friends and family during our holiday in March 2023 are posted here and here.

For details about our engagement way back when, you can read the story here.