Lorna Seilstad – Real Life Romance – Part 2 of 3

Shannon here: Historical romance author, Lorna Seilstad shares her proposal and a chance to win a copy of her book, A Great Catch. Comment on any post dated July 25 – 29th for a chance to win. Deadline: July 30, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Lorna:

Buying Chicken and a Wedding Proposal?

You’ve probably watched them on television or Youtube. You know, the wedding proposals that are so creative they take your breath away.
Don’t get too excited. Mine isn’t one of those.
But it’s sweet and it shows the special bond of humor my husband I have now shared for twenty-one years.
During another visit to Shannon’s Inkslinger blog, I shared how God brought the two of us together and helped me remember that He was writing our love story. If you’d like to read that post, you can find it here. https://shannontaylorvannatter.com/lorna-seilstad-real-life-romance-part-1-of-3/
My husband, David, works for Extension with youth and 4-H programs. On this particular year, I’d helped a lot at fair in the 4-H building. In passing, his assistant said, “You’d better get a big ring for all the work you’ve been doing.”
However, I didn’t realize he’d heard her. 
About two weeks after the fair, David delayed our planned trip to Kentucky Fried Chicken and took me a park in the center of town. We’d gone there often while dating. There’s a beautiful fountain in the center of this city block-sized park.
As we were heading to the fountain, he said, “What did you think of what Jane said?”
I thought he was joking and answered, “About the size of the ring? Yeah, it should be a really big one.”
He laughed. “So, what do you think about buying chicken with me?”
“Huh?”
“You know, if we were going to buy chicken when do you think we should do it?”
I finally caught on. But could he be serious?
“I wouldn’t want to wait a long time to buy chicken,”  I answered tentatively. Summer isn’t a good time with all the fair stuff. How about February?”
“February’s a good chicken season.”
This went on for quite a while. Before we left the park, we knew we were buying chicken in February, we knew who we’d ask to stand up with us, and we knew our wedding colors. At some point we dropped the chicken code and started actually using the word wedding.
We went to my home to tell my parents, who weren’t surprised since he’d already asked my father for my hand. After calling David’s parents and sisters, he looked at me and grinned. “I haven’t really officially asked you yet.” I was standing in front of him, and he uncharacteristically pulled me down on his lap, then asked me to be his wife.
And neither of us remembers if we ever made it to Kentucky Fried Chicken that night.
An unusual proposal for sure, but it shows one of the things I thank God that He has blessed our marriage with—the ability to laugh together. Whether it’s an inside joke, a funny card, a humorous story, or a romantic comedy at the theater, laughing together has always brought us closer.
According to Dr. Robert Provine, author of Laughter: A Scientific Investigation “laughter establishes—or restores—a positive climate and a sense of connection between two people, who literally take pleasure in the company of each other.”
And there is no one I’d rather spend a day with than David.
The love and laughter in our marriage has spilled over into my books. I cannot imagine writing a romance without the element of laughter in it. Laughter bonds two people in a way that even a kiss cannot.
What about you? What role does humor play in your relationships? Any ideas to share with us to inject more humor in a marriage? I’d love to hear your ideas.
About the book: She wants to change the world. He wants to change her mind.
It is the beginning of a new century at Lake Manawa Resort in Iowa, but some things never change. When 22-year-old Emily Graham’s meddlesome aunts and grandmother take it upon themselves to find her a husband among the resort guests, the spunky suffragist is determined to politely decline each and every suitor. She has neither the time nor the need for a man in her busy life.
Carter Stockton, a recent college graduate and pitcher for the Manawa Owls baseball team, intends to enjoy every minute of the summer at Lake Manawa, Iowa, before he is forced into the straitlaced business world of his father.
When their worlds collide, neither Emily nor Carter could guess what would come next. Will Carter strike out? Or will Emily cast her vote for a love that might cost her dreams?
The perfect summer novel, A Great Catch will enchant you with its breezy setting and endearing characters.
“A Great Catch weaves humor, history, romance, and spiritual truths into a delicious story that will delight readers’ hearts. What a fun, relaxing read! I’d like to remain at Lake Manawa forever.”—Laura Frantz, author of The Frontiersman’s Daughter and Courting Morrow Little
“A grand slam! In a story as refreshing and invigorating as lemonade, Seilstad raises deep questions about a woman’s relationship with God, her dreams, and the people in her life—while making me laugh so loudly my kids came running to get in on the joke.”—Sarah Sundin, author of the Wings of Glory series
About Lorna: A history buff, antique collector, and freelance graphic designer, Lorna Seilstad is the author of Making Waves and draws her setting from her home state of Iowa. A former high school English and journalism teacher, she has won several online writing awards and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers.