Allie's mother: Of the season? This is gonna be a celebration the likes of which this town's never seen!
-From The Notebook
(A favorite novel Franz and Sarah have read together)
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
The Wedding
Allie's mother: Of the season? This is gonna be a celebration the likes of which this town's never seen!
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Two Pisces Swimming: How We Met
(Almost) two years since they wed, it's now time to update how and where Franz and Sarah met.
Oh, the summer of 1996. Some of the top hits were Killing Me Softly (Fugees), Wannabe (Spice Girls), Virtual Insanity (Jamiroquai), and How Bizarre (OMC). Independence Day was killing it at the theaters, the internet was about to get huge, and while Charles and Diana were announcing their divorce, two Pisces swam up to each other and their lives changed forever.
It was August of 1996, when Sarah and Franz happened to cross paths at Birchwood Pool in Palatine, IL. Their annual pool passes allowed them to frequent the pool for day and night swims throughout the summer. Franz would bike a few blocks (.6 miles) to the pool while Sarah would bike several (1.7miles) with her friend Holly. The two never ran into each other while locking up their bikes or waiting in line to get into the pool- only in the deep end of the pool.
Sarah recalls Franz in long swim trunks with a white background and her in a checkered black and white bikini with boy shorts. She remembers hanging out in the deep end with Holly and seeing two guys jumping off the diving boards- Franz and his friend Brian. Holly mentioned that she knew Franz from early childhood and that he was really nice. Every time Franz would jump off the board Sarah and Holly would yell his name and then go under the water so he couldn't see who did it. Totally typical of 14 year olds, right?
She can't remember if this was a one day event or if this dragged on for a week or all summer as memories do end up changing over time, but it's still a fond time for Sarah- swimming with Holly, biking a lot, meeting a boy, and being so carefree. Eventually, Franz swam to Sarah when Holly was elsewhere in the pool and asked her to go out with him. This was the first time they had ever even spoken to each other! Did he even know her name? In true Sarah fashion, she said 'no, I don't even know you,' and swam away to go tell Holly. Holly told Sarah she should reconsider because 'Franz is really nice!' Minutes later, Sarah swam back to rejected Franz and told him she would go out with him.
This is how Sarah remembers meeting Franz. Franz may need to chime in with his version. Holly may have other details as well. But the above is how Sarah remembers meeting her future spouse- How Bizarre!
The Proposal- Her View
I'm not going to say that I am psychic, but...I totally called it. Don't worry though- I was still completely surprised. On April 11, 2014 at around 3:20p.m at the location where we first met 18 years ago (this August), Franz Joseph Golbeck II asked me, Sarah Jacqueline Janicek, to marry him. It wasn't until the evening prior while sitting in bed, texting Franz to have a good night at work, and randomly reflecting about what Franz and my family members had done or said the past few weeks that my psychic powers or amazing Pisces instinct kicked in. A few examples that made me question my immediate future: Out of the blue Franz taking a Friday evening off to hangout with me and my family, Franz wanting to know when was the earliest time he could pick me up at work and not giving me a good reason (not even like a made-up excuse like 'Let's get a cocktail!'), and one of my sisters inquiring about my 'Nails of the Week' on Wednesday evening asking when I usually do them, and suggesting I go with simple pastels this week. She texted me something like, "Why do your Easter nails now? Do them next week. I think a simple pastel would be nice." Then she continued to suggest by pinning pastels nails on Pinterest.
I didn't want to assume anything on Friday, BUT when I left for the lab that morning I couldn't help but try to get Franz to give me hints to solidify my assumptions by asking him what I should wear that day/night or if wearing my 'uniform' (workout attire) would be appropriate. I also hyped up how horrible my nails and hair looked that day and how embarrassed I would be if people were to see me in this condition. But Franz did not budge: "You're hot babe. Wear what you're wearing". "Don't worry about your nails or hair."
I continued focusing on work until 1:51pm when I knew Franz would be picking me up in 9 minutes. My labmate, Susie, asked me if I had anything planned this weekend. I replied that I knew we were going out to dinner with my family but that I felt something else was up; I didn't want to tell her my presumption in case it didn't happen (even though I was so sure of it). I informed her that I may be psychic, wrote what I thought would happen this weekend on a yellow post-it note, folded it up, and told her I would show her what I predicted on Monday. I left the post-it in my desk drawer...
After that craziness, I jumped into Franz's car promptly at 2:00pm with the plan being that we were to drive from Chicago to my parents' home (about an hour away) and then go to a Fish Fry (Lent). On the way out of the city, Franz mentioned that he needed to stop by his parents' house in Palatine (an hour from Chicago, then another 45 minutes to my parents') to pick up mail that is still sent there versus his house. I strongly questioned him, "Does this really need to be done on Friday afternoon with Chicago traffic?" He insisted it made most sense to just get it done before we started our weekend.
It was one of the first warm days in Chicago, I was hot in the car and was getting antsy with the traffic and probably asked Franz three times if driving to Palatine was really necessary and "Will your mom even be there? Why stop by if you won't be able to see her?" I was also starving and likely had to pee which didn't help my uneasiness. At some point close to our Palatine highway exit, I noticed Franz's hands were clammier than usual. Although it was warmer than we were used to due to Chiberia, I had never recalled such clamminess from him. Hmm...
We were about a block from his mom's house when he stopped at a gas station claiming that he needed to stop for cash. When he returned to the car he had a bottle of water and some super sweaty armpits. (This was the first time I had ever seen him 'pitting out'.) Before I could fully reflecting on the clammy hands and sweaty pits, Franz was suddenly in the trunk doing God knows what. The next thing I knew he was getting back into the car and telling me to close my eyes while Franz held my father's winter scarf (which Franz borrowed all winter) in his hands. You guessed right- Franz then tied the scarf around my face and started up the car. And that's when I knew for sure, duh!!!
Me: Franz, people are going to think I am being kidnapped.
Franz: Just relax.
Me: Where is the dog? I can't see him. (Brophy was in the backseat of the car)
Franz: He's fine.
Me: (snotty tone) You know I know Palatine just as well as you and can figure out where we are going from the movement of the car.
Then suddenly I just stopped- stopped following the turns and went with the flow...because I knew where he was taking me and I really wanted to be surprised! I couldn't believe this was actually happening. I was and am sooooo happy.
Shortly after we left the gas station, Franz stopped the car but kept it running, grabbed Brophy, and opened my door. Still blindfolded he guided me to what seemed like a sidewalk, and I heard a screeching-type door swing open and a dog bark from afar. I thought he would have taken me to the Palatine Reservoir where we went often in high school and throughout our 20's to look up at the full moon on top of the hill, but the screech and bark made me think we were in a neighborhood as if he was opening the front screen door to his parents' house. He was going to propose to me in the basement where I always fell asleep when I went over there? But when he guided me forward and presumably through the doorway I didn't go up a step into a house, didn't feel a rug or wood flooring- I was still on cement.
Franz: Ok. You can take off the scarf.
Nervously excited, I took off the scarf and found that he had brought my to where we first met 18 years ago- Birchwood Pool. And I looked down to see the love of my life on one knee about to ask me to marry him. I was too excited and shocked to cry.
Franz said....(see The Proposal- His View)...
Photos of the proposal and immediately afterwards were taken by the wonderful staff at Birchwood Pool. Big thanks to Patrick Griffin and Mario Bialek! We can't wait to go swimming and do a photoshoot there when the pool is full!
I didn't want to assume anything on Friday, BUT when I left for the lab that morning I couldn't help but try to get Franz to give me hints to solidify my assumptions by asking him what I should wear that day/night or if wearing my 'uniform' (workout attire) would be appropriate. I also hyped up how horrible my nails and hair looked that day and how embarrassed I would be if people were to see me in this condition. But Franz did not budge: "You're hot babe. Wear what you're wearing". "Don't worry about your nails or hair."
I continued focusing on work until 1:51pm when I knew Franz would be picking me up in 9 minutes. My labmate, Susie, asked me if I had anything planned this weekend. I replied that I knew we were going out to dinner with my family but that I felt something else was up; I didn't want to tell her my presumption in case it didn't happen (even though I was so sure of it). I informed her that I may be psychic, wrote what I thought would happen this weekend on a yellow post-it note, folded it up, and told her I would show her what I predicted on Monday. I left the post-it in my desk drawer...
 |
| I have the most amazing penmanship :/ |
After that craziness, I jumped into Franz's car promptly at 2:00pm with the plan being that we were to drive from Chicago to my parents' home (about an hour away) and then go to a Fish Fry (Lent). On the way out of the city, Franz mentioned that he needed to stop by his parents' house in Palatine (an hour from Chicago, then another 45 minutes to my parents') to pick up mail that is still sent there versus his house. I strongly questioned him, "Does this really need to be done on Friday afternoon with Chicago traffic?" He insisted it made most sense to just get it done before we started our weekend.
It was one of the first warm days in Chicago, I was hot in the car and was getting antsy with the traffic and probably asked Franz three times if driving to Palatine was really necessary and "Will your mom even be there? Why stop by if you won't be able to see her?" I was also starving and likely had to pee which didn't help my uneasiness. At some point close to our Palatine highway exit, I noticed Franz's hands were clammier than usual. Although it was warmer than we were used to due to Chiberia, I had never recalled such clamminess from him. Hmm...
We were about a block from his mom's house when he stopped at a gas station claiming that he needed to stop for cash. When he returned to the car he had a bottle of water and some super sweaty armpits. (This was the first time I had ever seen him 'pitting out'.) Before I could fully reflecting on the clammy hands and sweaty pits, Franz was suddenly in the trunk doing God knows what. The next thing I knew he was getting back into the car and telling me to close my eyes while Franz held my father's winter scarf (which Franz borrowed all winter) in his hands. You guessed right- Franz then tied the scarf around my face and started up the car. And that's when I knew for sure, duh!!!
Me: Franz, people are going to think I am being kidnapped.
Franz: Just relax.
Me: Where is the dog? I can't see him. (Brophy was in the backseat of the car)
Franz: He's fine.
Me: (snotty tone) You know I know Palatine just as well as you and can figure out where we are going from the movement of the car.
Then suddenly I just stopped- stopped following the turns and went with the flow...because I knew where he was taking me and I really wanted to be surprised! I couldn't believe this was actually happening. I was and am sooooo happy.
Shortly after we left the gas station, Franz stopped the car but kept it running, grabbed Brophy, and opened my door. Still blindfolded he guided me to what seemed like a sidewalk, and I heard a screeching-type door swing open and a dog bark from afar. I thought he would have taken me to the Palatine Reservoir where we went often in high school and throughout our 20's to look up at the full moon on top of the hill, but the screech and bark made me think we were in a neighborhood as if he was opening the front screen door to his parents' house. He was going to propose to me in the basement where I always fell asleep when I went over there? But when he guided me forward and presumably through the doorway I didn't go up a step into a house, didn't feel a rug or wood flooring- I was still on cement.
Franz: Ok. You can take off the scarf.
Nervously excited, I took off the scarf and found that he had brought my to where we first met 18 years ago- Birchwood Pool. And I looked down to see the love of my life on one knee about to ask me to marry him. I was too excited and shocked to cry.
Franz said....(see The Proposal- His View)...
and I said YES!
Photos of the proposal and immediately afterwards were taken by the wonderful staff at Birchwood Pool. Big thanks to Patrick Griffin and Mario Bialek! We can't wait to go swimming and do a photoshoot there when the pool is full!
The Proposal- His View
Franz took his sweet little time to type out his view but one week after the proposal and it's ready!
It brings me such joy to read his words. Enjoy!
After a wonderful New Year’s Eve celebration on the beach which ended an amazing trip to Florida, I flew back to Chicago and back to reality with constant thoughts of how to proceed running through my mind. All of Sarah's Facebook posts and pictures of us from the recent weeks attracted some attention. Out of the blue at 6:09am on January 6, 2014, I received a Facebook message from my close family friend, Mark, “Franz I hope you remember that I am a jeweler when the time comes. Or maybe you have done it already.” I replied, “It’s funny you mention that.” He responded that he had a feeling I was close and just like that the next piece of the puzzle slid into place.
I already had a plan in place, and it only took a few quick emails to get everything set up. I wanted to ask her to marry me in the same place where we had met eighteen years prior, Birchwood Pool in Palatine, Illinois. An email sent to the Palatine Park District was passed along to the Aquatics Manager, Patrick. Patrick was more than accommodating; he even offered to unlock the side gate before I arrived just to make things easier on me. I had the ring and the place- I just had to make it happen.
Friday, April 11, 2014:
Sarah’s parents were back in town from Florida which I used as an excuse to take the night off from work. Looking back now this probably seemed suspicious, but I did my best not to give anything away. The concerns that she had about what to wear and how she should do her nails that day made it seem like she had an idea of what was about to happen but I didn’t budge. I wasn’t going to give anything away. I picked her up from school at 2:00pm- final destination: Fox Lake, first stop: Palatine. She had no idea about that minor detail though. I told her that I had to pick some mail up at my mother’s house and that we might as well do it now. Traffic was bad and I was reminded of this more than once by Sarah:“Seriously, do we really have to go to Palatine now?” “Is this really necessary?” I’m pretty sure that I said something like, “all that matters is that we are here together.” Any time is quality time, right?
After driving in a few circles we were finally there, the time had come. I parked the car, grabbed the dog (my buddy Brophy), and helped Sarah out of the car. I carefully led her through the gate and onto the pool deck. I stopped, turned around and got down on one knee. With my heart about to pound out of my chest I told her to take off the scarf. There she was, the girl I had known all these years, looking down at me in the very spot we had met. ”Sarah Jacqueline Janicek, I met you here eighteen years ago and not a single day has passed that you have not been on my mind. I love you very much and I want nothing more than to spend the rest of our lives together. Will you marry me?”
It brings me such joy to read his words. Enjoy!
My story begins a bit earlier than Sarah's which makes my perspective a
little more difficult to post to a blog. Playing on my phone under a Snuggie is
not the cause for the delay, I assure you. I am tempted to take the story back
to the first ring that slipped onto Sarah’s finger when we were only eighteen (See Our Story for those details). Or to dive into detail about random moments
leading up to this event that solidified my desire to spend the rest of my life
with this woman. Some moments were filled with uncontrollable laughter during
long walks downtown Chicago and others were filled with tears brought on by
conversations about the past or the sad ending of a movie. All that really matters
at this point though is that this wasn’t the first time I wanted to
put a ring on her finger and how consumed I became by making this a reality.
I ended up surprising Sarah by flying down to Fort Myers, Florida
to spend the last few days of 2013 with her and her family. The good times
continued, and it amazed me how much fun we could have while doing absolutely
nothing. The time spent with her flew by, and I found myself trying to make
every day last just a little bit longer. By this time I had totally made up my
mind- I was either going to propose to her before flying back to Chicago or at
the very least ask her parents for their blessing. The fact that I didn’t have
a ring and hadn’t talked to my mother made me choose the latter. The problem
with this though was that Sarah and I were inseparable. I was quickly
running out of time.
On the afternoon of December 31, 2013 I was
finally given a small window of opportunity to talk to her parents alone. Sarah
had decided to take a short nap before heading back to the beach to celebrate the New Year, and her
parents were alone on the couch in the living room. This was my chance. I sat
down next to her father and as quietly as possible I asked him if
the three of us could talk. Sarah's father signaled to her mother, and we proceeded into the lanai (aka veranda/sunroom).
This was risky because anyone that happened to be in the condo would have a
clear view of what was going on. While her parents sat, I knelt down and began explaining
exactly how I felt about their youngest daughter and that I was planning on
asking for her hand in the near future. The conversation went well (except for
her sister, Julia, spotting us halfway through) and in the end they both gave me
their blessing. I have been close with the family for years and didn’t think they
would object, but this was still a big moment for me. I was very happy to have
their approval. I later found out that after Julia spotted me talking to her parents alone, she woke Sarah from her nap asking why I was on my knee talking to their parents.
Either Sarah was really enjoying her nap, or she knew something was up and
decided not to interrupt...
After a wonderful New Year’s Eve celebration on the beach which ended an amazing trip to Florida, I flew back to Chicago and back to reality with constant thoughts of how to proceed running through my mind. All of Sarah's Facebook posts and pictures of us from the recent weeks attracted some attention. Out of the blue at 6:09am on January 6, 2014, I received a Facebook message from my close family friend, Mark, “Franz I hope you remember that I am a jeweler when the time comes. Or maybe you have done it already.” I replied, “It’s funny you mention that.” He responded that he had a feeling I was close and just like that the next piece of the puzzle slid into place.
The mission of finding the perfect ring for Sarah began
immediately. Not just finding the perfect ring, but creating it. All I was certain of was that she really wanted rose gold, but my lack of information didn’t slow me and Mark down at all. I explained this to Mark and the next message from Mark was, “Not a problem, we will custom make something for her. Anything you can
picture, we can make in rose gold.” He proceeded to send me CAD designs of rings
that he had already made along with pictures of some finished products while I
gave him my feedback by sorting through Sarah’s 'Someday' secret Pinterest board (now renamed to Golbeck/Janicek Wedding and still secret).
Before long he had all the information that he needed. The only thing left for
me to do was to pick out the perfect stone; that day finally came on February 14th. While Sarah was in Vegas celebrating her birthday with her sisters, I was off to shop for a diamond.
Monday, March 17, 2014 was the day I was introduced to the second most beautiful thing I had ever seen- the finished product. I was speechless the first time I opened that box. I could have studied it for hours- every angle offering another glistening view It truly was/is a work of art. Now all I had to do was unite the second most beautiful thing I had ever seen with the first- the girl that would hopefully be wearing it.
Monday, March 17, 2014 was the day I was introduced to the second most beautiful thing I had ever seen- the finished product. I was speechless the first time I opened that box. I could have studied it for hours- every angle offering another glistening view It truly was/is a work of art. Now all I had to do was unite the second most beautiful thing I had ever seen with the first- the girl that would hopefully be wearing it.
I already had a plan in place, and it only took a few quick emails to get everything set up. I wanted to ask her to marry me in the same place where we had met eighteen years prior, Birchwood Pool in Palatine, Illinois. An email sent to the Palatine Park District was passed along to the Aquatics Manager, Patrick. Patrick was more than accommodating; he even offered to unlock the side gate before I arrived just to make things easier on me. I had the ring and the place- I just had to make it happen.
Friday, April 11, 2014:
Sarah’s parents were back in town from Florida which I used as an excuse to take the night off from work. Looking back now this probably seemed suspicious, but I did my best not to give anything away. The concerns that she had about what to wear and how she should do her nails that day made it seem like she had an idea of what was about to happen but I didn’t budge. I wasn’t going to give anything away. I picked her up from school at 2:00pm- final destination: Fox Lake, first stop: Palatine. She had no idea about that minor detail though. I told her that I had to pick some mail up at my mother’s house and that we might as well do it now. Traffic was bad and I was reminded of this more than once by Sarah:“Seriously, do we really have to go to Palatine now?” “Is this really necessary?” I’m pretty sure that I said something like, “all that matters is that we are here together.” Any time is quality time, right?
I stopped at a gas station when we finally got close to the destination of our
first stop. I really didn’t want her to know where we were going until we were
already there. I used the ATM as my excuse and I went inside. On my way back to
the car I popped open my trunk, checked to make sure the ring was still there,
and grabbed her father’s scarf that I had been wearing for the winter. She had
to know something was up. The scarf went around her head and away we went.
Sarah explained that she knew the area well and would easily know where I was
taking her. Come on now, if you’ve seen more than two movies in your life you
know not to take a direct route while someone is blindfolded!
After driving in a few circles we were finally there, the time had come. I parked the car, grabbed the dog (my buddy Brophy), and helped Sarah out of the car. I carefully led her through the gate and onto the pool deck. I stopped, turned around and got down on one knee. With my heart about to pound out of my chest I told her to take off the scarf. There she was, the girl I had known all these years, looking down at me in the very spot we had met. ”Sarah Jacqueline Janicek, I met you here eighteen years ago and not a single day has passed that you have not been on my mind. I love you very much and I want nothing more than to spend the rest of our lives together. Will you marry me?”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)