Just four years ago my son and his wife were planning on getting married, but she didn't have a ring YET.

My husband and I knew that our son had bought the ring and was planning on giving it to her during the holidays sometime.

Family Christmas brunch at our home on the Sunday before Christmas.  Lots of presents to open.  All of a sudden the room got quite because the future wife was holding a tiny box in her hands.   Might it be a ring??  Oh how her eyes sparkled!  Opened it and oooooooops no it was diamond earrings.  A GREAT gift but not a ring.

Four times that Christmas she opened boxes that were ring boxes and none of them were rings.   She was sorta lovin it and sorta not!  My son was having the time of his life.  This quiet, shy son of mine was in love and was enjoying every minute of it.  

When he finally gave her the ring it was done in private and those memories belong to just them.

They always laugh and we always enjoy remembering the year of the RING or the NOT RING.