At Long Last...

...an update!

And boy, do I have lots to share.

First off, my dearest has proposed! On August 3rd, 2009, he asked my father for permission to wed, orchestrated a lovely barbeque with all our friends and my family, and asked to make an announcement. I knew he had asked my father that morning, and had gotten the okay. I was on cloud nine! And I thought he was going to announce that good news to everyone. Imagine my surprise when he gets down on one knee and proposes, pulling out of his pocket the ring his mother had given him. The poor thing was trembling so badly, I felt like I had to hold on tighter and tighter to keep him from falling apart at the seams. Unfortunately, the ring is just barely a half-size too small; enough to fit on my ring finger and subsequently turn it blue. But it is a gorgeous ring, incredibly unique and the stones are just incredible. It has a teardrop diamond center, with a starburst of smaller diamonds over the top. The matching wedding band continues the starburst under the bottom, making the whole affair 1/2" by 5/8" circle of glittering gorgeous diamonds set in white gold.

Now I have turned into quite the girly-girl mush, planning a ceremony and reception for next summer with family and friends. The whole affair will be DIY, with my parents' property being the venue. I am looking forward to the planning process. In truth, it will help to occupy my mind while Joe is away at Basic Training. It's something I try hard not to think about too much. I know it will happen, and I have resolved myself to deal with it when the time comes. I try to be strong and independently minded, if only to console Joe. He is very nervous, as he has every right to be, and I feel like if I show weakness, he might fall apart. And I want to be so supportive to him now, especially with such hard challenges ahead of us both.

I definitely have more to say, perhaps later I might feel compelled to opine once more. For now, I am off to spend the afternoon with my love.