Hello friends! Welcome to 2013! I know we’re already a week in, but the beginning of the new year is always a crazy time and I have lots of fun things to tell you!

BIG NEWS EVERYONE: Michael asked me to be his wife!! On Christmas Day!! In front of my ENTIRE family!!

BOOM, BITCHES!

J/K! I’m not that braggy. (I only brag in the classy way, which is the “humblebrag.” Google it, so chic.)

Let me follow up with, I always told him I’d be happy with even a string around my finger because this is not about a piece of jewelry. He is my soul mate, be it pauper or prince, and the commitment is all that matters to me.

But isn’t that the purdiest ring you’ve ever seen in your life? He designed it himself! Isn’t that insane!? It’s literally so so beautiful and sparkly like fireworks that I’m getting distracted while I type this very sentence….and when that happens this song plays in my head (NSFW!!)….

Soooo, I’m sure you’re all dying to hear about how he did it.

Michael and I have always known that we were each others ”The One” since basically our first date and we had been casually looking at engagement rings for a couple months. Despite that I had literally no idea he was going to propose.

Since we spent time in Florida with his family for Thanksgiving, Christmas was my family’s turn and we went to Michigan. The thought hadn’t popped into my head that he might propose until one drunken evening when we were at a little local dive near my parents house.

(He actually psyched me out with the following- which is not something I would necessarily recommend to anyone, but it worked, so there’s that.)

Somehow the topic of marriage came up and he made an off-handed comment like, “You never know when it will happen. It could be tomorrow, it could be in two weeks, could be two years.” I didn’t say anything at the time but it did get my wheels turning, for two reasons – 1) TWO YEARS?! Um, no. 2) Two dayyysss??… I felt excitement.

That night I had a dream that he proposed and I woke up feeling a bit disappointed. I told him that it was ok if it wasn’t going to happen, but just not to talk about it. Not going to lie, I was pretty upset. (Word to the wise men: if you don’t plan on doing it – and doing it soon – don’t ever bring it up.) Michael seemed shocked that I would be upset and was all like, “You really thought I would propose in front of all these people!?” – to which I was like, oh shit, push it outta your brain, self!!

*******************************************************************

I had always figured that he would want to propose with just us. He would take me on a trip somewhere, maybe Europe or in the Mountains, and it would be very romantic and over-the-top because that is how he is (sorry ladiez!), and it would be very beautiful and planned out to the very last detail. This would have been fine, but I also had my own version.

As a young girl I saw my aunt get engaged while she was waiting tables at a restaurant  My whole family went there for dinner – I can’t remember if anyone knew was was going to happen – and my uncle got on the intercom (this was pre-buzzers, people) and asked her to marry him in front of our entire family and the entire restaurant. It was so amazing and stayed with me forever. I never told him that story, or that I wanted it to be in front of my whole family.

*********************************************************************

While I didn’t really expect him to do this now, at Christmas, in front of 20 of the most important people in my life, the little flicker of those words, “Could happen in two days” – just made my brain go crazy. Now that I knew this was NOT the case, I was like, never think of this again!!!!

Christmas morning comes and it’s the usual present opening and regular stuff, good times. Michael was in a hyper-ish mood and was talking about the wine-drinkin’ he was going to do and how fun the day was going to be! I’m not a morning person and wasn’t as enthused so Michael decided to get ready and go with my Dad to go take some things to my younger brothers house, where we were having Christmas Day dinner.

At my brother’s house we got our wine on, as planned, but after dinner I noticed that Michael had stopped drinking and also stopped talking. It was very odd. So odd that I started kicking him under the table as his one-word, no-yes responses to my Grandmother’s questions were completely out of character. Michael is very, wonderfully close with my family, so this was very strange.  Are you sick? Are you tired? I kept asking. Everything was fine apparently….

My cousin Tori – in a rare moment pulled away from Instagramming – decided it was time to play a game and ushered us all into the downstairs. We all sat on couches and on the floor and everyone was laughing and exchanging stories. Finally as we were about to play the game Michael said he wanted to say a few things.

I had ZERO clue of what was about to happen. Not even an inkling.

He started out talking about how special my family was to him. It was his first Christmas away from his family and he was so grateful to spend it with us. He talked about what a wonderful family we were and said all these beautiful things that made me burst with love.

Still had no idea what was about to happen, I just thought he was being really cute and sweet!

Then – he said he has one more Christmas gift for me and asked me to stand up.

I now knew. And omg did I crrryyyyy. Oh, I looked so ugly! But it was beautiful!

I’m not going to go into details about what he said, but it was wonderful and the most special I’ve ever felt. It was the most special, important day of my life thus far. Thinking about it gives me chills. 

And, that little time spent with my Dad – that was when Michael asked for his blessing which is the most romantic thing ever! And the reason why he was so quite and wasn’t drinking was because of nerves! Which is the most cutest thing ever!

Thank God for all my phone-crazy cousins because they documented the whole thing while my aunts screamed and high-fived.

So there you have it. The story, the play-by-play of our engagement. I am the luckiest girl in the world and I will be sure to keep everyone up to date with my wedding planning which has been in full swing since this day. Want to know how far I got? 2014! That is all we know. 2014 is when we will get married.

Happy 2013!!! We wish you all health, happiness and love this year.

*RADMAGICLOVE*