Mum's the Word

You may have noticed (or you may not have) that I actually began this blog before I was publicly engaged. My honey and I planned our engagement for some time before we told anyone. I picked out my engagement ring, we both got sized, and we planned a romantic getaway to wine country that I have termed our "engagement trip" to revolve around a significant date in our relationship.

We began our "engagement trip" on Sunday, and on Monday morning I handed him The Box while we were still in our hotel room. He opened the box, placed the ring on my finger, kissed me, and we walked out the door to begin the day's adventure.

I called my mom after lunch and said "Nick asked me to marry him!" 

There was a loooooong pause, followed by "you mean he... proposed?" 

"Yes." Isn't that what I just said? (I'd actually thought I was being more direct by using the 'm' word instead of saying that he proposed: Proposed what? That we get a puppy?)

"Did you say yes?"

"Yes." Would I have called you and been super excited if I'd said no? Apparently, wine country, although lovely, does not have the best cell reception, because my mom repeated her last question, waited several seconds (during which I said "yes" about a dozen times) and then hung up the phone.

I called her back and was finally able to get my message across, and she started crying. Great. Eventually she was able to compose herself enough to ask if he'd called his mom, say something congratulatory, and hang up the phone.

Next time my mom and I talked, she had clearly gotten over her initial shock. She was in full wedding planning mode. Location? A winery closer to home (we have a lot of wineries in California). Time of year? Undecided. Mom's two cents: you don't want to have an outdoor wedding when it's too hot, or you'll be sweaty and feel gross, and no bride wants to be sweaty. 

Well, at least she's on board.

Sharing Is Caring

I learned a lot of things during college. I don't remember most of them. One thing that I do remember is this: in a relationship, it is far more important to have shared values than to have shared interests.

What this means is that two people don't have to enjoy all of the same things in order to be compatible. My honey likes to play video games. I would rather be reading a book. And that's a-okay. We share things that are more important, like a strong work ethic and a desire to raise our future children to be the best that they can be. We are both very family-oriented, yet sometimes feel frustrated by our families. We have similar temperaments: we are both adventurous and enjoy new experiences.

Don't get me wrong; we do have some common interests. Just not all of them. This will ultimately be a strength in our relationship by helping us maintain our individual identities, at the same time that we build our identity as a couple.

The Box

The box on my coffee table is putting butterflies in my stomach. And I haven't even opened it yet. The butterflies started before the box was even in my possession--they started while I was driving to the post office to pick it up. What's in the box is my engagement ring. 

So far, it's still a secret. That won't last long. We're going to be making the announcement in three days (on our nine-month-iversary). I'm nervous and excited and ridiculously happy. I know that I have a long to-do list coming my way in terms of wedding planning. I also know that having a great wedding (we will) isn't nearly as important as having a great relationship (we do).

During the course of this blog, I plan to do several things:
1. Create a kick-ass wedding.
2. Strengthen my relationship with my honey.
3. Be true to myself.
4. Openly share my experiences.