Moved into a darling, little, old house. It has hardwood floors and a wood burning fireplace! Love it.
Christmas. My first Christmas with my boys - and not a single picture of it. Shame on me! We attended a candlelight service at our church on Christmas Eve. It was such a special service for me. I felt such a sense of love and peace. I think with it, a new tradition was born! Ty loved what we got him too. I had renewed joy in the holidays again by watching the excitement I remember having at his age. Oh, to be 8 again.
New Year's Eve. A.K.A. my birthday. I turned 29. I don't feel almost 30 - when did this happen?
And the most exciting news?? I got engaged!!! Danny proposed on my birthday - or shortly after midnight, but we'll call it "my birthday." Allow me to elaborate...
Danny had made dinner reservations for us at Bentleys in downtown Salem for 7:30pm. While tucked in a cozy booth waiting for our food to arrive, my brother randomly shows up! He walks over to our table to wish me a happy birthday. I was surprised and suspicious initially, but then I realized he was meeting up with a group of his friends, so this encounter was completely coincidence.
After we finished our amazing dinner, we were sitting there chatting, when my dear friend Brittany walks in. I had just spent the entire day with her shopping, lunch, and manicures, so I was completely surprised to see her. She walked right up and joined us! I didn't think much of it, until another close friend, Renee, did the same about 20 minutes later. After a few more moments, in walks my dear friend, Shannon! We moved to a larger table over by the fireplace, and it comes out in the meantime that while I was getting ready, Danny had helped himself to my friend's cell numbers from my phone and contacted them all to come down and celebrate me for my birthday!! It was such a sweet surprise and I truly felt celebrated!
After a round of dessert and lemon drops, Shannon and Renee had to rejoin their families for the night, so Brittany, Danny, and I went over to La Capitale to bring in the New Year. Now, you simply cannot go to La Capitale and not order their Papas Frites (french fries) and because Brittany and I share a SLIGHT and totally normal obsession for them, she ordered me a serving a "birthday" fries that came out with a candle! Delicious as always - they were devoured. As midnight approached, we counted down to the New Year, watching the NYC "ball drop" on the television in the lounge there. Shortly there after, we finished up and took Brittany home.
After we dropped her off, Danny started heading home in the wrong direction. Something was up. He drove back into the heart of a south Salem neighborhood, and we pulled into a dark and empty parking lot, which turned out to be Queen of Peace Catholic Church. We pulled up, and got out, and he led me to the doors of the chapel on the back side of the church. This is about the time the adrenaline started pumping, and all I remember thinking as he led me to those doors was, "Oh my gosh, this is actually happening! What else could it be?!" I had figured it out by then :) He punches a code on the key pad to let us in the prayer chapel, and in we walk to the pitch black, quiet, empty space. He leads me over to a a row of seats, and we sit. He pulls a candle out of his pocket and lights it, setting it on a little table in front of us. The moment turned euphoric. He turned to me. In the silence of the moment, looked me in the eye, told me he wanted me forever, and asked if I would marry him. By that time he had already pulled the ring out of his pocket, popped the box open, and was holding it out in front of me. I unabashedly shouted, "FOR REAL?!" He laughed and said, yes as he slid the ring onto my finger. I exclaimed, "Oh course! I love you!" Then bursting into happy tears, hugging, and kissing him.
Those moments immediately following were a blur. I remember it was dark in the chapel and I can't even picture it now. I remember it was so dark I could barely see my ring, but he held up the candle to my finger so I could see it. IT.WAS.BEAUTIFUL! An emerald cut diamond set in a pave halo setting - vintage inspired and more "me" than I could have ever picked out for myself. He did an amazing job. He just gets me, and he nailed it.
I remember we left the chapel, got home, but it was too late to call anyone. I just remember my heart feeling so full of love and happiness that I couldn't contain the emotion. Have you ever been so overwhelmed with emotion that you literally feel like your heart could physically burst? Almost as if your heart is so big, you can feel it simultaneously beating in your throat and your toes, as though it has expanded to accommodate the emotion and it's filling your entire body. That was my moment. Euphoric, cloud-9, uncontainable, heart-exploding happiness. I asked him why he chose to propose at the chapel. I knew he was raised Catholic, so I was sure that held some special meaning for him. He told me that he knew I wouldn't have wanted a production out of it, so he wanted to propose in a place that was intimate and in the silence of the moment, he could ask me - just me, him, and God. Sigh - how perfect!
As I ponder the wedding-planning process, I am really starting to believe that perhaps this is exactly how our wedding should go too. Him, me, and God. I've never wanted a big, white, fluffy production, so perhaps a traditional "wedding" is not for me. We're still trying to figure it out, but whatever we do will be special because it will be the beginning of our lives together. I am so happy, and so excited!! They say, "when you know, you know." I never truly believed that until meeting Danny. The whole relationship has confirmed true love does exist, and I could not feel more blessed, grateful, and peace than in this moment.
Wanna hear about all of the non-wedding plans? Stay tuned :)
