Engaged!!!

That's right. Jeff nailed the ole coffin shut! I finally tricked him into thinking I'm pleasant enough to be around for a lifetime! MUahahahahahahahahah!!!!

I honestly don't know how I got so lucky as to have him select me as a mate. It must have been my disarmingly good looks. Or maybe this ginormous pimple that has erupted by the corner of my mouth due to the stress of planning a wedding. That's probably it. The pimple is what did him in. Stick with me, single gals, I'll have you married off in no time!

I'm hoping that going forward, this doesn't turn into a complete wedding blog. I'm sure it will though, since most of my mind is wrapped around stupid details like "candle or flower centerpieces," "black or plum bridesmaids dresses," and "how much alcohol can I actually drink before the ceremony without falling over during my walk down the aisle." So, I apologize in advance for my lack of varying blog topics, but damnit, I'm getting married, and I want the entire universe to know about it!

So, there you have it. I'm sorry this post is so short, but I really can't think of much else to say. ..


OH! I guess I can tell you a bit about how Jeff proposed and got this whole ball rolling in the first place. He went to Freeport to ask my father for permission to marry me (such a gentleman!) and when my dad asked when he was going to pop the question, Jeff said, "I guess today." (Such a planner.)

Anyway, he had to call my work and have them tell me to stay a little longer, because Jeff wanted to propose up here (in Houston). So, he hauled ass (like, 80-85mph, which, trust me, Jeff NEVER does--my head typically dangles over the precipice of explosion when he drives because he barely even goes the speed limit) to hurry up and try to make it before I left work, and got there in pretty record time.

He pulled up to the drive thru at the bank and said hello. This isn't an entirely unusual thing, he stops by to bring me coffee every now and then or just to say what's up, so I wasn't really thrown off guard by the fact that he was there. Even when he asked if he could send me something through the drive-thru tube, I didn't really catch on that something was amiss.

So, when I went to get the tube, I looked down and saw a glimmer of something round and golden. I immediately looked away, fearing the worst (worst = Jeff molding a piece of aluminum foil into the shape of a ring and spray-painting it gold JUST to mess with me. Yes, he would do that. He's evil), and walked back over to the speaker and said, ever so eloquently, "Uh." He asked if I could meet him outside, and I said "sure" and took the tube (without looking down into it again, mind you) outside.

When I met him in the parking lot, he took the tube from me, got the ring out, and got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. :) I said yes, of course (at least, I think that's what I said, it's really just a big blur now!), and cried and hugged him and turned about as red as a lobster. When I get overly emotional, I tend to turn beet red and have no way of changing that.

Thankfully, the ring was real, not foil*, and off we drove into the sunset (or to Big Woodrow's, same thing) to have a celebratory beer at the place where we first reunited. It was glorious and I honestly don't think I've ever been happier than I was that afternoon. We heard from some many different people who called to congratulate us, and the outpouring of love was definitely an added bonus to the whole day. Without a doubt, it was a day I will never forget.

So that's the proposal story. Looking back, I honestly could've killed Jeff for sending the ring clattering throught the drive-thru tube. It could've been sucked into oblivion or some other universe! And trust me, with his luck, that could've very easily have happened to Jeff.



*I would have gladly accepted an aluminum foil ring, and told Jeff as much. He could've proposed with duct tape and I would've said yes. :)

A few things about Jeff and me

1. We've known one another since we were 3 years old.
2. We went to high school together and he was in band.
3. He was Homecoming king our Senior year. Nerd.
4. We both lived in College Station at the same time, but never ran into one another.
5. The first time I ever really hung out with him was at Big Woodrow's in May 2007.
6. I had just gotten out of a long relationship and didn't want to date anyone.
7. Jeff is very persistent.
8. He's also very honest and genuine.
9. After letting me know that he liked me and thought that we'd be great together, I told him I still didn't want to date anyone and that I just needed some time.
10. He told me he'd give me as long as it took.
11. The next week we went out on our first date.
12. He took me fishing.
13. We didn't catch a thing, but I had a great time because he made me laugh the whole day.
14. Jeff's hilarious. Seriously. We immediately had a very quirky bond that grew from quoting Lord of the Rings and drunkenly singing Johnny Cash at the top of our lungs.
15. He first kissed me in his truck, parked in front of my friend's house.
16. He told me he'd never sell that truck because that's where we had our 1st kiss, and that he never wants to be rid of it.
17. Every time he kisses me, my mind goes blank. Still. Even to this day.
18. He has wonderful, rough, manly hands.
19. He told me he loved me for the first time standing in my driveway. I remember exactly where I was standing.
20. He can laugh and poke fun at me without hurting my feelings.
21. I can do the same to him.
22. He has short arms. Like a T-Rex, and I often make fun of him for it.
23. He's very awkward around babies.
24. He plays guitar and it makes me smile.
25. We have so many inside jokes it's ridiculous.
26. We nearly have our own secret language full of stupid words like, "Zee."
27. He tolerates my whining.

More later.

Things I Love

Here's a very long list, in no particular order of things and people and stuff that I love:

Juicy peaches

Star Wars

Lord of the Rings

Quoting Lord of the Rings with Jeff

Sunny, warm days

Driving with the windows down

Laughing

Cheese

Rare, tender steak

German potatoes

Crawfish

Crawfish boils on Saturday afternoons

Harry Potter

Bic 537R blue pens

Planners

My engagement ring

Jeff

My Mom

Pat

My family

My soon-to-be-family

Salsa

Chips

The Grilled Chicken Salad with creamy parmesan dressing from Cafe Express

The Judds

Pam Tillis

Lady Gaga

Knee high boots over jeans

High heels

My Jessica Simpson cowboy boots

Warm pretzels with melted cheese from the mall

Sbarro spagghetti

Cupcakes

Baking

Cleaning

Falling asleep

Taking pictures

Flowers

Lucy

Lucy's kisses

Fishing

the smell of salt-water

Ninny

Lost

The Sookie Stackhouse novels and True Blood

Lauren Garcia

Helen Merritt

Rachel Brothers

Tina's stuffed mushrooms

Tina

Books that make me cry

Wedding magazines

Wedding dresses

Wedding planning

Pretty lighting

Sunset

Childhood memories of Schlitterbahn

Two stepping

Good, live country music

Jeff's freckles

Jeff's red hair

Zeee

Fluffy white towels

Floating the river

Warm water out of the hose during summer

Watermelon

BBQ ribs

My Mac

Home grown pickles

Playing washers at the beach on a cloudless day

Beer

Wine

Clementines

Grapefruit

Sleeping in

Camp

Lever 2000 body wash

Fall colors

Easter weekend

Theme parties

The Beatles

Jeff, David and Andrew playing guitar

Noah

Dogs

Linus in Hats

Jeff's cocoon

Snow

Cow

Baby tigers

Watching big storms roll in

My Best Friend's Wedding

Space Balls

Friend's weddings

Sex and the City

Texas

America

History

School

Learning

Discussing literature

Stretchy pants

Socks

Reef flippy floppies

Riding in a boat

Swimming

Laying on a float in a pool

Kayaking

Williams-Sonoma

Shopping for kitchenware

Surprises

Fresh, crisp paper

The smell of freshly cut grass

Picnics

Lauging so hard I cry

Dancing

Decorating my apartment

Discussing Lost theories

Swirl

Starbucks Lemon Pound Cake

Starbacks skinny vanilla lattes

Cheese enchiladas

Vacations

Ireland

Amsterdam

Jogging at Memorial Park on a sunny day

Calling in "sick" to work

Paid sick leave

The smell of Origins in the Galleria

Shipley's donuts and jalepeno sausage and cheese kolaches

Saurkraut

Legal pads

Foot rubs

My Mom's head rubs

Falling asleep on the couch

Reading on the patio

Opening the windows

The smell of clean cotton

Writing

Sititng in the driveway with family and neighbors

Soft sheets

Kissing

Up

A Christmas Story

Ralphie

Men with rough hands

Clay Walker

Eric Northman

Vampire Bill

Christian Bale

Batman

Judging red carpet fashion

Snuggling with Lucy

Puppies

Swinging on a tire swing

Jumping on trampolines

Austin City Limits

Working outside in the dirt

Climbing trees

Laying by the pool, drinking mojitos

Getting letters in the mail

Little kids

New haircuts

Baseball caps

Going to Astro's games and sitting in the nosebleeds, eating hotdogs and drinking overpriced beer

Eating lunch with my mother

Pub grub

Buffalo wings

Pizza with lots of marinara

Blazin' Noodles at Pei Wei

Target

Ninny's homemade bread

And turkey

And dressing

And gravy

Gumbo

Mix CDs

Massages

Candles that smell like clean linens

Puns

Warm rolls

Dewberry pie

Rope swings

Painting

Falling asleep in hammocks

Lake LBJ

Brooches

Pay day

Pineapple banana orange smoothies from Central Market

Chick-fil-A

The Pioneer Woman

The Office

hulu

Sun dresses

Retro swimsuits

Kiwis

Ham and cheese sammiches

...and so much more...

I really enjoy thinking about things that I love. It makes me thankful for all that I have and have to look forward to. Like getting married. And Karen's baby. And lots and lots of other really wonderful things.