engaged: me!

What an amazing way to end the 2011 year . . . on December 29th, in front of my best friends and their spouses, Joe got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. Me and the shorties, all three of us, will you spend the rest of your life with me? I am floating on Cloud Nine . . . here is my story because I know you are dying to know : )

We had plans to go to our favorite Italian restaurant, Damascos, for about a month, along with the rest of the Assets and their spouses. We were going to celebrate my birthday, which was on the 31st, and the birthday of Elsa, which was on the 20th. I bought a new dress, done my hair up real good, and enjoyed a wonderful evening of food, wine and my most fabulous company. We had plans after dinner to all come back to our house for drinks and to exchange Christmas and birthday gifts. After opening beautiful, beautiful gifts from my incredible girlfriends, Angela decided it would be fun to start a round of TableTopics, which are these adorable cards with one question on each card that gets conversation stirring among the group . . .

When it was my turn to go, I went to grab a card from the middle of the deck, and Miss Angela, the Asset Joe called upon to help play this out, was very quick to throw her hand over mine and tell me that I had to pick the next card in the set. Whoa, Nelly, excuuuuuuse me. I reached for the next card, which read "If you could ask anyone in the room one question, what would it be?" I know I asked someone something, and then they asked someone something, and then it came to be Joe's turn. I was in the kitchen, and he was standing on the other side of the bar. In some sort of variation of words, he said, Well, I would ask Mo. If I could ask you one question . . . and he slowly walks around the corner into the kitchen . . . it would be . . . pulls out the most amazing ring I have ever seen . . . will you do the honor of spending the rest of your life with me?

And let the sob story begin - I thought he was joking. I lost my breath, and I think I even lost my mind for a few minutes as I rambled on and on about how thank God I had painted my nails, how I thought I was going to throw up, how no one has ever asked me to spend the rest of their life with them before . . . it was truly the most amazing moment I've experienced (next to childbirth, of course). And I became completely enthralled with staring at my ring as much as possible, not just because it is so incredibly beautiful, but because it symbolized the effort, time and funds he has invested to give me something so amazing to ask me something so amazing. He has been planning this for the last five months, sick to his stomach with anxiety and being secretive. And I can happily say that I had absolutely no idea, which thrills him to no end . . .

And now, we have a lovely little wedding to plan for late in the summer, which will we share with our closest friends and family. When he asked me what I wanted out of a wedding, it was just that - small, our closest, in a beautiful place, with incredible food, that everyone sits down at a beautifully set table, and our favorite music plays all night long. It is becoming extremely fun to plan this, I might add. I have a whole new excitement for my own brides!

So there's the story in a nutshell . . . I'm sure a whole new section of posts will emerge as we plan the celebration of this day, but that makes it all the more fun for friends and clients to be a part of this with us. We could not be more blessed or happy. Most of the photos from that portion of the night were taken on cell phones, but I promise to share lots and lots . . . we plan on doing an engagement shoot with Lauren very, very soon!

Happy, Happy New Year to you all, and may amazing things happen in 2012 for all of us!