Gory details

We've been talking for a long time about wedding stuff, particularly since Christmas, because of some family/friend-related stuff (my sister got engaged last fall, so we have to work around her wedding, tentatively planned for spring of 08; we're in a wedding this fall for some of our best friends, etc.) So we'd pretty much already settled on a time (Fall of 08, but possibly spring - long story) but I had no idea he was planning to propose soon (he told me "within the next year").

We've also been looking at (and talking about) rings and stones for over a year.

On Monday, I came home from work to find a box with a suspicious return address on the back porch. I didn't investigate too closely, not wanting to ruin any surprise that I knew he wanted to do. So when he got home from school that night I told him "there's a box on your dresser" and he said "o rly?" and then he disappeared into the bedroom for a while and came back out with a big smile on his face.

So I was a little suspicious. We had decided a few weeks ago to go out to dinner on February 15 (Valentine's day is for amateurs; he's been a server for a long time and knows how tough VDay can be for a restaurant, and it's a lot easier to get a reservation and good service the day after). So I decided to surprise him on Wednesday, and I made him a really nice dinner and dessert that we ate when he got home from class that night. After dessert he said "Do you want your present now?" and I said "I thought you were giving it to me tomorrow." He said "You might want it for tomorrow," and went into the bedroom and came out with a pretty box. Inside were peridot earrings and a pendant and I squeed a little. So pretty! And obviously, that's what must have been in the mysterious box.

So I totally was not expecting anything but a nice dinner Thursday night, and he surprised me by taking me to a REALLY nice restaurant. We had wine and dinner and he insisted on ordering dessert. In between dinner and dessert, he took the silver claddagh ring I've been wearing for 5 years (on my right hand of course) and did a magic trick with it (he's been doing slight-of-hand type tricks since he was a kid, but usually with cards and coins). Anyhow, this was a trick with a napkin, and as he told me the story of unscrupulous fortune tellers during the renaissance era, he took my silver ring and turned it into the white gold with sapphire you see above and asked me to marry him! WHEEEEE!!! I was totally shocked and didn't even realize what was happening until he opened the napkin with the pretty new ring. It was totally HIM to propose that way, and I was thrilled, and surprised, and I keep looking and my hand and doing little happy dances.

The ring is exactly what I wanted and he had a co-conspirator who's one of my best friends and totally knows my style, so I guess she knew all about it beforehand. Some other friends knew. Also, my mom knew and you, the internets. He'd promised me that everyone would know before I did, and he delivered.

The restaurant gave us the dessert (and some champagne) for free. I bet the server got a nice tip.