#1 of 25 Things

I was proposed to before my husband ever told me that he loved me. We had never spoken about marriage or gone shopping for rings, which seems to have become a tradition in couples. It was all a big surprise.


Surprise!? How can a marriage proposal be a surprise? I know you are wondering how - as most women "know" she is going to have the big question asked...she just doesn't know WHEN.

As for me, I never saw it coming, at all.

I think a back story is appropriate here....

Richard and I "met" my junior year of college through a mutal friend. We had a developing friendship over the internet and phone.

We actually met face to face many months later. I won't get into the details here, but my closest friends know how that went...Basically, I spent the rest of the school year trying to set him up with my single friends, while they tried to tell me that Richard and I belonged together....I thought they were nuts.

Obviously, those friends were right. But in conversing about life goals and what path we were following after college, the word MARRIAGE was never mentioned. We knew where we stood with one another without verbally saying "I think we should get married" or "I love you". People get too hung up on words.

And I have heard inquiries, "How long were you together before you said I love you?" or "How did you say yes to marrying him if he didn't tell you he loved you? How did you know that he did?" Seriously, if you have to hear "I love you" in order to believe it, then it probably isn't real.

And for those curious readers, we were engaged for three months before he spoke "I love you".

As for the ring, it too was a big surprise. We never discussed the kind of ring that I dreamed of seeing for the rest of my life. He stole (borrowed) a ring out of my jewlery box to get it sized without me knowing. He used two (round) diamonds that were passed down to him from his grandfather and had them set on either side of a larger (round) diamond, which he picked out himself.

I think I have covered everything!
Any questions?

I have included a few pre-engagement photos!

Our first Thanksgiving together - Lunch with his family, then we drove three hours to eat dinner with mine. Crazy!

VMI Mid-winter Formal

Some concert where women and civilian clothes were allowed inside at VMI. We both still have those clothes. haha!