Mike popped the question! Here's how it happened:

All my life I have imagined what my proposal would be like. I pictured an afternoon cruise on the Chesapeake, or maybe a late night dinner at a posh restaurant on U street. Knowing Mike, I (half jokingly) thought I'd find a ring in my gym bag... or my cereal. Needless to say, I've kept my eyes open over the past few months.

Then, early last Sunday morning (1/25) Mike and I were laying in bed talking. He rolls over, looks me and asks if I would marry him in a tone I think few people have heard but me. There are so many special things you discover about someone when you're in love and you have been together for a long time. He said he knew it was not how I had imagined it (he knows how sentimental I am) but he wanted to ask me- of course I said yes :-) He promised to get a ring and propose again more formally. So I waited...

For an entire week I was engaged and could not tell anyone! If you know me you know I am TERRIBLE with secrets and extremely impatient- what a horrible combination when I have the best news of my life but have decided not to tell anyone until there's a ring on my finger. As you could imagine, I was pretty on edge all of last week. I didn't want to nag Mike about getting the ring or proposing again... I mean, I didn't want to ruin it by trying to plan it myself (I wish for just one moment I could relax and let things happen on their own!) but I noticed that Baltimore's restaurant week was conveniently scheduled for the upcoming week and I hinted (not very subtly) at Mike about various romantic restaurants we could go to for cheap.

I went to dinner with my mom on Sunday night and it was all I could do to not tell her I was engaged. I had imagined telling my mother I was getting married almost as much as I had imagined getting engaged growing up. It is a very special moment to me and somehow I was able to get through the meal with small talk and constantly stuffing my face with old bay chips and fries (great way to start my wedding diet...). Come on Mike do it already...

Ok, so I cracked- I told Lacie. I had to tell someone and she is in Tokyo right now learning Japanese and pretending to like fish (love u girl ;-) ). I felt slightly better (I could at least get through a few more days). Then, I cracked again and told my trainer Cher on Saturday morning in the middle of a set of crunches (all sorts of crazy endorphins rushing through my veins). If you have not met Cher she is the most awesome trainer ever, and an awesome person to boot (I'm going to be in her upcoming You Tube promo video- watch out Hollywood here I come :-) ). She helped me lost 30 pounds and a ton of body fat since May, (better get married soon while I'm thin lol!). She was super happy for me and cried a little as she told me to do 15 more push up/leg raises.

Saturday afternoon- Mike and I visit his family so his mom can take a look at my taxes (I owe the IRS a bunch of money but that is another story for a different blog called THE GOVERNMENT SCREWS PEOPLE WHO MAKE A DECENT LIVING). I've gotten good at keeping my mouth shut by now so I was just able to not tell them (though had we stayed longer I think it would have slipped). Then something unprecedented happened that assured me tonight was the night..... can you guess what it was?

Yes, Mike got a haircut. After 10 months of me nagging, begging, pleading.... almost chasing him around with scissors and clippers.... we go to the hair cuttery and he gets an adorable new do. I could see his face again and his deep blue eyes that caught my attention from across the room the first night we met. It was great. I still tell him he's so cute about every 10 minutes. I think it annoys him :-)

Saturday night comes around- turns out Mike has a special dinner planned (all that hinting paid off!). Surprisingly, we don't go to Baltimore , but take the metro to DC instead. He takes me to Bananas, a great Cuban restaurant in Capital Hill that we both ADORE. I'm a little more than nervous, so what better way to calm your nerves than good old...tequila. I promptly order one of their amazing house margaritas. I down that in about 3 gulps and order a mojito. You can see where this is going... I'm so nervous I spend the whole time looking around the restaurant for our waiter in case I needed another drink. The meal was delicious and the evening was pleasant enough... but no proposal.

We get home and I pop open my lap top to check facebook/email (more than a little tipsy at this point). Mike goes in the other room for a moment (I assumed to change), comes back, and asks me to put my laptop down for a second. He then gets down on one knee, hands me a ring, and asks me to marry him. I say a very happy (and only slightly slurred) yes.

So that's my story. Mike and I got engaged in our living room at 11:30 pm on Saturday night. He gave me the ring his father gave his mom when they got engaged. I like the fact that it has sentimental value.

I know our Fathers are looking down at us, smiling. I know my Daddy still watches over me, and I feel a happiness around me that I like to think is partially his, too.

Now, time to spill the beans....