Initial reactions to our news

This still isn't the proposal story yet, but I thought some of these stories were worth writing down so I had to jot them down and since I did, I thought I would share a couple. I will get to the proposal story soon, I promise :)

I had to tell my students the news that I was going to get married. Some of their reactions and remarks made me laugh. The announcement made one little little innocent brown eyed boy stop what he was doing as he looked at me and asked "why?" .

"No. no. no." said another little boy. "I don't want to wear a tux. I don't want to have to wear a tux" (Finally I realized that little boy thought he was going to be a part of my wedding so after I assured him that he wouldn't need to wear a tux if he came to my wedding just take a bath and wear clean clothes he was super excited. "okay, I'll ask my mom if I can go.")

I also drew a picture for the kids to illustrate Mark and I getting married and, of coarse, drew Mark bald. As I did I whispered to the kids "he doesn't have any hair". Most of the kids thought that was disgusting "eeugh". The next morning one of my little heartbroken little boys (truly-this little boy has been in love with me for a couple of years and when he found out that I had a boyfriend a few months ago he was crushed. I was actually a little worried about telling the class I was engaged because I didn't want to hurt him any more than he already was). Anyways that little boy came into my colleagues room and said "Mrs. L, Mrs. L. I have something funny to tell you. Miss Michel is going to marry a bald man!" To which he seemed to laugh inside thinking 'you've got to be kidding me. She is totally missing out on marrying me and I even have a full head of hair! Oh well, her loss.' Someday he may realize it just wouldn't have worked out for us to be together. :)

When I told my dad that we were engaged the first words out of his mouth were "well it's about time". He again said the same thing to Mark when he saw him next. No "welcome to the family" or "congratulations". No. Just 'it's about time'. But I guess to my dad's defense Mark did ask for my hand in marriage well over a month before we got engaged so my dad had to wait a long time for this announcement. Then he hugged me, which is a big deal in my family, we are not the hugging type. (Mark had been going to ask me awhile ago. We'd been ring shopping and I knew he had bought the ring. I even knew he was planning on proposing that Thursday the 2nd week of October, but then I got scared. It is a big decision. I needed more time to get used to the idea. But then my friend was going through the temple for the first time and I didn't want to take away from that, then Halloween came and he couldn't ask me on Halloween. So finally he was going to ask me the first week of November but ended up having to work, and yes I knew he was going to propose to me that day even though he didn't know I knew so when he had to work instead I was a bit bratty. Finally I trying to explain my awful behavior to him I said "it's just that I thought today would be a perfect day for you to propose." To which he hemmed and hawed around and said, "its just that. . .well, it's just that that was the plan. I was going to ask you to marry me today." "I know" I said. He seemed a little surprised that I knew, but that's what happens when you can read the other person really well. Not many surprises. That's also why he had to be extra creative when he finally did ask me to marry him the following week.)

My 5 year old nephew, Braden, left me the cutest voicemail message when he heard the news. "hi this is Braden. I am so glad you finally got a ring on your finger! Okay call me back. I love you bye-bye."

My school secretary (who also happens to be the Stake RS President) gave me the biggest hug and got all teary eyed. She made me cry too because I could tell she was genuinely happy for me. She told me yesterday that she's been telling people my news for days now!

My granny said I made her day. Too bad I called so late at night so that she didn't have enjoyed the new s for longer that day.

Lois Bird said she doesn't remember a wedding she is looking forward more than she is this one and that it would take an act of congress to keep her away from it. (I love Sister Bird and always have. She told Mark he had to be one smart guy to know what he had with me.)

Mark said my mom's reaction was his favorite. We had to go to the temple to tell her and dad because they work there on Saturday. Mom was actually the first one we saw when we went in and I guess her eyes got really big and her mouth dropped open.

I have already decided that when there stop being people that don't know the news I think I am going to have to stop random strangers on the street and tell them "we're getting married!" (Is it bad that I have already done this a few times, or is it something you would just naturally expect from me). It's all I can think about so naturally I think that everyone should be thinking about it too :).

P.S. The date we've chosen is Saturday March 6th, 2010 at the Columbia River Temple 10 AM. We will have a reception that night in Mattawa. Put it on your calendars. I would love to celebrate the day with you!

**Update** We are actually getting married Friday March 5th, 2010 same time, same place. We moved it up a day (but actually wish we could have moved it up a month :))

My new ring

Most of you already know by now, but for those of you who don't. . . Mark gave me a shiny new ring the other day :). I know most of you are hoping this is the proposal story and more information on Mark, but I hate to tell you it is not that blog. That is coming soon, I promise, but I am trying to find the right way to condense the story so in the meantime. . . my ring.

(This is actually a picture of the ring with the band too. Mark still has the band and

I've only been allowed to try on once or twice-mostly just long enough to briefly admire it and snap a picture)

It is kind of funny how quickly one becomes used to something. I feel naked without my ring now and I've only had it for just over a week. It is way too big for me and has this tape/paper blob on the back to keep it from falling off and I take it off to get ready in the morning but then I keep finding myself frantically thinking "ugh where's my ring? Oh there it is." Then literally 10 seconds later the exact same thing again "{gasp} where's my ring? Oh there it is" right where I left it, imagine that :). It feels so safe and comforting to put it back on again.

I find myself waking up in the middle of the night making sure it was still there and smiling when it still is. I then find myself flashing my hand out as if to look at my ring, then realizing that it is too dark to see it I then roll over and go back to sleep. This happens continuously throughout the night. Silly, I know-somehow it all feels like a dream and I get so excited when I realize it is not a dream and I really am engaged to be married to Mark.

I also find it funny how I used to be slightly annoyed with a girl, who was newly engaged, who kept showing her ring. It also bothered me how the first thing that someone did when they found out that a person was engaged was to grab for the girls hand and look at the ring. Unfortunately I find myself being that girl-too quickly showing my ring when I excitedly pronounce "I'm engaged!" and loving when people grab my hand to look at my beautiful ring. (I even showed a member of our stake presidency when we had a YW meeting this week before embarrassingly realizing that he didn't care to see my ring, but by then it was too late. He told me congratulations anyways and then told me what I already knew: that men didn't care about those things-seeing the ring-as much as women did-ahh . . .). I'd much rather be showing off Mark but he often is not with me so the next best thing, I guess, is the ring he gave me.

It is kind of a strange idea to have chosen someone I want to spend the rest of my life with. I have waited my whole life for this and now that it is here is just seems so normal. Does that make any sense? I don't know how to explain it. Being engaged to Mark makes me feel like I'm wearing my favorite pair of socks, curled up with my favorite quilt in my red leather chair. It makes me feel all cozy, safe, happy and at home. I think I'm in love with that boy! :)