the bauble...

sparkle, sparkle, sparkle...



Way back when, before I met the man who exceeded any dreams I couldn't have even thought to have, I used to want a certain type of engagement ring. Once I met Keith, all the superficial cares about rings flew out the window and all I cared about was the amazing man I get to be with forever. So of course when the time came, he presented me with a stunning token of affection that, just like the man, makes my insides flutter. He really wanted to please me with the ring, so we did go looking ahead of time so he could see my taste, and after that night all I said to him was, "Above all else, aside from wanting just you, I want it to sparkle..."


And sparkle it does...

Lucky, Happy, Spoiled Me...

Short version?


Long version?



I am smitten! Smitten!



So, here's the story...



I've known this was coming for some time. Keith and I first talked about getting married back in August. In October we went to look at rings, just for him to get an idea of what I liked and then he'd take it from there. Shortly after that, Keith set up a date for us in Boston on DEC 4TH!! I knew right away that that date was a decoy. He may as well have given me a big bulls-eye on the calendar to wait for. He soon realized that he'd need to do a little more misdirection in order to surprise me.


Keith set up a whole bunch of dates for the two of us in November and December in order to hide when "the Date" really was. So, on Friday, November 20th, we were scheduled for date #4. Keith was using this day as a "work from home day" and I asked him to do a couple of LITTLE chores (pick up pumpkin from the store, do a load or two of laundry, etc.) and the stress on his face was a bit of a tip-off that something was up, but I had no clue what I was really in store for!



The calendar said we had a 6pm date in Worcester, so I thought I was going home after work (I was getting out around 3), getting ready, and leaving with him between 5:00 and 5:30. Well, when I walked out to my car at 3:07, I found roses in my car, post-it notes all over the place instructing me to listen to the CD, and there was a duffel bag on the floor that wasn't there in the morning. (I thought it was for him and that he was hiding behind a car somewhere!).



The CD started with him speaking, letting me know that I wasn't going home to get ready! That he packed a bag for me with my make-up, hair stuff, clothes, shoes, perfume, etc! He said I needed to be in the Boston Common by 5, gave me the address to park in the Boston Common garage, and then said to just relax and listen to some music. What followed was a very sentimental CD of songs that are important to us. The first song he ever sang to me ("Someday" by The Strokes), my favorite song ever, ("Lady in Red"), the most awful song by Rhianna and Jay-Z that played every 20 minutes for 2 weeks while we were refinishing furniture ("Run This Town", I think), "Sarah Smile" :-), etc. I was a blubbering fool by song 4!! It was the beginning of a night I will never, ever forget.



(I'm stubborn, I did drive home first as I technically had enough time and some essentials were missing.)



I got to the garage on time, and up to the Boston Common right on the dot. He was somewhere in the park; it took us about 10 minutes to find each other because we were navigating by texting each other! :-)



We went to Starbucks to get some coffee and a small snack for me since Keith informed me we weren't eating at 6 as I had thought, but actually at 7, so I was hungry. After the coffee, he asked if I wanted to walk around for a bit. He brought me over to the public gardens side of the boston common where I'd never been before (5 years in boston and I don't go over there??). We walked for a bit, he steered me towards a bench and we sat. It was this awkward bench that was leaning a bit forward, but for me it was surprisingly comfortable (short legs…), but he wasn't comfortable (but now I think he was nervous rather than uncomfortable!). We talked for a bit. Reminisced. Things like, "Remember when I showed you that text I sent to my friend when I told him you were the one?" and "Remember when you told me this?" It was coming, and I knew it, but it happened SO fast. In the weeks leading up to this moment, he had been collecting little things. A taco bell hot sauce packet that said "Will you marry me.", a RingPop that he bought for me, a sourdough pretzel that we made into a ring while at a basketball game. So when he reached into his pocket while saying, "This is related to what I'm saying." I thought he was about to pull out the hot-sauce packet! It was the ring! And he was down on his knee and asking me to marry him!!!


View 42.354400, -71.069722 in a larger map

I said yes, and we kissed and hugged and teared-up and I'm pretty sure he was worried that he was going to drop the ring since I hadn't put it on yet! It's gorgeous! I love it! Princess cut center stone with 2 princess cut side stones and then a whole mess of pave stones on a knife-edge setting. There's some amusing stories about the ring buying, but I'll let him share those.



We eventually headed over to dinner. We stopped in a specialty chocolate store to get some decadent treats for later (I was told there was champagne waiting), and then we went to dinner at OSUSHI in Copley Place. Dinner was phenomenal. I love it that such an awesome restaurant is now a special place for us. I tried to get him to go back for lunch the next day, but he said no. I think that was a first… :-)



We then had dessert at finale on Columbus Avenue. We got the sampler, so it was about 9 tiny 2-3 bite desserts and we got the 5 port tasting flight - YUM!



Then, we went to the hotel. He booked at room at the W, and it was stunning. Beautiful views, very decadent, trendy suite. We were there for about 5 minutes in just the main room and he asked, "Do you want to see the bedroom?" and I'm thinking, "Yippee, let's go!" When I walked into the bedroom, on the bed was another rose, a card, and my first bridal magazine. Isn't he the most amazing man ever? All the little details, all the planning.



The proposal itself wasn't a total surprise, but the way he did it all blew me away. I am so incredibly lucky to have someone who put so much effort into making this a day I'll never forget.



AND, while we haven't set a date yet, how awesome is it that I'm going to be planning a wedding with a project manager?!?! Won't that make this all so very easy??



No?


Not easy?

That's OK. I get to spend the rest of my life with Keith Sather and I couldn't be happier!!






<3 <3 <3

well, that's fair I guess

So, Keith said that he didn't care that I told everyone the circumstances in which he's ticklish, however, I think the last line of this is an attempt to torture me disguised as romance  :-)

I do love the suspense, though!

Balance of Power is Important in a Relationship

Until a few weeks ago I thought Keith was impervious to being tickled. This was disappointing since I am ridiculously ticklish and that seemed rather unfair. Well, I am pleased to announce, I cracked him!!

If Keith is trying to lie (in order to keep the surprise going about "the date"), he can be tickled!!! A lot!! Oh, joy!

Do you have any idea how enjoyable it is to make a man laugh and squirm around who is, at all other times, able to resist tickling?!?!?!

I need to buy a video camera.

<3