a hundred days ago

It seems like a 100 days ago but it has only been a little over a month...

My boyfriend was taking me out for a special dinner to celebrate Christmas before the craziness of traveling all over the southern United States to visit family began.  (Technically it had already begun the week before, but who wants to add 4 more trips to the list of all the driving we did after this story takes place?!)  We went to the Opryland Hotel in Nashville to eat dinner at Ravello (my favorite food is Italian) and to see Christmas lights (I may or may not revert to childlike behavior when I see them).  Dinner was delightful.  The view was incredible.  We also went for a walk through the hotel and may or may not have crashed a wedding by walking through right before the processional began.  Our next stop was a carriage ride to look at the lights...I had to make my outfit uncute by wearing a lot of layers and boots...looking back it might have been worth it to wear the heels.  While the idea of a carriage ride is romantic, the reality is close to quite the opposite.  Our carriage was too big and I had a terrible view and the horse was not wearing my favorite scented perfume.  Since my view of the lights was hindered, I was asked if I would like to walk around to get a better glimpse of the lights.  I was oooing and awwwwing and taking photos and making my childlike exclamations as we mosied around the lawn.  Then my boyfriend began his usual niceties of sweetness.  And then those niceties of sweetness turned into a proposal.  Of course, I said yes.  But not after inquiring as to whether or not my boyfriend was going to get his new suit dirty in the freshly muddied grass.  He did but I then realized that he could always have it drycleaned...I have a problem with keeping things real....  So back to me saying yes.  It was a perfect night and a perfect proposal.  He knew exactly the sort of thing I would like (Italian and Christmas lights). 

There's so much more to the story...like secret meetings and phone calls, nervousness, a not-so-near-but-near-enough-close-to-death-experience, ornaments, surprises revealed, surprises not revealed (I was completely surprised which is a MAJOR feat), comments about a couple on the other side of the restaurant, etc.

Now I am very busy making plans for a summer wedding.  I'm even busier preparing for a marriage to a wonderful man.  He's a keeper. ;)