Engaged!!!!!

I have not been able to blog about the best day in my life because I wanted to wait until I found my camera cord so that I could upload a picture!!!!

Here's the story:

If you know me, you know that Valentines day is absolutely hands down my favorite day of the year. Who wouldn't love the day that is centered around three of my favorite things in the world: love, candy, and the color pink?! Well...three years ago Jared and I had been dating about 6 months and it was our first Valentines together. I was so excited I got him exactly what he wanted- a sledgehammer!! I even packed him this cute little Valentine bag filled with everything from candy to a travel size first aid kit!!! I could not wait to get off work so that we could go out to dinner to celebrate. He comes to my house (empty handed that is) and my roommate assures me that my gift or card is waiting for me in the car! So we go to the car, I open the door, Climb in, and yeah you guessed it...NOTHING! Then he says "If we had been dating longer I probably would have gotten you something.....Well I guess we have been dating for a pretty long time." (If you know Jared, you know all about his "cute" foot in mouth situations!:) I get over it, happy that at least I have a date for the night. We go to dinner, great food, great Marg! Then to top off this glorious LOVE day Jared takes me to HOME DEPOT!!!! How romantic right?!!! I will admit, I was very disappointed at the time, but now I think the whole story is funny and kind of endearing!!

So...this year I think Jared decided to make up for the past. Boy did he!! We went to stay downtown at the Hilton. When we first got there he gave me one wrapped package. (Keep in mind I was really really hoping for a ring) I opened the gift and it was perfume. A teensy tiny bit disappointed because it was not a ring, I thanked him and we left to go to dinner.

Dinner was good! We ended up having to wait for awhile because they were not taking reservations, but the steak and potatoes were worth it!!! After our 4 hour meal, we left and headed back to the hilton. Then Jared gave me ANOTHER wrapped package, so immediately my hopes shot back through the roof as I opened it. It was the adorable wine glasses that I told him I wanted weeks ago. By this time, Jared had definitely made up for our first Valentines!!! We drank some champagne, and I gave him his gift. I got him Vitamins! hahaha! Then he tells me he has another gift but I cant open it until he comes back from the restroom. While he is gone, I shake the package...its heavy...it cant be a ring. So he comes back and I start to open the package. I opened the gift and a glass jar filled with M&M's falls out. I said they were cute and thanked him when he asked what do the M&M's say. I read them. They said:

"Paige"

"I love You"

"Will You Marry me?"

So I turned around and he was on his knee with the most beautiful ring I have ever seen in my life!!!!! So we cried for a little, stared at the ring for awhile, and drank some more champagne. Then we called our parents and friends, and went back to staring at the ring!!!!

I think its safe to say, that Jared definitely made up for our first "Home depot Valentines"

What do you think?!

Sad...but VERY thankful!

Lately I have had a lot of things on my mind. I recently found this blog, (when I figure out how to link it I will) that makes me laugh, cry, smile, sob, and be truely, truely thankful for what I have. He is a single father, due to the fact that his wife died the DAY after she gave birth to their gorgeous daughter. His blog talks about everything that he is going through while in the process of healing from one of the most devastating things that could happen to a human being. At times it is very funny, and others very sad. But in the process of soaking it all in, I have realized that I have so much to be thankful for!

It is hard to realize that I take way too many things in my life for granted. While he is trying to deal with the unbearable heartbreak of loosing his spouse/best friend/mother of his daughter, I am here sitting on my couch with the most trivial concerns looming around my mind. When will my sister quit using/loosing all of my stuff?! When will I be tan enough to wear a brown dress?! Why cant I loose those ten "vanity" pounds? When will I be able to take my next vacation?! When will my boyfriend finally pop the question?!

As I sat here tonight, I realized that in the big scheme of things that none of those things mentioned above really matter whatsoever! I should not be annoyed my sister uses all my stuff, I should be thankful that I have her here in my life to annoy me everyday. And not just her, I also have my four other siblings, and very loving parents. A lot of people in this world do not have the "luxury" of being annoyed by their siblings stealing their stuff, and I have realized that is something that should never be taken for granted.

I find myself at least once a day asking myself this question: "When will Jared ask me to marry him?" then I usually roll my eyes and say, "never." (I know its bad) This is something that I am really really trying to work on. I should NOT be annoyed that we are not engaged yet, but should be very very thankful that he is in my life at all! Don't get me wrong he drives me nuts sometimes, but he is probably one of the best things that has happened to me in a long time. I find in Matt's blog he talks about memories that he had with his wife, that at the time he thought were so trivial and unimportant, but now that she is gone these are the moments that he wished he had stopped and enjoyed even if it was not something he particularly wanted to do. This really made me think. Instead of dreaming my future away, why not trying to enjoying every minute possible in the present that I have with Jared. Even though I have dreamed of the day of my engagement since I was a small girl, truth be told, I would wait til the end of time for him to pop the question as long as I got to be with him in the mean time.

In the blogworld, there are blogs filled with everything from sadness and desperation to happiness and pure bliss. But no matter what your circumstances are or hand that you are dealt in this big game of cards, we should all be thankful for what we have and who we have!