On This Day A Year Ago... We're Engaged!!

I can't believe it's been a year, but on this very day August 17th, I officially became a fiance. Here's the story...

Rob & I started dating in September of 2005, combined households and dogs in June of 2006, and started working together in January of 2007. I have known since the first time that he told me he loved me in October of 2005 that I wanted to marry him, but was convinced, despite several conversations about getting engaged, that he would probably remain a bachelor forever!

Then one night in June of 2009, he came home and told me that he didn't want to wait anymore, he wanted to get engaged. My heart started beating wildly and I was so excited for days that it was all I could think about. Several weeks later when he told me to start shopping for the ring I wanted, I knew he was serious! I had no idea at that point that he was going to send me out searching for my dream ring, but that's exactly what happened.

I spent the next month and a half educating myself about diamonds, and visiting local jewelers attempting to find my dream setting. I knew that I wanted a princess cut center stone, I knew that I wanted the setting to have an antique look to it and I knew that it had to be in white gold or platinum. Everytime a jeweler placed a sparking loose princess cut diamond in my hand, my little heart flutters came back as I thought about finally getting engaged to my prince charming.

After a month and a half, I had narrowed my selection down to 3 local jewelers and 3 somewhat similiar settings. I had a favorite, but wanted Rob to have some say in the process. The plan was to spend the day of my 35th birthday visiting each of the 3 jewelers and selecting a diamond from the chosen jeweler. Can you think of a better 35th birthday present than picking out the diamond of your choice, I couldn't!

Ironically, the setting that I thought to be my favorite had been picked out of a catalog, so the first time I saw it was at the jeweler that day with Rob at my side. It took my breath away, and I knew it was the one that I wanted, but we still visited each of the 3 jewelers, and Rob still made me think on it for a couple of days. I was so excited, it was hard to wait, but I know he didn't want me to make a decision that I was going to regret knowing that I would wear the ring for the rest of my days.

2 days after our shopping spree, Rob asked me if I had made up my mind. I told him that I had, and he told me to call the jeweler back and have it set. My hands shook as I made the call, I was thrilled and I couldn't wait to see the finished ring. At this point, we had seen loose diamonds, and the setting, but nothing all put together. The jeweler told me that he would have it ready for us in a couple of hours and that he would deliver it to me... You can imagine what that wait was like...

And finally... around 2:00 that afternoon our jeweler placed a little black box in my hand! And I cried, called Rob on the phone and told him that I couldn't wait for him to put it on my finger that it was the most beautiful and most special thing that anyone had ever given to me. And I still feel the exact same way one year later!

Every 'big' and meaningful conversation that Rob and I have ever had has taken place on our kitchen floor. So, that night when he got home, I handed him the little black box, and we sat down together on the kitchen floor and he 'officially' asked me to be his wife... And you better believe it when I say, that ring has hardly left my finger in the last year. I can't wait to graduate from 'fiance' to 'wife'!

It took about 6 months for the shock and excitement of having a sparking diamond on my finger to ease. I spent a lot of time in the sunlight making it dance...and I admit, I still do it, just not as often!