Good News & Bad News

(Original post at www.abforever.blogspot.com)

We got the Forum! On the right date! Yay! *is excited*

On the other hand, I made another appointment to try on that dress again at 7:00 at David's Bridal. I fought through traffic for just under an hour (it's right at 10 miles), only to find that the store was closed due to power outages. Thanks for calling me to tell me my appoinment was cancelled! Eh, I guess everything was electronic or something :(

So I went to the Verizon store, and got a headset for my phone. My hope is that my parents will no longer threaten me with bodily harm (maybe it was just hanging up on me...) when I call them.

Today was the longest day everrrrrrrrr! I went in to work 1/2 an hour early, so that I could take an extra 1/2 hour for lunch, to go to Arapaho Classical Magnet & take a cake to my tutoring class. It's their last day of 3rd grade! I left work at noon, got the cake, took it to the class (where only 4 students were since it's apparently the teacher's birthday, and they kicked her out to decorate). I waited until the last minute before I needed to leave, then wrote a note to the class on the board, and said goodbye. Rikki gave me a hurt look, and said, "But Miss Bounds! We need you to hang streamers!"

...So I hung streamers. And was late getting back to work.

Then there was a crap load of rain, which I did not expect. I went to David's Bridal anyway, and, well, now I'm home in my comfy pjs that for some reason have this spot in the leg that has been poking me for several weeks, even though there's nothing sharp in there! I think it's time for some sleep...

Viagra Commercials

(Original post at www.abforever.blogspot.com)

(I'm not sure if I spelled that right...)

Anyway, as I was mindlessly putting away my groceries, I heard a commercial on tv:
"Viagra is suitable for men with all levels of er*ct*le d*sfunct*on....Ask your doctor if your heart is healthy enough for sex."

I apologize for the *'s...I still feel like it's a dirty word lol. It shouldn't be, since I am a soon-to-be-married woman, but none-the-less...

Ok, so now that we're all sufficiently uncomfortable...I witnessed a serious cat fight at Wal-Mart tonight. A lady (and I use that term loosely) got all freaked out, and started pushing another lady out of the way, and hollering, and tattling to the supervising cashier lady at the self check-out. I was already stressed by having been held up several times, so I was ready to just knock everybody's heads together & call it a night. Luckily, though, I have a healthy capacity for self-restraint, and I managed to get by with just giving a probably-unnoticed annoyed look to the unlady-like lady.

Tootles!

WHAT Registry?!?

(Original post at www.abforever.blogspot.com)

We went to Houston this weekend to visit my family, and today we went to Macy's with my mom to start our gift registry. We went to a "Service Counter" where it looked like we were supposed to begin, and after a short wait (during which Mom offered to get their attention by casually opening the cash register) a lady came over to help us. I explained that we needed to start a gift registry, and she gave me the most unpleasantly surprised look I can imagine, and asked, "You two are getting married?" I was like, "Yes." Then she pointed us to another counter.

Later in the car, Benjamin brought it back up. He explained that the lady bugged him, and in response to her indignance (did I make up that word?) he wanted to reply, "Yes! I love her very much!"

And I know I didn't look terribly young, because Benjamin said so. Plus, I looked extra cute, and seriously marriable, and was sporting a very pretty diamond ring on the cooresponding finger. I just don't understand her amazement. Poo.

And speaking of poo, apparently Monte likes to eat cat poo, and then Chester likes to bring poo to my parents & their guests as presents. We have some very un-selfish dogs.

After we got past the Marriage Police, we got to use the spiffy little scanner to scan UPCs :) Benjamin went a little scanner-happy, and registered for 12 butter dishes...(actually, it was an accident that we made together). But I'm happy to say that we have officially registered for our wedding china & silverware. We also picked out stuff for the bathroom, but when we went to scan it, our little scanner friend rejected the entry because apparently it was on clearance...so we had to buy it today.

...but all is well.

(Original post at www.abforever.blogspot.com)

I don't have a date, or a location, or a dress, or a honeymoon hotel, or a photographer, or a cake decorator, or a quartet, or...

...but I have a ring, and a minister, and an apartment. I have love, and joy, and closeness, and faith. I have an amazing man who wants to make me his wife.

And finding that - the love of my life, with whom I want to share everything from now until the day I die - that's the essential part. The rest is just details.

<3

Juliane just called

(Original post at www.abforever.blogspot.com)

She's a rebel, calling me from athletics. Then, I contributed to her rebel attitude, calling her back & informing her that being the maid of honor requires her to entertain my blog habit by reading it.

I have a feeling I'll be a rather handy wife...

(Original post at www.abforever.blogspot.com)

This has absolutely nothing to do with my wedding, but I'm going to try to fudge it to make it fit =P Yeah, I'm good like that.

At work, my boss came over & noticed that I had some magazines (corporate, not bridal) on my desk, and that it looked a bit cluttered. She's like, "we need to get you some hanging baskets & stuff!" and I proceeded to put on my most-favoritest-but-also-most-pain-inducing shoes & follow her to IT, where she, Belen (the other new girl) and I raided them of their cool organizational stuff.

Then, we returned to DR, where 6 of us (count them, 6) tried to hang the gadgets on Belen's cubicle wall. Finally Spencer came over to help, and after watching for a few minutes being of zero assistance, I started to put my own thing up. My boss asked, "Did you get it?" and I said, "Juuuust about...yup!"

Then she shouted, "Adriane's done! Spencer, do you need her to come help you?" and everyone laughed. Of course, I had hung it higher than we wanted, so I had to take it down. Spencer seemed pleased by this, as evidenced by his "yes!" and his fist in the air.

Still, for a girl, I think I figured out that building-type task rather well...Bring on the leaky sinks and the burned-out lightbulbs! Of course, I'll have a husband to do those things for me, now won't I? ;-)

Poo #1

(Original post at www.abforever.blogspot.com)

Well, the church I want isn't available on the day I want, so I'm getting my first glimpse of wedding diappointment.

Someone please tell me that getting everything started is the hardest part!

The Proposal

(Original post at www.abforever.blogspot.com)

Benjamin and I had been seriously discussing marriage for several months. Still, he wouldn’t give any hints as to when or how he planned to propose. So I waited (sometimes impatiently, to which he will attest) for him to get everything ready.

On Saturday, May 12, 2007, I suspected nothing. Honestly, despite the fact that I was sure a proposal was coming soon, the possibility of it happening that weekend didn’t really enter my mind.

That morning, we had made plans to go to the Botanic Gardens after church. We had been there about a month before for a picnic (I absolutely love picnics), and it is beautiful. That time, I actually thought he might propose. Later, I thought about telling him that I would really like him to do it there, but decided against such an intervention, as he said he already knew what he planned to do. I didn’t suspect anything this time, though, because he asked very casually if I wanted to go. Plus, I was tired of getting my hopes up =P

We went to church in Fort Worth as usual. The building is always chilly, but it was especially freezing during the Bible study. Normally, Benjamin would have given me his jacket, but this time he kept it on, fanned himself with the handout, and offered to get my princess blanket out of the car. (He brought it up later, explaining that he didn’t want me to be wearing his jacket & notice the ring inside.)

During church I whispered that I was looking forward to going to the park. He took that opportunity to ask if I minded Ryan (his little brother) coming with us, because Ryan wanted to ride in his new car. I felt kindof let down, thinking that Benjamin should have known that I consider parks our own little romantic thing. I said that if he needed a ride home, we could just go another day, trying to hide my disappointment.

After church, Benjamin said that he would go pull up the car (since he had parked a long way out to avoid “dings”) while I finished my drink inside. However, it took him longer than I expected because, as I later learned, he needed to move the ring to his guitar case. Again I inadvertently interfered, when my impatience led me out to the car in my 4” heels.

When we arrived at the Botanic Gardens, he handed me the blanket and asked me to go set up under our tree while he found a way to cover his camera and guitar in the back seat. (Due to my previous interruption, he still needed to move the ring.) I unknowingly made his objective harder, insisting that we walk together. Finally I said, “just bring your camera with you, and leave your guitar uncovered in the car.” We walked to our tree and laid out the blanket. On the way, I saw some people taking wedding pictures, and pointed it out to Benjamin. I’ve been doing this from time to time, partially because I think it’s neat, and partially to remind him that I want to get married…as if he had forgotten lol.

As we were still wearing church clothes, Benjamin said he wanted to change into flip-flops. By this time, I was like, “It’s about to rain, and you’re concerned about changing out of your shoes?” He insisted on getting them from the car, so I waited. When he returned, he only brought his guitar.

He started playing a song from memory as usual, but then stopped. He picked up a page of tabs from his case, and told me he hadn’t put the rest back in there after he cleaned it out. I just thought, oh, ok…new song, cool, what is it?

Scanning the page as though he had not played the song before, he answered, “It’s called ‘Question’.” I’ve heard the song, so I’m sitting there thinking, “Greeeeat! I know he’s not going to propose today, yet he’s going to sight read this song about proposing.” I started to inform him of this little discrepancy, but he had already started playing. I figured, Oh well, he’ll figure it out in a minute, and we can have a good laugh. When he got to the chorus, I realized he knew the song and had picked it intentionally:

Someday somebody’s gonna ask you
A question that you should say yes to
Once in your life, maybe tonight
I’ve got a question for you.

I also grasped that he seemed to know the tune awfully well for never having heard it. I looked at his face, saw his nervousness and excitement, and focused on experiencing the final seconds of singleness.

When he finished the song, Benjamin set down his guitar and picked up a wooden ring box. By this time he was crying. He opened the box, and said, “I love you so much. Will you marry me?”

I, of course, immediately said “yes,” and leaned over to kiss my fiancé. I may have whispered it, because later he asked if I had actually ever said yes.

Then I finally got a good look at the ring. It was a beautiful square solitaire in a shiny platinum setting. I had not helped to pick out the ring, and even though he knew what cut I wanted, I had been a bit nervous about what he’d select. But as with everything he’s picked out for me, it was perfect. He started to hand it to me, but I said, “you have to put it on my finger!” When he slid the ring onto my finger, I was happier than ever.

I didn’t react at all how I always thought I would – I figured I’d either shriek or start bawling. I don’t think I fully believed everything that was happening. After all, he wasn’t “supposed” to do it then!

As we packed up and left, it started to rain. I love the rain, I love the park, and I love my wonderful husband-to-be.

I'm Engaged!

(Original post at www.abforever.blogspot.com)

I'm starting this blog because I'm entering what promises to be a very exciting time in my life. I know that one day, when all the planning is finished, all the hoping and waiting over, I will want to go back and remember everything that's happened, everything that I may not have experienced fully. Heh, now I'm crying lol.

Plus, if you ask Julie or Zahra or Mom, they'll tell you I've been a Blog Bum for the past 5 or 6 months, and that I "need to update!" And I like typing 'cause it gives me a nice view of my ring ;-)

I will start posting our engagement story and day-to-day happenings shortly. In the meantime, please visit our wedding website at www.mywedding.com/benjaminandadriane. Thanks!

Happy Mother's Day!