We're engaged!!!!

Wow, this morning started off funny....

I got up as usual, about a half hour before Joel. I showered and I got dressed (in jeans and a turquoise blue v-neck top- I was going on a field trip today, and I knew I was going to be outside for a large part of the day). Around 7, I woke Joel. He stumbled into the shower.

When he got out, he looked at me and said, "Is that what you're wearing today?" Now, if you know me or Joel, or Joel's attitude on clothes, you know this is a WEIRD question! He went on and on about how I should get dressed up today because he was also going to get dressed up, and it was a good day for getting dressed up.... I *knew* something was up.

Here is the thing though...all along, since we got to the point of knowing that "this was it" Joel has been soooooo unwilling to talk about anything related to the M word (marriage). He told me that he didn't want to talk about stuff, because he wanted the proposal to be a surprise. I never saw how talking about our eventual wedding could ruin the surprise of a proposal, but I sort of accepted what he was saying, and tried not to talk about it too much. I tried. I wasn't very good at it, but I tried. Anyway, so this morning, I found myself thinking, why would be be telling me stuff like this, when he always wanted everything to be such a surprise before??? Anyway, I went with it, and changed my clothes.

At school most everything was normal, and I went on my field trip with my class, and all was good.

Tomorrow is the first of May (Labor Day), and because of that, we have the rest of the week off of school. So, today is like Friday. So, on Monday, Joel and I checked if people would be into going for some drinks and bowling after school today and booked some lanes. Now that I think about it, I guess he was already planning stuff then.

So, we went bowling after the longest staff meeting ever. So we're bowling. It only sort of matters that on my lane I was the first on the board. First game, I started off not so well, and ended up coming in second place. Of course, all the time I'm sort of playing, drinking a lot, and trying not to pay attention to anything else suspicious that might be going on in the background. At one point our colleague/friend SZJ showed up with her kids, and asked Joel to help her take the kids across the river to her parents (who had just flown in from the States, ring in hand!). I tried not to pay attention to it, but found it fishy.

When Joel got back, we had already started the second game of bowling. Now, Joel and I tend to get somewhat competitive over bowling. I was tied for first place with MA and I was bowling for Joel, who was in second place. So Joel and SZJ get back, and they don't just come in, but they are kind of hanging out by the desk of the bowling alley, etc. I totally tried to ignore it, but couldn't help noticing.

So finally, Joel comes in and looks at the board. He says he wants to start over since we only just started the second game- he wants his own fair shot at beating me. I started to argue with him, but he insisted, saying he was going to go back to the desk and ask the lady to reset the game. I warned him that he better not, and then got back into whatever conversation I was having.

So, next think I know, Joel is calling to me that it is my turn to bowl. I turn from my conversation, look up at the board to see if it really shows that it is my turn, and I see that indeed, my name is highlighted, but the board looks different. I didn't notice right away HOW it was different though. So of course, I just start yelling at Joel for reseting the board, and it went about like this:

"Joel, I told you not to do that... I was bowling just fine for you... WHO IS MARRY???" And that is when I realized that instead of having everyone's names in the proper places, the board now said...

It took me 2.2 seconds to realize what was going on, I dissolved... I turned to him- who was holding a box in one hand and a bowling ball in the other. I buried into his chest and was about to start crying when joy just overtook, and I laughed and smiled and smiled some more. :) He was holding a bowling ball though, which he didn't put down, so I had to open the box and take the ring out myself. It fits perfectly! :) (and it is a conflict-free diamond, harvested in Canada if I'm not mistaken...)
The next hour consisted of me just grabbing him, kissing him, cheesing it like I was high, and calling random people (like my parents and best friend's whose phone numbers I have memorized). Finally, I got back to playing- and as you can see- in more ways than one, I won! :)

And so here we are! :)

FYI- we're looking at a summer 2009 wedding in Hawaii! :)