We're engaged-ish!

  So..I've been keeping a secret from you all...Brent and I are unofficially engaged! ! !




  I'll let that sink in for a second. Are you asking wait, what? My girls all did. So here's the story: It was Brent's birthday weekend and I was specifically asked NOT to get him a present this year. I mean, he made me promise that I wouldn't. So I didn't. Instead we had a fantastic adventure swimming with wild dolphins (Iruka Chyugaku), trying out a Moroccan restaurant in Kailua (Casablanca) and took a literal strolling under the star on the beach...yes, it was the perfect day. Then his real birthday rolls around (which happened to fall on Labor Day, September 5th) and I had the day off. To continue with his birthday festivities, we had breakfast in Waikiki (Cream Pot). During the drive over to the breakfast spot, he mentions that he's pretty disappointed. I worry and wonder for a second if his sunburn (from our 5 hours out in the blazing sun as we played mermaid with dolphins) ruined everything including our perfect day until he says, "I was going to propose to you today."

*Jaw to floor*

"...But, I didn't have your ring yet and then I realized that since I didn't have the ring, I could ask your mom for her blessing and then I didn't even know your ring size...I'm sorry babe. I knew how I was doing to do it and everything: I was going to tell you that the reason why I specifically said that I didn't want a present was because all I wanted for my birthday was for you to be my wife. It would have been such a perfect way to end our weekend and turn my day in to ours."

Gawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww...

   After I picked up my jaw from the car rug and I recovered from the shock that he sorta proposed/totally ruined the surprise element/non-proposed, I said "Wow, I was totally not expecting this!" We talked about it during the rest of the ride and all through breakfast. We were going to size my ring finger (I'm a 4!) and look at possibilities. It was a non-proposal but I was grinning from ear-to-ear and I was glowing with an aura that only wedding fever can induce. The gears were already turning in my head and Brent knew it. My thought bubbles were so vivid that even he could see the pictures that my mind was painting. We had decided a while ago that we would marry in March and Brent intended to stick with that general date. This meant that we had about less than 7 months to plan a full-scale wedding.

  So...and so and so and so...He's asked my parents, told his parents and grandparents (in case they plan a Vegas trip around that time), my mom's announced to her blog that he'd asked for my hand in marriage, I've already started an excel file with about 11 different spread sheets about different aspects of the wedding, I've called almost all of my bride's maids and close friends to break the news, we've visited and contacted venues, we've started a website and I'm currently a member of TheKnot.com. We will slowly reveal details and I promise to let you in on the planning process. As will Brent. Because we've gone as far as starting this blog.  We are officially 184 days away from our big day! Hope you enjoy reading all about our biggest adventure yet!

After our swim and before the major, skin-peeling sunburns

At Cream Pot

French toast with bananas...magical

One of many ring styles I tried on.

--Sascha