why today is special

December 13th is a great day!

1. My cousin's birthday - she'll be 28, which kicks off the deluge of birthdays for the same age in my family (my sister, another cousin, and my husband will all be 28 between now and mid-May)
2. My nephew's birthday. I can't believe he's 7.  He's the cutest kid ever. (I'm pretty sure all proud aunties say this?)

Here's him singing with the church choir on Christmas Eve 3 years ago (he had just turned 4). He's got brown hair and in the middle. Watch it 'til the end, and you'll KNOW which one he is, I promise.




Sorry, my sis had to put the camera down and go get him off the altar steps because he started crying. Next year, they did pretty much the exact same set but all the kids were on the floor instead of up on the steps.  And they have him to thank.

3. Two years ago, I said YES!
Here's the story from our old wedding website:

B had been back from his 7-month deployment for less than a month, but we wanted to take a trip to celebrate and just spend some time together.  We decided to go to Charlottesville, VA, to hit up some wineries and see the land of Thomas Jefferson ("TJ" as the locals call him).  After a fun day touring the University of Virginia, we had reservations at the Clifton Inn for dinner.

When we got there and B said his name, the host said, "Ah yes, I know that one. Table 5."  I should've been suspicious then, but I just pinned it down to his very memorable last name.  Then they put me right by the fire in front of this big window where I could see out into the winterscape of trees (even though it was dark, it was still very pretty).  We sort of had a competition going to see who could order the better course. But it was all too good; it was the fanciest and best dinner either of us had ever eaten out. As B put it later, "that place doesn't know how to make bad food."

After dessert (I won that one, at least for me), the staff brought our check and a little after-dinner chocolate/toffee treat.  B then told me not to "dive into that" yet, and that he had something for me. He then stood up (I swear he said "okay here goes" but it might be my imagination), then he said, "Catherine James, I love you very much and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.  Will you marry me?"  And then I saw that he was down on one knee and had a ring. I said yes, of course.

We talked for a bit after that, and then the staff/busboy came to get our check, which we had completely forgotten about. Our waiter came back out with champagne for the two of us and we drank, and I tried to eat the chocolate-toffee thing, but I couldn't get it down. So I'm really glad B waited until after dessert because he totally would've spoiled the food. I also busted him on forgetting my middle name--he said it was going through his head the whole time, it just didn't come out of his mouth. 

He bought it on Black Friday and kept it a secret for over 2 weeks!

Reflecting on this now is interesting.  I think a lot of us ladies had it in our heads how we wanted a man to propose to us one day.  I was never one of those 'planned my whole wedding before I met the guy' types, but after I met B and we got serious, I did give some thought to a proposal.  I had kinda wanted it to be outdoors, in private.  (Actually, my dream proposal was to take a hot-air balloon ride followed by a picnic where he would pop the question.)  And I always thought he would ask one of my friends for ring-shopping advice.  But he did none of those things, and y'know what?  It was awesome.  I love my engagement ring, and I loved his proposal, even those neither of them are what I "had in mind".  I may have planned the wedding, but the proposal was entirely his.

There is one thing that did happen that weekend that still makes me laugh.  A work buddy of mine knew we were heading to Charlottesville for the weekend, and she had already asked me if I thought he'd propose.  I really didn't think he was gonna do it until the spring.  But as we were driving up there on Friday, my work friend texted me saying something like "Have fun in C-ville; I'll be waiting for the special text!"  B and I don't keep things from each other, but there was no way I was gonna let him see that.  And I also knew they'd never met each other (they never did after the fact either).  So anyway, B proposed Saturday night, and on Sunday morning when I started making the phone calls, I sent her a text that simply said "special text :)"  Two years later, I still have it saved in my phone.  (Okay, yeah, I need a new phone.  T9 isn't awesome anymore?)