And then there was the most special day of my life

Where have I been lately? The end of the school year is always a busy time, but this year it has been especially busy because it's been filled with bridal showers, bachelorette parties, weddings, and so many other special things. 

May 11, 2013 was the most very special day of my life. Dan and I woke up and went for a little run before heading to Michigan City to see The Great Gatsby with 38 of my students. It. Was. Awesome! And, afterward, the kids stayed with me for a discussion about the movie in relation to the novel. I love connecting with kids outside of school! Some of my students asked Dan and I if we wanted to go to Steak and Shake with them (such sweet kids!), but we had dinner reservations in South Bend, so we started our trek home. The sun was shining, and we had such a great talk about the movie. 

We got ready to go to Parisi's, and I was having a hard time getting my shirt to look the way I wanted it to. I had accessorized with the key necklace Dan got me for my birthday, and by 6:30, we were ready to go. As I went to get my purse, Dan said, "Hold on, I want you to hear that song I've been working on! I finally finished it!" So, we went down to the basement, where Dan's guitar and amp were set up. On the coffee table sat a square shaped box underneath a piece of white fabric surrounded by flowers. 

At that moment, I was pretty sure I knew the direction we were heading, but I didn't want to get too excited, just in case the item underneath the cloth was a piece of dessert or something (which, to be honest, I still would have been really excited about!). 

Dan started the music he'd recorded on his phone and his live music and told me he was dedicating this song to me. 

I think I started crying about then. :) My recently engaged friends told me that when their moments came, they pretty much blacked out what was said, what happened, etc., so I was trying really hard to focus on the lines of Dan's beautiful song. But after the first line, "The moment I met you..." I could barely breathe. 

So, I sat there smiling and crying and laughing at the funny lines (there were funny lines!), and looking at this amazing man in front of me singing about our life and our love. I may not remember everything he said in those moments, but I will never forget how I felt in that moment. 

When the last few lines of the song started, Dan removed the white fabric from the table, revealing a wooden box locked with a red heart lock. And that's when he dropped to one knee and sang,

"I love you
Grow old with me
I love you
You mean the world to me
I love you
Will you marry me?" 

Through my tears, I said a resoundingly happy YES, and then Dan started messing with his guitar amp. I said, "Can you come over here?" And he did, and we kissed. :)

Dan said, "You have the key to my heart," to which I responded, "That's sweet." And Dan said, "No, seriously, you have the key to the heart!" 

Ever the engineer, Dan made the lock on the box to match the key necklace he gave me for my birthday. Since I was wearing the necklace, we were able to use it to open the box (and I say we because my hands were shaking and I couldn't quite get it to turn enough), and inside was the most amazingly beautiful ring I've ever seen. 

Perfection. 

It was truly, genuinely perfect. I couldn't ask for more than spending the rest of my life with Dan. He's got my whole heart for our whole lives. 

About thirty minutes post-engagement, at mom and dad's! 

We sat and talked for a little while before heading over to mom and dad's house to share the happy news with them in person. My mom and I were already crying by the front door before my dad could even get up off the couch to hear the news. I think she was just as happy as we were!  

Our beautiful ring (and free champagne!)

After we left mom and dad's, we started calling and texting all of our loved ones. There were a LOT of people to contact, and it ended up taking us the rest of the night. But, it was important to us that we were able to tell our close friends and family before it hit Facebook. We had reservations at Parisi's, and upon getting there, I told our waitress that we had just gotten engaged an hour beforehand. She was so excited for us, and brought us a free bottle of champagne! 

Happy, happy, happy! 

With summer vacation starting, well, today, we've started the process of planning our lives together. Our wedding date is May 10, 2014, just one day shy of a year from when Dan asked me to be his wife. I feel this blog might be taking a different direction entirely -- from running to wedding planning (with running as stress relief), but we shall see! 

Incredibly, incredibly happy!