A Proposal Story

Apparently a CD I burned for S a while ago with lots of my favorite country music on it....including one I put in there about "putting a ring on that finger I'm wrapped around"...."only been 7 months, but that's long enough, to put a ring around that finger"  made an impression because at the 6 1/2 going on 7 months I received a proposal from S.  Here is how it went.

S found out I had my spring break the last week of March.  He was excited about it because he has Tuesday's off and wanted to do something with me.  So we planned to go to the beach.  That weekend before, he asked which beach I wanted to go to, and gave me a few options.  Well I hadn't gone to one beach with a pier that he mentioned so he said perfect, I love that pier and beach, you will too!

Tuesday morning came and off we went with Tigger in tow.  We laughed and chatted away on the drive over to the beach.  The day was sunny albeit windy and cool.  We were in khaki shorts and our navy blue sweatshirts and flip flops.  We had fun at the beach.  Tigger was fascinated by the ocean and we let her play (with a watchful eye as if it were up to her, she would dive into the ocean with no restraint) for a bit until she started turning purple and I went to change her clothes.

Then S said he wanted to walk to the end of the pier.  We held hands and were kissing while pushing the stroller down the pier.  At the end, we were gazing into the ocean and S said he had to do something really quick.  I said ok, and saw him turn a bit then all of a sudden, I see him down on his knee asking me to "marry me......please".  I think my jaw dropped, I think I heard a couple of people going "awwwww".  And I said 'uh what?...I mean yes of course, but really?"

S began to try to talk through a rehearsed speech but then started crying which then made me tear up and well you know, he slipped the ring on my finger and we both just hugged and kissed for a while, while keeping an eye on Tigger dancing away near us.  She loved my ring and tried to tell me that it was hers and not mine.

Later on in May, we will take our engagement photos at the pier where he proposed, and under the pier, and on the beach.  Both of us love the ocean and the beach so quite honestly, this was the best place and the best casual outfits ever for this event.

And that is how I got engaged!  With Tigger as a witness!

Getting to the beach.  One of my favorite pictures of S and Tigger

S and Tigger playing on the beach

S picked out a very nice ring I adore all by himself 

Right after the proposal.....a self portrait shot with my iPhone

Yes I disappeared! I underestimated the time it takes to plan a wedding!!!!!

Contrary to my silence on the blog, I'm not over blogging or have given up on this blog.  I just decided to say "yes" to a proposal and have a short engagement (7 months....now a week away from only 5 months til  Wedding day) which means my planning is going uber fast and I have no time for anything at the moment including making sure I'm not ignoring my daughter.

I still owe you all a proposal story, and some details on how things are going, however, will not promise when they will actually be published. Ha ha ha!  Needless to say, October is around the corner and still have to work with my mother on the food aspect.

I miss reading all of your blogs on a regular basis and I hope to do that again sometime soon....well at least definitely by mid-October.  Will pop out here and again!

Flower girls.....Tigger and friend...(daughter of the couple that set S and I up), trying on dresses and head pieces.  Dresses were finally bought....head pieces are still up in the air as to which ones....(all choices not shown here)

A lot of information to share

And yes you all will get the story!  It is just past midnight where I am at and I need some sleep after an exciting day.  In the next 24 hours you will hear about 2 stories:

1) Story #1  My decision to put adoption plans of a 2nd child on hold

2) Story #2  I'M ENGAGED!!!!! and my engagement story !!!!!!

Stay tuned.  Since I am on Spring Break and S works very long hours on Wednesday, I will have time to write.  Until then friends.  Have a great night and morning!

It never ceases to amaze me that my life is really not going in "normal" order

Yesterday was just a funny day.  It was fun, it was jovial, and it was an introduction to a new phase of our lives. Nope not a new child, but I did meet S's daughter for the first time.  It was a blast and we all had fun.  While in pictures we look more like sisters than would be stepmom/stepdaughter people, it was fun and a great time was had by all.  (and I still am closer in age to S than I am to his daughter!!!!!)

So much for following the "normal" protocol.  I love my life.

Driving down to the Zoo

S's daughter and us

S with both his daughter and mine

I crack up every single time I look at this picture.  It's funny to me

Life and Adoption news

So S and I finally had a true blue couple moment this weekend when my feelings were hurt over something and his feelings got hurt because he felt bad about hurting my feelings.  We don't really see it as "that we had an argument", but we were able to finally test our communication skills and we worked through it and lived to tell about it!  Ha!  We still maintain that we haven't had a true blue argument yet, however, most of our time together after Tigger is in bed is spent in conversation and discussion over books that we are reading....which are books on relationships.  (Yes we really are THAT corny)  Currently we are discussing "Love Languages the Singles Edition" and have taken our love language profile so we have an idea of the hierarchy each other feels is most important to them.  There is a book about that for married people too and I think it's great.  S and I have been able to learn more information about how we grew up, what our pet peeves are, how we feel loved, about each other than just in random conversation.  So yeah obviously I think it's a great book to talk about and share with your spouse or significant other.

S, Tigger, and I enjoying ourselves after resolving our 'moment'

In Adoption News:

I don't think I ever advertised on the blog that I was homestudy ready for adding a second child into my home, but I have been since the summer and since before meeting S.  He knew about it and has been a steadfast supporter.  I'm sure it helps that he is a medical social worker and runs groups for domestic violence and substance abuse for the office of probation in the county that he lives in.  Anyways in 8 months I had not received a call.  Today I did, however, unfortunately, both my social worker and I ended up thinking the match was not a good fit for my home so I ended up having to pass on the match.  That always puts me in a bad mood only because children are not vehicles or appliances.  Even if I did the best thing for the child by passing so she could then be placed with an appropriate family, the thought process for me is that I rejected a child.  That always leaves a bad taste in my mouth.  Children should not ever be in a position where they need to get rejected or passed by.  There are many things about the foster/adoption process that are hard, however, I think that when one says "no" to a match....even if it's the right and best decision due to circumstances....that is the most painful part of the process.  My prayers go out to all the children that need homes and that they end up in the right ones.

And in final news, Tigger will begin ballet/tap lessons tomorrow!

could you just die!  I love tiny dance shoes

Things that make you go hmmmmm

So with that blog post I linked to, tonight had another "hmmmmm" moment.

S needed to make a 2 hour trip to see his daughter tonight instead of hanging at my house like he does every Thursday.  She needed him tonight and that's where I'll leave it at, however, since we (S and I) were texting and we talked because I wanted to know how she was doing and such, I got to talk to S's daughter for the first time.  Here's how that phone call went

A:  Hey there future stepmother
me:  ?????? *nervous laughter* hi sweetie how are you doing?
A: not bad not bad, I just wanted to say hi....can't wait to meet you in person
me:  that would be great actually
A:  My dad showed me pictures of my future stepsister and she is adorable....I bought her some socks, but they may be too small cuz duh I don't know what size she has
me: ???? Wow that is really sweet of you thank you!
.......conversation goes on for about another 2-3 minutes and then she hands the phone back to S.

Did I mention I'm dating a man 9 years older than me and that I am a big whopping 11 years older than his daughter?  yeah, this is me....I've always lived life a little differently.  Hey if what A says does come to pass, I should just hope that I don't turn into the proverbial Cinderella stepmother.....or we can always pretend we're sisters...um no....well....yanno?  My uncle is 6 months younger than I.....it's all good.

As if being a transracial single adoptive mom by choice wasn't different enough!  And that my friends are my hmmmm thoughts.

Story that makes you go hmmmm

One hopes that the world is great and wonderful, however, this is a story that makes one go hmmmm.  It's also why I am getting a picture ID (passport ID) for Tigger.

A commentary on a blog post called "Babysitting while White"

Brown Babies Pink Parents