I knew this was a long time coming (he'd been carrying the ring with him for a month and half!) but I am still very ecstatic about it. I love my ring. Pictures don't do it justice. The band is white gold and has been hand engraved/etched by a local artisan. The diamond is VS grade and is small enough that it doesn't look out of place on my tiny hands.




He'd mentioned a few times that, since we had talked about marriage before, and we were both on the same page, that we were pretty much already engaged. However, I told him I still wanted a proposal. It was a simple thing. After a long exhausting day for the both of us (including him working 5h unexpectedly and then going to fix my friend's car, because he's nice like that), we decided to go out to eat instead of cooking. After the appetizers, he reached over the table, held my hand, and asked me if I would "please, please marry [him]." I was grinning so hard I almost couldn't say yes. It was very quiet and very intimate. The location (local brewery) and the ring (from a local store, made to order) really fit who we are as a couple -- it's got a whole lot of symbolism for the town we met in and love, which means a lot since we'll be moving to Arizona in a few months.

He wants to get married next summer; I actually want to wait more than that. We agreed that we need to focus on the move to Arizona first and foremost, and by the time we've settled into our new lives - me in the PhD program, him in a new job - it will be tough to plan a wedding for the upcoming summer. I don't mind a long engagement, and neither does he.

Here's a picture of us, to conclude this happy post. It was taken before he proposed, while we were waiting for a seat at the restaurant. My grin was even bigger afterwards (and, HUGE bags under my eyes, but that can't be helped).