Gettin' Hitched

EDIT: I was just looking back at this post (which is now more than a year old) and that is just about the most lackluster, matter-of-fact announcement of an engagement. So, here's a slightly more appropriate opening:

OMG! WE JUST GOT ENGAGED!!! I love this girl sooo much!!! I love us together! Our wedding is going to be the most joyous celebration EVER!

(Sorry, I think I was still on the mend from my bout with food poisoning. Apparently I puked up part of my brain/soul.)

I asked Becca to marry me on Monday (December 28).  She said yes (of course), and we're planning on having our wedding in June of 2010 in Raleigh, NC.

I had envisioned proposing on an empty beach.  I was just assuming that nobody would be on the beach in December (and I had remembered not seeing a soul on the beach when we were down in NC for Thanksgiving last year).  On Sunday, Becca and I took a walk on the beach, but there were too many people around and it just didn't feel right.  The next day it rained all morning and into the afternoon.  I waited for the weather to clear (while we were out shopping) and decided that would be the day, but I would have to pop the question at the beach house so we could be alone.  I started acting a little impatient when Becca had us running around to various shopping centers in search of some plain white T's.  I wanted to propose early enough so that we could ask her parents to meet up with us for dinner.  We got back to the house and I put the ring in my pocket just as Becca said she was going to text her mom to see if they wanted to meet for dinner (perfect).  Coincidentally, Monday was also Becca's parent's 32nd anniversary - so it was a double celebration.

A long time ago, Becca's mom said that she would give me a snowman (she has a collection) with my name on it and that when the time came I could send her the snowman as a sign that I wanted to marry her daughter.  I brought the snowman with me (actually, a red sled Christmas ornament with a snowman painted on it), and when we arrived at Becca's parents to go out to dinner I gave her mom the ornament and asked if she would hang it on her tree next year.  I let my mom know by calling her right after I proposed.  My mom is usually pretty reserved, but she started screaming and crying - it was pretty awesome.  I've never been so happy to make my mom cry.