A Christmas Engagement

I have ALWAYS loved Christmas and love it even more this year because my FI proposed to me on Christmas day! And since I'm in such a Christmassy mood I thought I'd tell you our story :)

Patrick and I have been together 4 years this past May! We knew we wanted to get married in the first 6 months together and always talked about it. But for the last year we had been seriously talking about marriage, well me mostly because I had moved across the country for him and I'm not going to lie and say I'm the most impatient person on the planet ... because I’m not. But his oldest brother was getting married that Thanksgiving weekend so Patrick really wanted to wait. We were also looking to buy a house in the spring and he just kept saying that he “doesn’t want to get married until we are financially secure”. Bah-humbug!

In the months leading up to Christmas he had been telling me I wasn't getting anything for Christmas because we were getting a puppy in January that was costing him a pretty Penny (which happens to be her name). This was fine with me being as we just spent a lot to come home to PA for both Thanksgiving and Christmas.Christmas morning at my parents’ house we all open presents together after a big fabulous breakfast feast! It has honestly not changed except we are a little more civilized and don't go at the presents like rabid dogs.

Now on this particular Christmas I had decided to go first giving everyone their present from me. While everyone was opening their presents from me Patrick hands me this big huge gift. Curious, I opened it to find a huge wooden jewelry box, one of those armourer ones which he had kept telling me to get cause my jewelry is in this really old beat up one I’ve had forever. When I opened the top lid, there sitting in the ring holder was.... a shinny DOG TAG! Yes I kid you not and it said "Penny Murphy" on it. You can just imagine the look I gave him… NOT a nice trick. He just smiled “keep going”. So I open the first drawer and there was a cross necklace in it.

Now at this point my brother was yelling at Patrick to give him "2 inches" because Patrick had pushed back his chair for some extra room while my brother was trying to get his presents to give to people, one of which he then started shoving in my face until I took it from him.

I opened the second drawer to find an envelope. Inside was one of my old shell rings I had "jokingly" thrown at him 6 months prior as a size reference. The card read ...

"MeggyLou I love you with all my heart and always will. Now open the next drawer".

So I open the next and last drawer and there, sitting in a little black velvet box was this amazing single stone, radiant cut diamond ring!!!!!
My sister Amanda (33 keep in mind) had started screaming "its happening! It’s happening!" So Patrick takes the ring from my hand (which I am just staring at with disbelief), kneels on one knee and simply asks "Will you?" and I look up and just stare at him in shock, so he says a little worry sneaking into the question "Marry me?" and I just burst into tears, nod my head and said "Uh-huh”.

After I hugged and kissed him (my dad snapping pictures the entire time!) I said "I have to call Nellie!" and proceeded to call my best friend (since we were 4) while still crying to tell her the news!It was the best present I have ever gotten and I still look down at my ring and can't believe this is finally happening! I’d love to hear you’re story if you have one :-)