so.

now what?

where to start....

kisses.

once upon a time...

One day Marshall and I went to NYC to celebrate Halloween and hang out with our friends, the Bryant's.

We had so much fun laughing at the slutty girls and dancing the night away. I didn't think the weekend could get any better!

Until. The next day...

It was a beautiful fall day, so we took a stroll through Central Park.

We stopped for cute and cheesy pics along the way.

Marshall said he wanted to race row boats. Whatever. I was tired of walking, so sitting in a boat sounded lovely!

At one point I had given Val my camera to take our picture. And boy was I glad I didn't get it back.

Marshall even let me row. I lasted a whole 4 seconds before breaking out into a sweat.

I gave up my power and he rowed us under this secret bridge. Put the oars in the boat...

Reached into his pocket, and pulled out a lens cloth. I thought he was going to clean his glasses. This is normal Marshall. But wrapped inside....

WAS A RING. A REAL RING. And it looked like it had my name written allll over it.

He said some sentences that I had to be told later what he actually said because my reaction was confusion, surprise, and joy. This can't really be happening. This is a joke. I'm getting punk'd. Where's Ashton?

I actually laughed and screamed before I even said YES and cried! I don't even know if I did say yes... I just stuck out my left hand so he could put that big beautiful rock on my ring finger. And then I squealed some more!

Scott and Val took a video, and over 300 pics of it all. There were so many pictures it looks like a flip book.

I couldn't stop smiling, I couldn't stop laughing. I still didn't think it was real.

I couldn't stop yelling "I'M ENGAGED" I've been waiting a long time to yell that and it actually be true.

We made our phone calls as we rowed back to shore.

She knew for a whole hour before and didn't even act like she knew anything! That's skill.

We walked back through the park

And stopped for some more cheesy photo opts.

Marshall taught Val how to balance on the light pole... my fiancé is so talented.

They were so great to us. Scott's fast shutter finger, and Val's impromptu video will keep that memory alive until our computer's crash and we lose it all!

Who would have thought this was happening today. I might have tried to cover up the giant zit on my face a little better or pop a fresh piece of gum in my mouth if I had known I was getting engaged!

Then we walked down to Chinatown so I could be amongst my people.

But I didn't take any pictures because I was too excited just looking at my hand.

But this Indian was very happy for us.

We celebrated the night on the roof of their apartment building with a bottle of wine and a camera.

Val introduced us to the "custom" setting on the self timer button on the camera. I know what the self timer button does, but I didn't know about the "custom" button.

Has everyone known about this setting?

We took 10 pictures in 20 seconds.

It has changed my world.

And so has Marshall.

kisses.

tomorrow.

I fly.

The only way to fly.

Destination.

The city of brotherly love.

Except it's boyfriendly love for me.

kisses.

roooar

Since I will be out of town for Halloween, we had a costume showing tonight.

That's right. He's a dinosaur. An adorable dinosaur.

He's a child after my own heart. Dinosaurs rule.

And if you want to see a video that Teri took of me teaching Jett how they sound and move you can click here.

It's pretty life-like.

kisses.

i miss all my friends. all the time.

I have experience in picking up my life and living alone, far away from family and friends. OKay, yes I had Kara and Tim and other people who are lame because they don't have blogs I can link to. And I am forever changed and blessed because of the friendships that formed in China.

But I know perfectly well what it is like to get on facebook and see pictures of all your friends together, or get a skype call of your whole family eating dinner together, or an email thread from your friends where you have no idea what or who they are talking about.

And it sucks.

But seeing and hearing these things helps you to feel closer to them even when you are far far away, and even when it makes you cry small rivers.

So today, I dedicate this blog post to Emily.

Not because she is all by her self with no one to talk. She has friends where she lives (they aren't us), But because she isn't here with us. And moving away is scary and she did it without a plan in sight! That takes balls. And she's got 'em!She's in Colorado, living in an adorable place, driving 30 minutes just to get a cherry limeade, and having the time of her life.

But we all miss her cute, tiny, unique self.

I came home from China, and a few weeks later she was gone.

Not Cool. I haven''t gotten my Emily-fix.

The holiday's need to get here so we can ALL play, close and far.

(how's that for a blog shout out?)

p.s. all photos are at least a year and a half old. sick.
kisses.