Welcome Knotties!!!

This post is LONG overdue, since I've been one of the Knottie Bloggers for almost a week now, but I figured it's better late than never! I am SO excited to be one of the new bloggers on The Knot and I hope that the other Knotties enjoy my posts!

In honor of the new locale of my blog, I decided I would do a week long recap of what has led me up to today in my world of wedding...

It's Nice to Meet You...

I met my now fiance a few years ago when I started working at my current job.  At the time, he and I were both seeing people so our quick meeting was our only interaction for quite a while.  Fast forward 5 months and a couple of my co-workers and I went on YEA-cation (long story) to see our school's basketball team in the NCAA tournament.  J was there working so I was reminded of him, but we didn't really talk at that time.  A couple more months passed and he was playing in the golf tournament that my department hosts every year.  By now, we were both single and although it took almost the whole day, we did have a quick conversation on the putting green (this is where I picked him up), but it was mostly just small talk.  I thought he was cute, so I started some email flirting and after a few lunches together, we went our our first real date.  The night before, he told me that he had a job offer in California and was not sure if he was going to take it.  During our few lunch dates and HOURS on the phone, I had started to think that I liked him, but I barely knew him so I had to act excited for him because I was not going to be that creepy girl who told him that I didn't want him to leave before our first "real" date.  So we went out, and did not talk about the job offer... just got to know each other.  I never really believed in the idea of "when you find the right person, you'll just know", but that's exactly how I felt about him despite my attempts to deny it since I was trying to give myself a break from boys.  After our first date, though, I just quit thinking about it so much and let it happen.

That was the beginning of us being attached at the hip.  We went on vacations together, tried new restaurants, and met each other's families during the holidays.  It was so easy to feel comfortable with him.  I loved that I found someone that respected me, my job and my goals, and I love that he has made sacrifices that have allowed me to advance my career.  I don't have a 9 to 5 job, and neither does he, which can get really really  hard because there are certain times of the year when we don't see each other much.  But we both know that it's just part of the job and that we each love what we do.  Having someone who understands that and who supports that makes the weird and long hours a little more enjoyable.

Fast forward about a year and a half... New Years Eve (morning) 2009, and enter the happiest day of my life!

It was the perfect guy... perfect proposal... the perfect ring.  I was totally surprised and although I gave him a little guidance on the ring style that I like (round, vintage, sparkly), I am proud to say that he picked the ring all by himself and I couldn't have done a better job myself.