Christmas

I'm surprised I'm still sane! There has been a lot of drama both good and bad this semester. I helped a friend in need. The man of my dreams has swept me off my feet and I'm now wearing his ring. I've survived my last class with flying colors.

Michael found three stray kittens in our garage last week. They all went to good homes and didn't have to go to the no kill shelter. YAY! We also decided to get a male golden retriever puppy. We decided not to do it right away. And then we decided to look at some tomorrow. How is does the name Bailey sound for a little golden puppy? Or Riley?

Christmas was uneventful, blessedly! Mama and I had already given each other our gifts. Michael put up the lights outside after Thanksgiving, and we put up wreaths, but we didn't do the tree thing this year.

I am now studying for my written exam. I take it at the end of January, a week after my birthday. "Let's see if you get to stay in grad school. You have four hours to prove yourself. Happy Birthday." I think I'll do well, but there's still stress. I'm hoping one of the possible sources of research funding comes in so I don't have to TA next semester.

I will start planning the wedding now. I need to get as much done as possible before I leave for the summer for research. So busy. So much to do. So little time. Thank God for Mama and good friends to help me. I'm going to be asking Michael's sisters (and now mine as well) for their advice and opinions.

Mama got a membership to my fitness club and we'll be going together at least once a week. That whirlpool is so relaxing! And swimming is such good cardio and it doesn't jar me and give me migraines.

My mind is racing. I've got so many things running around in my head that I don't know if I've talked about everything. Boy, I really need to keep up with this better. That way I can just update instead of starting again. Oh! I'm going to keep a knitting blog. Okay, actually it's a crafting blog since I'll put my quilts and croceted stuff on it, too. But still. You know what I mean. Here's what's going on that I want to express somehow:
Lil' B is an awesome person and so cool.
Jarett's cat is the most affectionate darling ever!
Kelsey is a good girl, but is sometimes too demanding and I need to work with her more.
Alex is the best snuggle bunny on the planet.
John and Julie are the coolest married couple there ever was or will be.
My toenail is growing in from when it fell off, and why the hell did it do that, but thank God it didn't hurt!
My engagement ring is gorgeous.
I'm in love with my fiance.
I miss Michael since he's visiting his family for the holidays.
I need to work on the papers for publishing.
I have 9 books I want to read.
I have 4 scarves that I am making right now, plus a shawl.
I have two quilts in various states of progress that I'm dying to work on.
What will I call the new puppy? And will the others react the way I expect they will?
I miss Brandy so much it still kills me that she's gone.
Christmas was Brandy's favorite time of year.
Brandy's birthday is in a week and it's going to be really hard to deal with.
Christ the King is a wonderful church and Father Tom is funny.
I wonder if we should ask Father Tom to do our wedding?
My engagement ring is gorgeous.
This time next year Michael and I will have had our first Christmas together as a married couple.
Will I pass my written exam?
Of course I'll pass my written exam.
Can I finish my dissertation in a year after that?
Do I want to finish so quickly?
Maybe I should start my craft blog tonight.
It's too late to be messing around on the computer now. I have to be up early.
Okay. My brain is emptied out now. I think. :) I hope.

Engaged!

Diamonds in the afternoon. He had to take the bus from campus to the mall, then walk from the mall to Michael asked me to marry him! I, of course, said, "Yes!" He picked up the ring from HelzbergHelzberg, crossing Grape road to get there. Then he had to cross Grape again (which he did on the bridge over the toll road) to get back to the mall, take the bus back to campus. While he was waiting for the bus I called him. When the bus arrived, I heard a whoosh and people talking. He had told me he was working late, so I thought he was in the lab and the noise was some piece of equipment and that there were people in the hall. Silly me. He thought I knew what he was doing at that point. :) So when he got back to campus he ran back to his apartment, grabbed his bike, and road it along 933 to get to the house. He knew I had to pick up Mama from a late work event and that I had to leave at 7pm to get her. He pedalled as fast as he could because he wasn't sure he could make it before I left. I was about to leave when I heard a knock at the door. It had been raining/snowing all day, and I had seen a power truck go by, so I thought it was a utility worker or something like that. I put the dogs up and got all frazzled doing it. I opened the door and there was my man. I asked him how he got here and if he'd ridden his bike all the way from campus. He said he had, and I wondered why he didn't use his key to get in. He stepped inside and pulled out a burgundy box with a gold ribbon. He opened the box and pulled out a jewelry box. He handed it to me and got down on one knee. I was thinking he was pranking me again, and was preparing to yell at him (playfully, of course) but then I opened the box. There was a real engagement ring inside! As I opened the box, he asked, "Will you marry me?" To which I promptly replied, "Yes!" After that all I could really manage for several minutes was, "Oh my God!" I love that man! After we picked up Mama, we had a celebratory glass of wine with toasts to our happiness. Then we called friends to come out and celebrate with us at Club La Salle.

Michael and Me at La Salle celebrating our engagement.