Oh Yeah, Happy New Year and All That

Not much to report here. (Except for terrible run-on sentences and too many parenthesis to count.) DH has been nursing a cold for the past week, calling the doc on Wed's to get a Rx for a Z-Pack (please don't ask me to spell the actual medication, because it's so not going to happen) which doesn't seem to have kicked in yet as he has woken up the past couple nights with a hacking cough at 3 AM. Of course, 2 nights ago the smoke detector battery helped with the wake up (does anyone know why the batteries only die at night?), so that's kinda been sucky for him, especially with having taken this week off.

We spent New Years Eve very quietly, DH played a computer game he received for Christmas (Hellgate: London - he is really enjoying it!) I read a couple books, we watched a movie (I can't remember which one, so it must not have been too good) and caught the last 5 minutes of the New Years Eve specials before toasting with a glass each of sparkling wine we both like (I can't stand champagne, which is really strange, but that's the way it is) and headed to bed shortly after midnight. We didn't even kiss at midnight because DH was sick (we have an agreement for the sick person to let the other know when s/he feels healthy enough to not pass germs and until that time we don't kiss on the lips).

Our New Years Eve seven years ago was much different. Unbeknownst to me, but knownst to almost everyone else, over the fall DH had worked very hard to design an engagement ring I would like. The center diamond has been passed down in his family from his great-grandfather (DH is the 4th in the line with the same name), and so he could have just had that set in a solitaire and called it done. But he had listened when I said I didn't like solitaires (I think they can be beautiful, but I was afraid I would catch one on something and would lose the diamond), and had been very subtle about asking my opinion on different stone cuts, that sort of thing. And he had asked my parents for my hand since I had told him that was important to them. On the day he went to see them, the power was out for some reason and so they all sat there in the dark gloom of an unlit room, which didn't do much to make him less nervous about doing what he was doing.

Back to New Years Eve: DH had made arrangements for us to spend New Years Eve up at Wintergreen; and one of the other members of Ski Patrol had generously offered their condo for our use(I found this out after the fact - all I knew at the time was that DH had gotten the condo) because DH had told them his plans. Of course, I was totally clueless (even after his father made some fairly obvious (to DH) comments which should have tipped me off over Christmas), and was just looking forward to spending the time with him up at Wintergreen and enjoying New Years Eve.

His original plan was to propose at midnight, but DH was so nervous that he almost forgot the ring when we were packing to leave, so he changed his mind and decided to propose after we had gotten dressed for our 9PM dinner / party reservations but before we went to the restaurant. Not knowing what was going on, I felt like we were running late and a little stressed over an issue I had no control over (can you believe the person who hemmed my dress didn't hem the lining shorter than the outside fabric? gah!) and was rushing to put on my coat and hat, etc. in prep for going out to the car, and honestly I wasn't really paying too much attention to what DH was doing. Next thing I know he's down on one knee, and I'm standing there in my hat and scarf! At that time I was still a little immature, so instead of immediately saying yes, I said no first, in an attempt to be funny because I didn't know what else to do to lighten the moment. (You know those things that you really desperately wish you could undo? That's at the top of my list! ) Then I said, yes, of course, and a huge cheesy smile spread across my face that took a couple of weeks to come off. And the issue with my dress didn't matter any more. Then we went to dinner (where they had lost our reservation, but it didn't matter in the glow of euphoria I was feeling) and partied and showed off my ring to everyone on Ski Patrol (who obviously also knew what was going on).

Since I don't have a picture here with me at work, I'll describe it as best I can...there are three diamonds, the center one is round (and is the family diamond described above) and it is flanked on either side by a teardrop diamond with the round part slightly tucked under the center diamond. It looks like a flower with only 2 petals remaining. Sort of like this <)()(> *which is a very bad approximation*. The settings are fairly low profile, but the two side diamonds ramp up slightly towards the center diamond, so it slides into pockets and gloves without too much wiggling. I couldn't have asked for or designed a more perfect engagement ring. Or a more perfect husband (well to be honest, he's not perfect [and neither am I], but you know what I mean).

So that was my best New Years Eve ever, and it totally makes up for low-key celebrations like we had this year.

**Today DH is going to have the swimmers checked so please continue your crossed fingers and good thoughts in that direction.**