It's official: I'm engaged!

I can't quite believe that I am engaged to be married... it's all happened so fast. My darling Ben proposed to me while we were away in Australia, last week. We have told family and close friends, and have changed our relationship status on Facebook, hoping that the rest of our network notices. (Feels a bit strange disseminating important news that way.) I am very happy and somehow at peace. Yay! :)

For those of you who want the details (I have been asked for them many times today, my first day back at work, so I know they're wanted!), the full story is as follows...

It all started in June. It was a few weeks before our 4-year anniversary dinner, which Ben had booked and was acting a bit cagey about, not telling me where we were going. We were in our bedroom, and I was tidying up my jewellery, when Ben started asking about my jewellery-wearing habits. It started with necklaces, moved on to bracelets, and then rings. I was instantly suspicious, and Ben knew it. In the ensuing discussion I managed to make it clear that if he were to get me a special kind of ring, that I'd want to pick it, but would appreciate a token if the special question were to be popped.

So... the chat about rings together with the cagey dinner booking naturally made me assume Ben was going to propose at our anniversary dinner! Confident in my assumption, I casually mentioned it at Ben's cousin's hen do, where female members of Ben's family, including June (his Mum) and Tracy (his brother's partner), were gathered.

Apparently soon afterwards Tracy told James (Ben's brother) of my expectations, and James told Ben, whereupon Ben swore and hit his head... because of course he had been planning ahead for Australia, forgetting that we had a significant date coming up earlier!

And thus poor little me sat there at our lovely anniversary dinner waiting for a question that didn't come. Oh dear. I can laugh about it now, but I have to admit I was disappointed at the time. And embarrassed! Especially after telling all the Turner-Robinson-Brittain-Cole crew! It took me ages to confess to Ben. In the end I just put it out of my head and figured he'd propose when he was good and ready.




Move forward to Australia... In the emotional maelstrom that was my visit home (reunions, family interactions, time spent with a beautiful baby), getting a proposal was the last thing on my mind. So when Ben whisked me away for some 1-on-1 time, I just thought he was spoiling me :) And spoil me he did, with style!

We went to a lovely boutique hotel in South Yarra, where we had a great massage and drank a bottle of champagne while we got ready for our evening out. We had a sensational dinner at a restaurant called Da Noi - the chef's menu is highly recommended! And then, having missed the session times for something a bit more romantic, we saw District 9 at the flicks - I loved it!

The next day was a lazy sleep-in, breakfast in bed, and then a walk around the gorgeous Botanical Gardens, where the last part of Ben's stealth assault was put into action: a pre-booked hamper with 5 mini courses, and more champagne! We sat and enjoyed our meal in the glorious sunshine (rain had been forecast but the weather gods were smiling down on us). As we prepared to leave I got up but Ben was still on the ground for some reason, and seemed to be on one knee. He then pulled out a jewellery box and my breath caught in my throat. And then he asked me to marry him. I was so overwhelmed I said nothing for a few seconds, then blurted out a "yes" and grabbed him in a big hug. Of course I also started sobbing. Then I stopped and said "hang on, let me see what's in the box first!" hehe Ben then gave me a beautiful 'sweetheart' bracelet with an little heart charm engraved with our names. Awwww :)

We walked around in a happy daze for ages afterwards, and kept calling each other fiance (or fiancee) because it was all so strange and new and fun.

So that's our story. We don't have a plan yet... we don't know where, when or how we'll be getting married, but I do know this: I'm having a beehive hairdo!