He liked it so he put a ring on it ....



Do not adjust your computer, we are engaged!!!! 

From Kate:  Holy best day of my life, so far!  It is our two year anniversary today.  We planned to travel at this time to celebrate and cherish each other so specifically and thoroughly.  This morning, though, would be unlike any other.  I immediately noticed Erik was jittery, pacing - just not himself.  That did not stop me from diving in to my Special K cereal this morning.  I sat right down to check my email and nosh on some familiar breakfast fare.  Erik was behind me in the living room - pacing, walking.  I got done with my first bowl and said "hey, you need email?"  He said "email? no. no email."  as if that were the craziest thing I had ever said ... the boy checks his email/phone/facebook/fantasy ANYTHING more than anyone I know ... I thought "weird" and said "well, I want some more Special K!" as I danced over to the counter.  I started to pour from the box and quickly noticed Erik in the living room - standing there, staring at me.  He opened his arms to me and said "Happy Anniversary" - I welcomed the invitation and joined his embrace.  He said some very nice things about me, about us, about the two years together, pulled back and said "I got you a present...." I said "Oh no!" (I did not get him anything for the anniversary, we had agreed, when we started saving for this adventure that this would be our gift to one another) and then "well, I got you a card..." I turned to find Erik's card, turned around and he was on his knee.  He opened the box ... the room spun.  I said "oh my gosh, are you doing this?!"  and he asked me to marry him.  It took me a moment to say YES because I thought I had said YES right away ... that was only in my head though, instead, outloud I was spouting off "oh my gosh, I can't believe this, oh my gosh, right here? oh my gosh, this is insane, I dont believe it, oh my gosh" Erik interupted and said "Please say YES" and I said "oh, YES of course YES, well you knew YES..." and we hugged .....  the rest is kind of a blurr, but the ring is perfect.  I have never thought of my engagement ring but it seems that Erik knows me better than I know myself - a perfect solitaire, the perfect setting, the perfect band ... perfect everything.  I'm not a ring wearer but even the size is close to just right.  What a day, what an adventure, what a start to an amazing trip and an amazing life together .... Mazel to us!

From Erik:  I am looking down at an engagement ring and thinking about how exactly to ask the woman of my dreams if she will be my wife. I think back to when we first met. Working together and both recently single, something just sparked. The more I got to know her the more I fell, and wow did I fall hard.So much about her seemed so new and alluring to me. Things that I didn't think I liked or was interested in became passions. Even her family (that is MASSIVE) was a plus for me. I come from a really small family and it was so new to me to see how much she cared and cherished every cousin, aunt, uncle, brother and sister. It was just amazing and unbelievable to me how big her heart is. But that isn't the only thing, she just has SOMETHING that no other woman ever has. I don't really know how to explain it but I have wanted to put this ring on her finger since our first date and now, this morning, I get my chance.

I am going to wake her up with a kiss. When she asks me why I am up so early I am going to insist she come into the living room. There I am going to kiss her again, then down on one knee, I will ask her to marry me. I know she will say yes but I am shaking just writing about it. I am excited and overwhelmed to do something that I never really thought I would.  I know this will truly be a "once in a lifetime trip", as we both keep calling it, for this sole reason. We love each other and I want to be with her for the rest of my life.

Her best friend Becky helped me pick out the ring. I told my parents that I would be asking her when i was last home and my mom teared up. I drove to talk her parents and they gave me their blessing. Outside of those key people, no one knew. I didn't dare ruin it. This is our time together and I have waited 2 years to ask this amazing woman a very important question.

This is a little unorthodox way of announcing what I am about to do but I really wanted to keep it a secret. We don't have a phone here so this is the next best way to let our friends and family know. 



4/16/2011 - our 2 year anniverary, day one of fiance-dom

us, engaged, Amsterdam

Here's a song that makes us both cry ... every time ....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEwFik6ObJs

The rest of the day has been a bit of a fog for me - I spent most of the day staring at the ring..... only looking up to make sure I was not about to trip and fall on a biker, dog, passer by ....  there are tons of open markets in Amsterdam on the weekends so we ventured to one of them in our neighborhood.... We had lunch at a cute cafe - ham/brie & roast beef/horseradish sandwiches and walked it off around the Jordaan. Here are some photos of our market experience ....



market flowers for sale



it smelled as good as it looks

holla Haring!

fuzzy lovers at the market





men, bubbles

 

men, blowing bubbles

Erik, canal street

a corner in our neighborhood - we were at the Noordermarkt today



Erik, in front of our apartment door

As most of you know, we like to make "love pizza" on the 16th of each month to celebrate another month together.  We intended to do just that but, sadly, our oven doesn't work!  This gave us just another opportunity to enjoy something new - Dutch Pizza from Pe Pe Pizzeria.  It was Pe Pe Perfect!!

It's almost midnight in Amsterdam ... and we have been engaged for 16 hours!  It's hard to explain, but everything is simply ... better!  Thank you for following, commenting and complimenting the blog!  We love it and are just so happy you do too!

Cheers,
Kate & Erik

4/16/2011