Joe asked my for hand

I am on Cloud 10. Joe has asked my parents for my hand in marriage. I'm in such bliss, I hardly know what to do with myself.

My parents knew it was coming, so unbenownst to us, Mom went out and got a platter of sandwiches, a cheesecake, and the kind of lemon seltzer that Joe likes. So that's what was waiting for us a little later in the day...

We started our morning with breakfast in the park, and we stopped off to get Joe's artist friend's limited edition artwork framed for our new home. As we waited for a couple to decide between frames for a truly mindboggling piece of art (I'll say no more), I was in a panic that my Dad was going to fall asleep before we got there. But we arrived in time, and we sat down to eat. Joe gave no hint of being nervous, and I wish I could say that I was hiding my excitement well. At one point, I gave him the 'go!' look, and he just smiled. So we chatted over lunch for a while, and then Joe said he has grown very fond of me, and well, since I started planning the wedding already, would my parents agree to letting him take me off their hands. It was the perfect thing to say, very much his sense of humor, and my parents loved it. I was just looking at my parents' faces -- they were just overjoyed....and if there's anything my parents deserve after 4 years of cancer treatments it's to be overjoyed. They absolutely love Joe, and it's like my entire family is getting a great gift. Even Peanut the dog refrained from begging at the table and just laid down by Joe's feet. So it was a celebration, and one of those once-in-a-lifetime moments that surpasses your dreams. Whatever happens in the next year with my Dad's health, I'll always know that we shared that moment, with him looking so pleased and so proud, so welcoming of Joe. And my mom adores Joe like a son, for the happiness he has brought me and especially for a moment of great kindness during my brother's wedding. So this was the blissful moment I have been hoping for, and Joe made it extra-special. Sorry to gush here, but I won the lottery when I found him.

So as I'm floating, I can now share the news that even though we haven't gotten to the ring yet, we have our ceremony and reception site booked, our Save the Dates ready to roll, our photographer booked, and a celebrity performer for our reception ready for that one phone call to say it's a go. Stay tuned on that one, because it's huge. Magazine editors want to cover the wedding, but we'll have to discuss the breadth of that since our day will be our day. We'll be honored to be spotlit in my favorite magazines, but we have to discuss the details. Right now, we're both in new home chaos, with finding movers and pacing our path through that. I spent hours tonight on the www.benjaminmoore.com site trying out wall colors for our office, our kitchen and our bathrooms -- so visit that site for amazing color samples for your wedding as well as for your home. The interactive tool there is the best thing ever.

So there you have it...we're almost officially official with the engagement, and I can finally talk about it now that the respect of asking both of my parents has been delivered. I am going to be Joe's wife. It's a greater honor than anything I've ever accomplished in my career, even better than hugging Oprah after I taped her show. Sorry, O, but this is a bigger dream come true. And it all gets even better from here. I'm so looking forward to sharing the planning with Joe and his family -- his mom doesn't have daughters, so I'd love to share the flowers and the gown shop with her -- and of course my Mom and I will work on the wedding as well.

This was the best day...