We're engaged!

Joe planned the most romantic and thoughtful proposal! Knowing that butterflies are a very important symbol in my family -- my grandmother was one of 11 siblings, and when the four brothers went off to WWII, the sisters formed 'The Butterfly Club' -- he surprised me by proposing in the Butterfly Conservatory at the Museum of Natural History in New York City! I had *no* idea that the proposal was about to happen...I thought we were in the city to go see a Spiderman attraction, and when we pulled up in front of the museum, it still didn't sink in! Joe said, "I just thought we'd stop in here first." I was so happy to get to see the butterflies that it didn't even occur to me that this could be IT. So we went into the biodome, which is like the Garden of Eden with tropical plants and flowers and hundreds of butterflies of all colors and sizes, and I was looking up in awe. Joe came up behind me and said, "Sharon...?" I turned around, and he was holding the ring. "Will you marry me?" came the question. I immediately started crying and said Yes. In the dreamlike state I was in, I know that the other people in the dome were saying, "They just got engaged," but that part is a blur. All I could focus on was Joe. Not the ring. Joe. My Joe. So we were the newly engaged couple kissing in the biodome, with me in tears. We asked someone to take our picture, so we captured the moment right away. It was amazing, a moment I'll never forget in a place that couldn't be more perfect. And seconds later, a big blue butterfly landed on my head and stayed there. We have a photo of that too, which is so going on display in our office. [And of course, all of my relatives LOVE the butterfly story. Especially my Aunt Millie, one of the seven sisters, who loved that I'm keeping the tradition alive in the family. What a heartwarming conversation today with her!] So with my ring in place, we exited the biodome, and Joe just grabbed me up for a big kiss right there in the middle of the museum, and every one of his kisses has always given me...well, butterflies. So it was beyond perfection.

We went for lunch, and then over to see the Spiderman attraction, and it was a very happy trip home. Every now and then as Joe was driving, he would keep looking at the ring on my finger. And he smiled.

He planned the perfect proposal....

I am the luckiest woman in the world....

As if it couldn't get any better, tonight was his company's softball game, and as I was walking across the field to where he was, I had to compose myself a little bit. Seeing him in his softball uniform, gloves, sunglasses and hat, all I could think was, "Wow...that is one gorgeous man!" So the past 48 hours have been a dream come true and beyond. In one of the great moments of sharing the news with my friends, I was in my supermarket and all of the ladies who work there who have been so wonderful to my family these past 4 years celebrated our good news! And a sweet woman in line behind me complimented the ring and shared the story about how she was married to the best man in the world for 60 years. She wouldn't change a thing, since it was so perfect. She wished us the same kind of happiness.

The joy of marrying such a wonderful man is a blessing beyond belief, and these spontaneous well-wishes from our friends and family (and strangers) just make it all the more special.

I've rambled on enough for now...I stayed away from my blog for the past two days since I'm so deliriously happy as to be almost incoherent! I get to spend my life with Joe...and he brought me to the butterflies.....