Meet the parents (again)

     So the last time that I saw Mitch's parents, we were 17 and my Dad had taken me and my brother to Chicago to visit with Mitch.  It's funny thinking back on that visit and how different things are now than from when I was a junior in high school.  Had you told me that 16 years later, we'd be planning an "adult relationship" and life together, I wouldn't have necessarily believed you, though both of us had feelings for each other at the time.

    His parents didn't quite know the extent of our relationship and were unaware that we had been seeing each other in college over the course of several cross country visits.  Therefore, it was necessary to fully explain ourselves.  Honesty is the critical foundation of a good relationship and it was (and still is) crucial that his parents were properly informed as to what our intentions are from the get go.

     In any case, it was a great visit.  They asked a lot of questions about my past, present, and future and about my feelings and thoughts about pretty much everything.  I'm fairly certain that it went well and that I answered their questions to their satisfaction.  It was a bit intimidating at times, but I feel we came out of the interactions with better understandings of all involved parties.

     We got to do a lot of sightseeing, eating good food, and talking.  I think that they're at least slightly less skeptical about things and perhaps (and hopefully) feel that we aren't crazy.  I mean, I feel we have their support and encouragement....which is important to us, as Mitch is very close with his family.  I appreciate this part of him, as family is extremely important to me.  I hope that we can continue to build upon our relationship (mine and his parents, that is) and that they like my daughters, as they will be their son's (step) kids.

Enjoying our time together...

     So far so good.  VERY GOOD.  Almost TOO good sometimes.  I occasionally find myself wondering "is this REALLY happening??"  I love the "daily grind" of being together and having someone to wake up to every morning and admittedly, as independent as I've been for the last few years, I have missed sharing a bed, a life, space, etc with someone.  I enjoy having someone to cook for and to be excited about seeing at the end of the day.
   

BIG News

So, Mitch and I have talked about marriage before...and basically assumed in all of our "future planning" that marriage was the next logical step in our relationship.  But before we can actually GET married, several things need to happen.

The first, however, was that he had to formally ask me.

SO today, we went into DC to sight-see and hang out.  We walked around for a long time, seeing everything from Einsten to Lincoln to Martin Luther King, etc... After awhile, Mitch wanted to stop for a bit and relax.  There we sat, across from the Jefferson Memorial, overlooking the lake, with the Washington Monument within site... and we talked for awhile, while sitting on a cold stone "bench."  After some time had passed, Mitch took both my hands in his and asked if I would marry him.  Without hesitation, I obviously said "Yes. Of course."  And then he put a ring on my finger and we kissed. I guess I had known this was going to come at some point, but the day was just perfect and the moment he chose was just right.

However, that was not the most memorable aspect of the day.  Once we arrived back at his apartment, we starting talking (as usual) and somehow we ended up in the kitchen.  I jumped up on the counter and Mitch leaned into me, looking deep in my eyes, and we started whispering goals and promises for the future.  We talked about our lives together, what we wanted for the kids, the possibility of having another child,what we wanted for our lives...  it was extremely intense and in so many ways, very romantic.  Out of everything we've done/had thus far, I am pretty sure that moment was my favorite, as it was just so intimate and such a great reflection of us as a couple.

just engaged :)

Commitment (finding a place to live)

So Mitch has been searching for a house to buy for quite awhile. However, when we decided that the girls and I were going to move out there, the location changed to be in a better school district. I feel really lucky to be with someone who cares about my children's education as much as I do. 

Things are starting to feel more real, more solid... as we have a fairly detailed plan for the future and know what we want.  Having a great place to live is the icing on the cake, as honestly, I would have been happy living in his (large) two bedroom apartment indefinitely.  The girls would have enough room... but knowing that we are going to be in a 3 bedroom, 3.5 bathroom townhouse in an awesome school district and great community is incredible.  I can't wait for the place to be built and for us to move in, solidifying our future as a family.

I think that the girls are going to be ecstatic - not only will they have their own bedrooms and a shared bathroom, but the townhouse has 3 floors and lots of space.  Additionally, the kitchen is AMAZING and I can't wait to cook in there.  I envision the family hanging out in the kitchen... cooking dinner while helping the girls with their homework. 

As for the rest of the space, everything seems perfect for our family from the downstairs rec room to the upstairs laundry room, to the huge walk in closet in the master bedroom to the spa-like master bathroom with the large bathtub and huge glass-enclosed shower.  

Anyway, I wanted to include a few pictures from the model of the home that he is buying.  The one that Mitch bought should be completed in July and we are hoping to move in at the beginning of August.

 The "time out step" in Ellie's closet 

I'm pretty in love with this place, and I can already imagine the family in it.  Pretty excited about what lies ahead, that's for sure.

...and I'm off....

     Here goes nothing... leaving on a jet plane bound for BWI.  I can't wait to see what transpires over the next month and most importantly, getting to spend so much time with my love.