alright alright, i simply must get my ass in gear with this website thing.

so most everyone already knows the news, but big G has asked for my hand in marriage and i have accepted graciously. we were down the shore at the boardwalk re-living a rainy version of our first date, and on the way back to the beach house, the raindrops relented just long enough for us to sit on the beach, go through the whole proposal and look at my swanky new ring by battery-operated lantern light. it happened to have taken place right in front of his aunt's house (where his parents were staying), so when the rain started back up, we went over to share the good news. all the women screamed, his parents gave me big hugs, and then we drank champagne. when we told his aunt that greg had proposed right near the house, she mused that it must have been (late) uncle dave who stopped the rain for us. a little corny, but i like that thought.

the day after he proposed, i said, "we're engaged. doesn't that sound so old???" it's such a strange feeling, because in my head, "being engaged" is a completely different thing than "getting married." my sister came down the shore for a day or so, and periodically she would say, "so....you're gettin' married!" it just sounds so strange. everyone i know who's engaged or married (maybe with the exception of april who's still making out with shifty shellshock) really relishes it. they can't wait to really settle down and get to the whole married with children thing. i want to get married, and i want to have children, but i don't think i'm ready to really grow up yet. clearly i know that it's all what you make of it, but it's just a very strange feeling to look down and see this ring on my finger and know that in the not-unimaginable future i'll be a wife and mother. keeee-razy.

that being said, in the words of my friend amanda, this ring is bangin'. greg really stepped up his act, i must say. here i was afraid that if and when we got engaged, it would happen when we were sitting on the couch or something, and he would just turn to me during the commercial break and say, "sooo...you wanna get married?" instead, he spent months ring shopping by himself, arranging fake golf outings with his dad as a cover, driving up to tell my parents, planning out the whole proposal. i was sure nothing was going on because i figured he'd be a nervous wreck when he eventually did all of this. but when he asked me, he seemed so confident and happy, that i guess something had just clicked in him. i was so impressed with him that he really got it all together and did it. especially the part where he picked out an amazing ring ;) awww....my greggy's all growns up...

ok, non-marriage-related.

re: vacation. we have decided on scotland as our september destination! of course, we have yet to do anything about it, and the flights are looking a bit expensive. another thing preventing me from diving into the planning is this whole wedding thing being dropped in my lap. i'm so busy thinking about the wedding that i have no time for scotland. of course, that's a poor excuse because the wedding won't be until next year. so does anyone know anything about scotland?