The eve of a Christmas Engagement!

If you follow me on Instagram or twitter or facebook, then you know the news already! 

This Christmas eve, a few hours before midnight mass, Mister Wonderful proposed and I happily said YES!

So the story goes...

The tradition in my family is that on Christmas eve, we are allowed to open one Christmas gift on the eve of Christmas, the the next day we open all the gifts. I asked MW if he wanted to do that. He agreed. I picked out a photo book I had made of our Ohio/Chicago summer trip printed by Shutterfly for him to open. I had been dying to see how the book turned out, and had not opened it out of it's original packaging since it arrived! 

Next it was my turn. I was sitting on our black leather couch wondering what he was going to give me. Seeing how I KNOW that he hadn't used an INCH of tape or wrapping paper for the whole month, so I had no idea what he was going to give me. 

He just said, "Aspen go give mommy her Christmas present"

So Aspen comes bounding off his lap and into mine. I was like Oh goodie doggie kisses and with some dog breath is my gift sweet! 

really I didn't know what he meant by sending her my way. 

I just looked at him and said how is Aspen my gift? 

MW says, "no babe you need to look for it--it's on her"

at first i kind of panicked? what's on her?

Then as I felt up around her harness, there was this gorgeous ring attached to her name license and bell. 

I was in shock. He got down on one knee and said how much he had been thinking of doing "this" (proposing) for a while now, and wanted to know if I would marry him?

I kept asking are you sure? are you for real? Are you serious? I think those were the 3 things I kept repeating at first! 

He said he knew how much Aspen meant to me, and how he wanted her to be a part of the special moment, and I think I began to tear up then!

I couldn't stop staring at it all throughout midnight mass. 

I've waited 29 years to meet my soulmate, and contrary to belief, that old saying You know when you know? It's SO true. I knew very early on before Mister Wonderful moved from Ohio to AZ to be with me, that he was "the one". 

So that's the story friends. We did the best we could capturing our "Moment" with just as as the Photographers since both of our families were out of state for the holiday (his are in Cleveland mine are in Colorado.) 

I know NOTHING about weddings, planning or anything of the sorts, so any advice you bloggy buddies can shed would be GREAT! 

And for the basic questions....

No, no date has been 'set' but MW actually wants to try to be married over THIS SUMMER. 

Yeah you read that correctly. THIS SUMMER. CRUNCH!

Not sure if we can pull that off.....

We DO want to do a destination wedding via Hawaii. 

Reason is very simple:

We don't want a big wedding. 

We don't want to get married in a catholic church (even though MW and I are VERY CATHOLIC and attend church every Sunday) we don't feel the need to attend YEARLY pre marital classes (to each their own don't judge!) 

I never really blog about MW and my relationship on here, simply because people often raise an eyebrow when I tell them (only when asked) that MW and never fight. We get along totally fine, we don't let little pet peeves pick at us or ruin our relationship. Everyone just says oh your day will come, you'll fight eventually. Um...

It's been a year and a half and no, really, we don't fight. Like ever. 

Anyway, back to the Hawaii deets....

The main reason we also pick Hawaii (rather than St. Martins or Fiji)

Hawaii is IN STATE so my lil ole Grandma doesn't need to get a passport to see her grand daughter get married. 

We WANT our families to be on vacation with us. I know a lot of people escape their family and lives on a Honeymoon. We want ours to be there for some of it! 

MW and I have never gone on a REAL vacation.I don't consider going home to IL or OH a vacation. 

We both want a REAL destination as a vacation. 

Well friends, those are the details!

Has anyone gotten married as a destination wedding?

Have any of you gotten married in under a year engagment?

How does one get their hair and makeup done for a destination wedding?

TIPS PLEASE!!!!