Wedding Wednesday: Our Proposal

Today marks 366 days since Iman proposed. :)

Big Bear, CA

Yesterday we celebrated our two year dating anniversary and one year engagement anniversary. I want to share our little proposal story with you. It's part really funny and many parts romantic. I, of course, tried to ruin it the whole time without knowing it. I'm a ruiner of romantic plans because I am so awkward and ridiculous...

Engagement Party Dec 2012

After almost a year of officially dating and letting my wall down, I finally answered Iman's requests to "maybe, someday get married." It was shocking that it took him less than a year because I'm the girl who always has her running shoes on, including the beginning of our relationship. When I agreed to be official, I had already decided we would have a someday. That someday was going to come in the distant future, though. I was happy with where our life was going.

To infinity...and beyond

In September, I agreed to the tattoos. His first real sign that I was getting ready. It wasn't much of a shock in October when he sent me pictures of rings. In fact, it was a giddy shock. I think I squealed at work. A few weeks later he surprise took me to pick out rings...

Iman's got mad photography skills

I knew that we couldn't afford that ring though. I knew that our someday was coming quick, but I didn't expect it for our anniversary weekend. I almost expected it, but then forgot as we traveled up to Big Bear. I was just excited that we were going on a romantic getaway at a very low cost. [Thanks, Grandma Nita for the timeshare!]

He's just so cute and unsuspecting! 

Our first morning up there was glorious and we were excited to go on a hike. I love hiking but I'm probably one of the worst hikers ever. Of course, I stayed true to that...

After breakfast, we scoped out the perfect hiking place. Iman was being weird with his jacket and seemed distracted. He wanted our hike to be perfect! I, of course, was oblivious to this. If I had remembered that I thought he was going to propose the jacket thing might have signaled some alarms...but I was just blissfully excited to go hiking in the glorious weather.

Eventually, we decided to hike to the highest peak where we could see all of Big Bear Lake. Coincidentally, the path was one where people who hike cross country walk on. That was way cool. We were silly for the first part. Laughing and playing and taking a million pictures. We met some people.

I kept my complaining to a minimum, compared to usual. I just kept saying "This has to be the highest point! We're here. I'm tired." Iman just kept telling me it would be worth it. Fine. The view will be beautiful, of course it will be worth it.

So up we went...up, up, up.

He was right, though. It was gorgeous all the way up there. Just the two of us. We took a ton of pictures :)

I was standing on a bench so I could be as tall as him and after a few minutes I jumped down...

"Ready?" he asked me.

I turned to grab our jackets and prepare for the easy descent...

As I turned around, I panicked. My tall man was NOT taller than me. I seriously thought he was falling down the mountain and started to say so before realizing what was happening [which, in retrospect is funny, since I was falling when we had our first kiss...]

"Will you spend the rest of your life with me?"

"OMG! You're so cute!!" I said as I rushed closer to him and grabbed his face.

"Yes, yes of course!"

:))

Excited face!!

My little heart was exploding and I didn't really know what to do with my hands...

Hands...

Then, as we turned to go back down the mountain, he told me I had the whole hike back to call people. After that, was our time.

So I called my mom. She told me she loved the ring...SINCE she had already seen it a week before!
Then I called my dad...and his whole office shouted Congratulations!! Of course, Iman had told him!

Then I called Molly...my aunt nik...all of the besties.

I left the funniest message for my cousin ever "Hey, it's Raewyn. I wish you would pick up your phone because I'm going to need a hair stylist for my wedding. Give me a call back.Love youu"

Clearly I didn't know...I would have had my nails done! 

Then we got drunk at one of the restaurants and I enjoyed a wonderful afternoon nap before I cooked us pasta and we watched some movies.

AH! I can't believe that was a year ago :)

I want to hear your engagement story!!

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5 Little Grins Week 6 [Link Up]

<a href="http://www.beawarriorqueen.com" target="_blank"><img alt=" 5 Little Grins " height="246" src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/4fb1b81a9b1ad6d17c9317ea03174589/tumblr_mucw6eXUKG1s3gqbyo1_400.png" width="350" /></a> 

We'll go ahead and say it: Most people think Mondays suck / are the worst / should die a fire-y death. I'm sure you get the picture.

We've all had our fair share of bad Mondays and bad Tuesdays and just plain ol' bad days. Instead of focusing on the bad, what if we focused on the good things?

What if we focused on the little things that made us smile today, yesterday, last week? Could our whole attitude change? In time, would we find that we're having more good days than bad?

Cassandra, Paulina and I would love for you to join us on our weekly link up counting at least 5 things that made you smile in the last week. We could start our Mondays on this positive note!

Of course, this is all about encouragement, so hop on over to some other blogs and leave a positive note and make a new friend!
The Rules! (These are really just kind suggestions)

1. Follow your hosts: Cassandra, Raewyn, and Paulina!

2. Link up your post that includes 5-ish things that made you smile in the past week

3. Comment after you link up

4. Go visit some other blogs and make some friends!

5. Have fun, and don't forget to smile!! Well this week I have a ton to smile about! I hope that you do, too!

The day after we became official :) 

Minutes before he proposed! 

1. TUESDAY IS OUR ANNIVERSARY :) I know we already celebrated, but it is just so, so exciting that Iman and I have been together officially for two years, and engaged for one. I used to be a chronic commitment phobe and any relationships I did have were filled with breaks. It just shows when you found someone you're meant to be with, you see how right it is!

2.  I got to see my little sister. She is such a warrior queen and growing up to be such a great human being. I love that I get to see her more often now that I have more free time.  3. One of my kindergarteners said, "You're the best Ms. S" as she left class.  4. We went to the wedding venue and squared a lot of stuff away on Sunday. Our venue is AMAZING and ACCOMMODATING. 

My favorite baby shower gift I bought -- of course I had to get a moustache pacifier!

5. I had so much fun at the babyshower last week! My first one of many this year!  What made you grin this week? 

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. For every e-book purchased I will receive commission. 

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Wedding Wednesday: A Flashback

Good morning!!

I am super excited to do a Wedding Wednesday post because it's been almost two weeks since my last one!! WHAT! I'm also writing a guest post over on Army Ever After tomorrow that is wedding related, and another one yesterday on DIY Bride that is wedding related...so we're getting a little wedding crazy!

Which makes me happy. First of all, our Save the Dates were all received and I met with my maid of honor to map out all of the rest of the important dates. Next I'm working on the wedsite and some small stuff, like going to see the venue with Liz on the 17th!

Today I wanted to give you guys a little flashback..into the very fist time Iman and I did anything romantic...I made the first move.

Feb 3, 2007

I'm not big on dancing and in high school I rarely went to any school dances. Actually, I went to Homecoming my freshman year and Winter Formal my senior year. That's it, no prom for me!

I knew I wanted to go to one dance my senior year and when they announced the theme for Winter Formal, my best friend and I melted. We HAD to  go. The problem [or maybe it was a good thing] with Winter Formal is that it is Sadie Hawkins at our high school! Hello, nerves!

I didn't like anyone, really. Well, that's a lie. I liked Iman. I always liked Iman. He was in the middle of one of his mixed signal times. As in his Myspace said he had a girlfriend and some crazy chick was all over it, but he was taking me to the movies and holding my hand...But I digress.

I was determined to ask him, hopeful that something would come out of it. Since I never knew when I was going to see the kid though I sent him some vague text message, or maybe the text message made sense and he was just being a butthead in reply. [Side note, I don't think I was allowed to text...but I did anyway].

My dress is from Aardvark's on Melrose. My mom bought it in the 80s, it's from the 50s!!

I think I asked him all cutesy. He replied with "Miss Smith, are you asking me to Winter Formal?" Duh.

So then I had to find THE dress. I don't think I had ever been as excited about something like this. I'm a tom boy. I let everyone else do most of the planning. Soon it was the day...February 3, 2007. Iman, of course, tried to play it like he had no idea what was going on that day when I called him.

"Are you almost here?"
"Almost where?"
"My house, for Winter Formal?"
"AH! I thought it was next week!"

Little shit was outside my house the whole time!!

My best friends!! [note my worried face because I couldn't find Iman...]

 So we took pictures, which I remember was awkward because we weren't a couple but we always acted like a couple and all of these parents kept asking us how long we'd been dating.

Just look at that smile! Who wouldn't love it?

Then we went to dinner and that was fun...

He hates this picture because he was being weird...

Then it was time to dance! Which I did a lot of, on account that Iman LOVES to dance. I couldn't help it, he was so cute. He'd be all modern dancing one second and swishing my skirt the next.

He ws so sweet too, my vintage 1950s dress broke in the middle of the dance and he pulled a safety pin out of his pocket and fixed it...

After the dance :)

Then after the dance, as I was saying goodbye to him at his car...I remember I was sitting in his trunk talking to him. Everyone else had already gone inside. I wanted him to kiss me SO bad.

As I began to fall into the trunk [Literally saying the words "I'm fall-"] he kissed me.

Fireworks. There were fireworks. 

I didn't know what else to do so I finished my sentence. Then that amazing man kissed me one more time, got in his car and left me there to gush to my friends....




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Why I don't Have Baby Fever [But my Fiance Does]

This is not going to be a blog post about how much I dislike babies and children or about how mommy bloggers drive my crazy. On the opposite! I absolutely love reading mommy blog posts and playing with my little niece and cousins.

Let's be honest, I want to be a mom more than anything. But not right now. 

Iman though, he wants me to be pregnant. He says, why not? And oh, how amazing this man is with kids. Whenever we go to one of my family gatherings, he spends almost the whole time with the kids. They love to push him in the pool, climb up him like he's a ladder and play football with him. He is absolutely in love with our flower girl - my cousin's daughter - because she is so kind-hearted and throws a football like a pro. I think she actually learned his name in less time than she learned mine. [To be fair, her name is Raylinn, and it is very difficult to distinguish our two names before you're five years old]. They call him Niman and they just cannot get enough, and neither can he.

I am equally in love with these little ones. I love to  babysit and play with them. I love to watch them grow and see their little minds learn something new. I love seeing the look of sheer joy on their faces. I don't mind the tears, the mess, the little baby screams. I love it.

In fact I have a lot of babies coming my way very soon. In October, one Ohio friend has her second little girl on her way. In December, a baby boy. In January, my second niece or first nephew...my best friend finds out the sex in 4 days! In February we have TWO babies due as well. I am so excited to kiss and cuddle all of these babies. We have a lot of youngins around already - a lot of my cousins are under the age of 8, and some of my friends have started having babies as well.

But, back to the point I was trying to make...I don't have baby fever.

Getting pregnant now would be so inconvenient. I am a planner and ideally I would like to not be living at my mom's house, with less than 9 months to our wedding with a baby in my belly. I would like Iman to be on the path to following his dream - because I do not want him to feel like he can't follow that dream.

I also don't truly believe that I am ready. I need to have a normal sleep schedule first, and take better care of myself.

But, of course, if I were to become pregnant, I would be as ready as I could be. I would get my act together, we would push back the wedding, etc. What's funny is the summer before Iman and I got together, was the time in my life when I came to terms with the fact that I could in fact raise a child. I was mature enough.

What are your thoughts about the "right time" to have a baby? Are you waiting? 

I'm thinking of making this a discussion -- I have a lot of responses from FB to share.