And So It Begins...

I didn't sleep at all the night of Christmas Eve. 

As my mom, our cats, our puppy, and my boyfriend, Eric, lay sleeping soundly I tossed and turned with anticipation. 

This was not unusual for me, as it was rare for me to fall asleep before three or four the night before Christmas. It's my holiday. It's the morning I wait for all year long, and I am completely convinced that the eight hours before that morning are the slowest of the whole year. 

But this Christmas Eve brought with it new anxiety and contemplation, because I had a feeling there was something extra special, and completely life changing, underneath my Christmas tree. 

I thought maybe, just maybe, there might be a ring in one of those delightfully decorated packages. 

Much to my dismay, however, when I roused everyone out of bed at the latest possible time I could muster (7:42 A.M.) everyone seemed extremely calm. 

Why wasn't he rushing to the tree?? He doesn't seem nervous at all! Shouldn't he be nervous if he's proposing?? 

We sat down to open stockings, everyone slowly and patiently peeling each present and stick of tape off their boxes. There were only two presents from Eric under the tree. He immediately handed me one, the one I knew was the big one, and told me to open it first. 

"Don't you want me to wait?" I asked, wondering why he'd ask me to open it so soon if it was the ring I hoped it was!

"You can if you want to," he shrugged. 

This box seems to big for a ring, anyways. And he doesn't even care when I open it! It doesn't even SOUND like a ring when I shake it! 

As we continued to open present, I realized that today was not, in fact, the day he'd pop the question and although disappointed, I tried to look at the bright side, which happened to be the fact that they both managed to buy me identical waffle makers for Christmas. 

The presents dwindled away, leaving that one present under the tree. 

When I opened it, a beautiful blue shoe box was under the wrapping paper. I do love boxes!

I lifted the lid to find a scrapbook. I immediately knew who had made this, I'd seen this work a million times. It was a close family friend, Lynn Justice. Her genius is evident and I ran my fingers over the cover, which read "Love Notes".

I'll just let you know right now, I'm a crier. I cry at everything and everything at a moments notice. And when I saw this, I started SOBBING. 

I opened it up, and inside were pages of pictures around note cards that I had written for him and left in his lunches since we started dating. 

I had no idea he'd been saving them, and here they were. The silly ones, the sloppy ones that I wrote last minute at four in the morning, the serious ones, the we-just-had-a-fight ones...all of them beautiful placed in one, gorgeous memento. 

Slowly, I pulled every slip out of the pockets, I read each note and poured over each picture and page. I was completely wrapped up in it, trying desperately to see through all my tears of joy. 

This is so much better than a proposal. 

As I reached the last page, there was one pocket left on the back cover. 

I opened it to find, "Will you marry me?" written in his handwriting. 

I looked up, my jaw on the floor. I heard my mother gasp, and there he was. Down on one knee holding a ring. 

With all I had guessed and anticipated and snooped and tried to get out of him, he still managed to surprise me in the most perfect, marvelous way. 

I said, yes, of course!

And it was the best Christmas. Ever.