Change is good, right?

There have been some changes this week in my home. Changes that some of you might be surprised to read about, while others may have had an inclination if they read between the lines. The relationship between Girlfriend and I changed. It has changed in a way that causes us to redefine who we are to each other and our relationship. I will probably continue to refer to her as "Girlfriend" in posts, although that name no longer fits who she is to me. I know, I know, many of you are wondering what happened, what caused this change, what events unfolded? Well we all know that change is good, life is not designed to remain stagnant, and we all wind up taking a journey with bumps, twists and turns we were not expecting. Girlfriend will remain a big part of my blogging and my life, and will probably be called "Girlfriend" for convenient reference but as of last night, she is my fiance. Had you concerned for a minute didn't I! I proposed last night with an amethyst ring (see pictures below) and caught her totally off guard. It started when she got home and she kept looking at me because I couldn't stop sweating. Like, sweating sweating. It was not cute. I gave her a scrapbook that had pictures of the past year and a half (including one that was taken the night we met) and a long letter. The letter explained how she has changed me for the better, how much I love her, and how I can't see my life without her. She got teary eyed, I got teary eyed, and I still could not stop sweating. Then I gave her a hollowed out book that had her ring hanging inside. She opened the book, her eyes got big, she looked at me, looked at the ring, looked at me, looked at the ring and said, "Ummm." I told her that this ring was what I could afford at the time, and that later down the road I would buy her a different one. She put it on, said something about loving the ring, not wanting something different. I told her that I loved her, and that I will continue to do things "just because" and to get use to it. She hugged me, we got up (we were sitting on the couch) and I told her to call her mom because she was expecting a call. Girlfriend asked what I meant and I told her that I had talked with her mom on Sunday (thus the short important conversation) and asked for her blessing/permission to give her daughter a ring. Girlfriend went outside, talked with her mom while I cooked, we ate dinner, got ice cream, shopped for accessories to wear to the Lady Gaga concert this weekend, and came home. The whole time we were running errands/hanging out she would occasionally look at me with a funny look and say nothing.

OK. Let's stop for a moment. Did you notice something odd? I don't know...something missing? Go back, read the story again, see if you catch it. Then check out the pictures and find out the answer to my question.

I F*CKING FORGOT TO ACTUALLY PROPOSE. Yeah. About that. I was so nervous that I serious forgot to say the words, "Will you marry me?" I realized this a couple hours later as we were going to bed. Laying down I said, "So, um, I kinda just realized something...and I don't know how this happened, but I totally forgot to actually ask you to marry me. Will you marry me?" Girlfriend BUSTED out laughing, told me she realized this hours ago, thus the funny looks, said she was confused at first if the ring was just a 1 1/2 year present or engagement ring but then when I told her to call her mom she figured it out. She was waiting on me to realize it. She then had the best answer, "I guess so, I've been wearing the ring for hours now." Worst. Proposal. Ever. But on the bright side we now have an awesome proposal story to retell. We then decided that it was a classic "us" situation where I do something awkward and she just waits patiently for me to realize it. My mom laughed for a good 5 minutes on the phone today when I told her and I just kept saying, "It's not that funny."

Go ahead and laugh, even I know it's that funny.