So, surprisingly, this isn’t the exciting news I mentioned on Monday’s blog.

However, it is much more exciting than the news I am still waiting to get the OK to talk about!

On Tuesday, I had a day off from work. Mike also took the day off and we decided to take our goons (dogs) and go hike Black Mountain.

I was mostly afraid that the dogs would get to the summit and fall off the cliff, somehow. That was my first thought folks. Call me an overprotective mother.

Spoiler alert: No dogs fell off the cliff that day.

When we reached the summit, I plopped a seat on a rock because I was beat and my lungs suck so, I needed to catch my breath. While I was doing that, Mike observed the fire tower with the goons then came back to give them some water and food.

He kept telling me to go see the view from the fire tower but I wanted the real thing. We left our backpack by the tower and went around to the clearing to embrace the gorgeous view in front of us.

The scene was breathtaking. It was so quiet and peaceful up there. Everything seemed so calm and perfect down below.

Mike asked if I wanted him to take a photo of me in front of the view. I said yes. I wanted the photo of me facing the view because I was a hot sweaty mess and I requested Normy would be in the shot.

Sorry, Parker! Mama loves you but you were being too nutso!

Mike took my phone and I took Normy and he took this photo:

When I turned around, Mike was down on one knee and I was filled with so many amazing emotions.

“Will you marry me?”

I kept asking him if this was real and of course I said, yes.

Thinking back at the moment, while writing this sentence, I am starting to tear up again.

The moment was so perfect and I was so surprised.

He’s so perfect.

Ow, my heart!

Since meeting Michael in 2013, my life had become an incredible adventure.

Our first chapter together closed on that mountain. When that ring slid on my finger, our next chapter began.

I was on cloud 9 – er – Black Mountain, and couldn’t (still can’t) stop looking at my ring.

It is so perfect.

To be able to have our whole family (goons included) during that moment was incredible.

I am filled with love.

I always call Michael, my best guy, and when he proposed the next set of words were,

“You are going to be my husband! I’m going to be your wife!”

I am so excited.

I am so excited to start this new chapter together.

I am so excited to share this life with Michael, my best guy.

I never wanted to get married until I met Michael. I never pictured my wedding as a little girl. I just never thought it was in the cards for me.

In my post about our first date, I left out a part.

The moment when I came inside from such an amazing date, I leaned back against my door and sighed and thought,

“I just met the man I am going to marry.”

And, here we are, three years later.

We don’t have a date planned yet but, we are thinking sometime in the Fall of 2018.

For now, we are just enjoying this time together before all the wedding planning begins.

I’m so lucky to be able to spend this crazy life with you, Michael.

I am the lucky one.

I’m with you, ’til the end of the line.