he asked me ! he asked me !!!!!!

[goldengirl]

Oh MAN.... the ONE day I have to work somewhere without the internet, Ms. Croi gets her proposal!!!!!

CONGRATS honey, I just knew it would happen for you before you left!!!! I know you''ll have such a good time getting it all pulled together while you''re at home!!

YIPPEEE!!!!

 

[Dodger Gurl]

Yay! Congratulations! It IS really cool that you can relive the moment whenever you want on your sofa! Awesome!

 

[heartsonfire]

Caroline that''s FAB

absolutely BRILLIANT!!!

to you and your fiance. http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001_ZNxdm00686US

May you both be happy forever!!!
Have a lovely trip back home!

 

[heartsonfire]

It sure is cold here in the East coast... stay warm!!!
me & my beau

 

[teebee]

YAY!!! Congratulations Croi!!!! I''m so thrilled for you, and what an honest heartfelt proposal to come from such a moment of pure emotion like that ~ makes me teary-eyed too!!!

Hmmm, I''ve got a new perspective on my sofa as well ~ and mine is almost 30 years old, seriously, but it''s this funky curvy sectional that my mom gave me that I just can''t bear to part with because it is so hip and unique so I''ve already gotten it reupholstered once ~ but now that I got engaged on it, it is even more special!!

Oh, I''m so glad you are getting to go on your trip with a happy and full heart & a solid proposal!!! Congrats again!!!

 

[blueroses]

I just LOVE the sentimental couch--the heirloom sofa, if you will

Sheesh, gals--for those of us on the east coast, it''s a good thing we have Croi''s romantic proposal story to keep us warm!!!

 

[Molson]

YAY!!! Congratulations Croi!!! Such good news!!! Have fun planning this weekend, it''s going to be busy and so exctiting.

Congratulations again and I can''t wait to hear about the ring shopping when you get back!!!

 

[denverkat]

Yay! Congrats!!!

(That''s all of us, blue and bug-eyed from holding our collective breath waiting!)

 

[KBerly]

congratulations Croi

such a great story! have a wonderful trip home and get ready to create your ring together!!

 

[Shay]

Oh my word I''m gonna cry right here in my office!

That was so beautiful.

Congratulations and all the best for the future!

 

[Croí]

teebee, denverkat, kim, shay - all of you girls ..........

THANKS SO MUCH !!!

I am still so happyhappy but also sick as anything.

Peter says it''s his fault because we wouldn''t have taken that walk in the frigid cold if he hadn''t asked me to marry him ! I say it''s no-one''s fault; my body always seems to take a fit right before I''m ready to fly home.
So I''m at work but leaving in a half hour for a doc. appt. I need some seriously good drugs to pump into me for the next 30-something hours before I get on that plane. My biggest ''arrgh'' is that I have a rotten ear ache and I am really congested in my sinuses and I REALLY don''t want to spend six plus hours on a plane feeling this crappy.

On a good note, even being sick hasn''t dented my happytiggerhappiness

He was soooooooooooooo good to me last night. Made me curl up on our sofa under a blanket. He brought me tissues, flu meds - then cooked dinner for me. I told him maybe I was allergic to being engaged !

and he says maybe I was just realising what a huge mistake I made saying ''yes''

and we both were smiling .........
It''s hard to be romantic when you can''t stop sneezing though !

anyway, I''ll try to get on tomorrow before I go but if not I promise to get on at least once while I''m home.

and yes, I am VERY excited about the ring too. I just want a very simple solitaire and my favourite thus far has been Mark Morrell''s three prong ring. Hopefully we will get to meet with Mark when I get back.

right, need to do a few work bits here before I go. you ladies be good and I''ll catch up with you all later on.

Who''s next ??!?!?

GG ??? lovey ???

oh, btw, I am definitely organising to meet with the ''local'' girls after I get back. I have heard from a few of you and we''ll work out the details in the next fortnight. anyone who''s interested in meeting just PM me.

and denverkat - I laughed at all the blue faces ! you should have seen mine ..............

*warmhugstoall*
me

 

[appletini]

Get well soon! I want you to be well on your flight home and enjoy your time with the family!

 

[cute330xigrl]

That was such a lovely story Croi! How blissfully precious!


BIG CONGRATS CROI!!

 

[TravelingGal]

Croi, what a lovely story. Congratulations!!!! And I totally understand about having a sentimental moment set in a familiar place. My bf and I didn''t say the "L" word for a long time. What made it worse was that we have a long distance relationship, and we didn''t want to say it for the first time over the phone. He said it for the first time in my guest bedroom after giving me a lovely bracelet for my bday present. Now I can go relive the moment whenever I want, like you have.

The family thing must be tricky...but seems like lots of people want a reason to take a vacation, so whatever you decide, I am sure that half the posse will follow! That''s part of the reason I don''t want to have a wedding. When you have to figure out which continent to have it on, it poses a bit of a headache!

Keep us posted. You sound so delighted, it''s hard not to smile right along with you.

 

[gingerBcookie]

I totlally teared up here smak dab in the middle of the commune computer lab reading your story! What a sweet proposal!!!!

Congratulations!!!!

 

[Croí]

hi ladies
well, the doc said it''s not viral, which is good, but that there''s not a lot one can do except ride it out, which is bad

I got stocked up on decongestants and tissues and am drinking water like Noah is about to build another ark !

I came back to work because I still have a few bits to do before I can go out of here without having work stuff in my head but I had to check in and see the latest onlist.

I am still kind of swimming in this happyhaze (maybe it''s the drugs!) and have been texting back and forth with my sisters (the three who do know!) all day. Everyone is so excited. I can''t wait to get home and start pulling everything together.

My latest dream is two small gatherings, one here and one there. I have some REALLYREALLYGREAT ideas of how and where and hope you''ll all keep your fingers and toes crossed that the Universe keeps smiling on us and that we manage to pull it all off. This way, I get to celebrate with everyone I want to (with some of them twice !) and my sister can be a ''non-fat'' bridesmaid at least one time !

If we do it this way, I may very well have the home wedding just at my parents house. We''d have a few months to do some major gardening ! hehee! I wanted a location between the mountains and the sea but we''re no distance to the sea and maybe pics from really close to my home would be lovely. There''s also a huge tree at home that has always been my "I''m home" symbol and some pics by that would be lovely. So maybe ANOTHER change of plan !
When I get back I''m going to put a LOT of photos up somewhere and I will be looking for lots of advice and ideas from you ladies.

I still can''t believe I''m goin'' to be Missus !

I already love wearing a ring on my ring finger, even if it is just a substitute for now and I can''t believe there is so much more to look forward to ! Now it''s all fun too, no stress at all ! hoorah ! hoorah !!!

darn it. best do some work. need to blow my nose too (sorry, gross!)

 

[NoonersMom]

Croi......Congrats! That is fantastic news & incredibly sentimental. I wish you and your sweetie nothing but health, wealth and happiness! Have a fabulous trip! Take lots of pics. I imagine there will be no shortage of opinions & oogling once you post. (Who doesn''t love Ireland?).

Regarding the two locations vs one......when we get married we will be doing two locations. One in his homeland of Malaysia (will be a traditional hindu wedding at the temple) and one here in the US. This way it honors both traditions and everyone that we really love & care about will be able to attend one of the ceremonies. To me that is much more important than a large wedding.

The tree sounds lovely. One of my best friends said it best when she said that "home is where xxx (her husband) is". How wonderful if you can get married by the one symbol that really says home with the love of your life!

Enjoy these moments & start journaling if you don''t already. hehe.

Have a great trip! Can''t wait to hear all about it!

 

[blueroses]

Take care of yoruself, Miss C!!! Keep downing those fluids. And have a SAFE and wonderful trip!!!

 

[twinkletoes]

Croi!!! Congratulations!!! That is so sweet!

Now, you can never get rid of that couch! LOL Maybe down the road when time comes to replace it, you can keep a swatch of cloth from the couch and have it framed or something.

 

[heart prongs]

Fantastic news -- or as you Irish folks like to say -- BRILLIANT!!!

 

[Kaili]

I''m so happy for you!!! Yeah!! Can''t wait to see pic

 

[honeynut]

CROI I am soooo happy for you!!! You''re such a positive, upbeat, warm person - you really deserve the best. I am so happy you''re happy and getting what you deserve, in the best and most sincere sense of the word.

 

[Croí]

ladies - you all have been FANTASTIC (and as HoF said) brilliant !!

had to just peek in and say ''hi'' ''bye'' before I go. two more hours at work, then off home to get my last few bits together and then off to the airport. It''s not going to be fun, with the alert from yesterday and the inauguration, I''m pretty sure security will be tight as anything and take quite a while. I''m going to give myself plenty of time though. I fly out at 7:15PM but plan to be at the airport by 4:30PM or thereabouts. Should be enough time I think.

I am definitely going to try to send a ''postcard'' from home to you all while I''m there but if not I''ll be back with bells on next Thursday.

be good ''till then and play nice !

*hugs*
C

PS. am feeling much less miserable, still not 100% but definitely less sneezey/sniffly - so that''s good ! thanks for all the well wishes !

 

[MelissaSue]

You probably won''t see this croi.. but have a great trip home as an engaged woman!!!!!!!

I hope you have a fantastic trip and travel safe!
Can''t wait til you''re back!

 

[Croí]

hi all
I''m back. Flight got cancelled due to the horrendous weather here last week so I just got back yesterday. so much to catch up on, I just decided to continue writing on here.

really want to catch up and fill you all in on all the info. I garnered while at home and hear all the new engagement stories and see the rings etc. etc. but for now I have to just say that things are very, very sad in my neck of the woods and I haven''t the heart to get into all my own news.

a co-worker of ours (and SUCH a nice guy) was accidentally killed on Thursday night. it''s sooooooooo sad. he was a lovely, lovely guy that everyone liked and was fond of and he has left behind a wife and five young children, ranging in age from sixteen months to twelve years old.

coming back to work and this news has totally deflated me with regards to our own plans and so forth.

just wanted to let you all know I''m back and that I missed you girls.

*HUGS*

 

[appletini]

Croi welcome home! I''m so sorry to hear about your co-worker. Things like that always seem to happen to such wonderful people. I''ll have his family in my prayers.

 

[Kaili]

I''m so sorry Croi!!!
Will keep you and the family in my prayers.

 

[Blue824]

oh no, Croi! that''s horrible news to come back to! i''m really sorry, especially to hear about the family he left behind. I can''t even imagine how hard that is

I hate hearing things like that.

on a totally different note, i''m glad you had a safe trip back to the US though. did you progress on any wedding plans while you were in Ireland?

 

[SJS1234]

Glad to have you back Croi! I am so so sorry to hear about your coworker -- such a tragic thing to happen to anyone -- but to a father of five and loving husband, it just seems more so -- and completely unfair. I just can't imagine. I'm very very sorry.

 

[blueroses]

We are glad to have you back safe and sound Croi--and I am so very sorry to hear about the loss of your friend/co-worker. That is such a tragedy, and I know you must be having a hard time.

Thinking of you, and of his family