Engaged

So I've sort of tracked our relationship on my blog.  In reality I've ignored my blog to participate in my relationship.

Charles and I met in June 2012 and in August 2013 we agreed to get married.  There was no big proposal or diamond ring or fancy dinner with flowers.  There was a discussion that lead to suggestions and a followup conversation when I announced I was ready to get married and he agreed.

Charles is in two words a good guy.  He had a heart of gold.  He's stable and self-sustaining.  He comes from a good family.  He was raised to respect women.  He treats me like I'm special and though we were a little nervous at first I am a firm believer that he is as nuts about me as I am about him.

When I said I wanted to get married and he agreed, I ran a little victory lap in my head.  I knew when we met I found a guy worth my time, energy and eventually love.  After our first date I ran to my mom and said, "Mom, I really like this guy.  It's like we're equals."  She nodded and continued her online bridge game.

Ever since, I've done everything I could to be right with him.  I have very carefully negotiated the course of having a good relationship.  I didn't get too clingy.  I was kind and rarely fizzed out.  I was honest and genuine with my affection.  Honesty is hard when you're in love with someone because you want them to see the best part of you, not the parts that smudge your credibility or make you potentially unstable.  I told him up front, that I have issues and baggage and I'm imperfect and he agreed to give it a shot.  He isn't perfect either, but in different ways that actually balance us out.

When I announced to my mom that we were getting married.  She was shocked.  She face-palmed and said, "Why would you ruin a perfectly good relationship by getting married?"  Then I announced his intention to take over the dogs and she said, "Sold."  A friend of mine gave me a bottle of champagne, the real stuff, from France.  I will give Mom a glass of it when we open it and that'll help get her on board even more.

I've planned most of the details so now we just have to wait until the actual date.  It is tempting to simply get it over with next week so we don't have to worry about all the unsolicited invitations and hurt feelings.

I see in us the ability to have the forever they say you should have when you're married.  We're crazy about each other and we have similar goals.  We enjoy being together.  We're good friends.  We respect each other's need to have a little space to breathe from time to time.  Mostly we're crazy about each other.  There are moments when I'm not sure I deserve him and then he makes a stupid joke and I figure my imperfections balance in the wash.