good news!

will and i are engaged!

it happened friday night. i'm so happy!

we were planning to go to dinner at basil leaf cafe, which is an italian place. will was dressed very nice and said i should, too because he has tickets to see jazz at orchestra hall on michigan ave. what a perfect surprise. the restaurant was closed for a private party, so will called his friend for another suggestion. he seemed stressed out, but the problem was solved when we were able to take a cab west to "think," another italian restaurant. it was a really nice little place - very cozy and fancy, with great food. the concert afterwards was excellent. we saw an old jazz pianist named ahmad jamal and his bassist and percussionist who had been with him for 50 years! after intermission, some wind players from the chicago symphony joined them. gorgeous jazz music. i really enjoyed it.

so, at 10:30 we got in a cab to head back to the apartment. when i opened the door and walked in the place smelled wonderful and it was spotless! i started to put my coat away when i saw the table (i'll post a picture a little later when i get home), covered in red flower petals with champaign in a big silver bucket, a vase full of red roses, and with lit candles (that's where the smell came from!)

while i was gawking at the table, sort of in shock, will got his box out of the closet and swooped around in front of me to get down on one knee. he said he loves me and wants to spend the rest of his life with me. i got down too so that i could hug him, and once i was sitting i couldn't move. i sat in the same spot for a long time, looking at the ring in disbelief. it was very romantic and so special the way he prepared for this moment. i coudn't believe all the trouble he'd gone to, buying the things for the table and recruiting two of our friends to sneak in and decorate it. even the doorman knew what was happening so that he could let corey and libby in to get the job done! the ring is beautiful. again, i'll post pictures later. just a circle diamond on a white gold band. simple and gorgeous.

needless to say, it's been a busy weekend with all the correspondence and excitement. i'm tired today and ready to take a huge nap when i get home.

my bridesmaids will be emma (my maid of honor, of course), krystal (who, if it weren't for my sister, would have been my maid of honor), haili, will's sister molly, and tina. i asked them all and they said they'd be honored and i'm honored to have them. i'm sorry if my writing is rambling and ridiculous today. my brain is a big dead blob after this weekend, and i feel like i'm floating.

the students are getting a kick out of my future name. "like 'meet the robinsons!'" yeah. or like the graduate, but they'd never know that.

thanks to everyone for their kind messages. we're so happy.