Small Miracles

I have some BIG news. This weekend I went camping. Yep, when I say small miracles, I am not kidding. I have been resisting a camping trip with Ben for a long time, for 4 years actually.

Prior to this weekend, I could not find anything redeeming about camping. Campfire smoke, disgusting. Bugs, disgusting. Sleeping on the ground, disgusting.

So needless to say I was not looking forward to our camping trip but the weather forecast was calling saying it was 95 degrees (which feels like 115) so I wanted to go to the coast where it was going to be more cool. Ben agreed; on the condition that we camp instead of staying in a hotel.

Camping with Ben turned out to be pretty awesome. First, he does EVERYTHING. He set up the tent, built the fire, made dinner. Whenever I asked if I could help he told me to just relax and read my book, which I happily did. Second, our campsite was about 100 feet from the beach and the weather was perfect. The picture above is the beach at sunset.

We only stayed one night but still, it's a start. Camping trips may be in my future, as long as I don't have to do any work.



On Saturday we decided to get a quick hike in at Munson Falls before heading home. It was absolutely beautiful and I once again am amazed at the forests within an hour drive from home. The hike runs alongside a stream and at the bottom of the trail is a great little picnic area by the stream.

After our hike Ben and I stopped at the picnic site to let the dogs run. It was there another another small (or not so small) miracle happened. Ben thanked me for going camping with him and not only going camping but also going along with my trademark positive attitude (kidding of course, I'm kind of a cynical pessimist). I did try to keep an open mind and positive attitude on our trip. So, he suggested that I think of something I wanted that he has always said he wouldn't do since he owed me one for the camping. Anything I wanted. I sat there, trying to think of something, mostly to do with some sort of shopping spree, when Ben got down on one knee and proposed. It was very sweet, romantic and very surprising. Ben had stepped up the anti-marriage rhetoric lately so I didn't see it coming at all and was in shock. Of course I said yes. Actually what I think I said was "Are you effing kidding me?", then I started crying. Classic. Leave it to me to ruin a moment.

We are very excited, I am so happy and so in love. I was in love before obviously but I am still feeling the proposal afterglow. I can't stop looking at my ring. The ring is beautiful and belonged to Ben's great grandfather. It was passed down through the family to his grandfather, his mom and then to him. We are going next week to have the diamond re-set and I will post the before and after pictures. It is beautiful now but the setting is old and unfortunately ready to be replaced.

We are looking at late spring or early summer for the wedding. It seems so far away but we definitely want a spring/summer wedding and this summer is too soon. We've decided that we will definitely be having the wedding and reception in Portland and I am already obsessed with wedding plans.

So, it was a long story about camping to get to the good stuff, thanks for sticking with it.

That's all the news for now! Oh and... Barack wins Oregon. Obama in '08!!!