Joe -
My thoughts on the whole engagement thing:
I just don't understand why she wouldn't want to get engaged in Disney.. I'm just a different person, I guess, but my DH and I were together for freaking EVER when we got engaged, and it wasn't exactly a surprise. I was desperate to get engaged so I could show off how much of a couple we were.
If she's not ready to plan a wedding, there's no real rush. We were engaged for 2 1/2 years. We took our sweet time, but we were just happy to be "official". I just don't get her line of thought about moving in first... If you're taking that big step, why not get engaged too? Then again, we didn't move in together until after we were married, but we're apparently really old fashioned in that regard. We also didn't take trips together either, because we both lived at home, and the parentals would never have gone for that...
but I digress ...
Will moving in together change how your relationship works? Would either of you back out if you find living with the other to be unsufferable? And for the love of pete DON'T buy a house until you actually have a real commitment. Entangling your finances like that is a sticky sticky situation.. one my cousin is dealing with right now... her BF and her bought a house together, and now they're breaking up, and her credit is in the toilet because of it. If you want to move in together, RENT!! Or at least commit yourself to that person with a ring, because as soon as you buy property together, you're bound to that person anyways. It might as well be in a romantic way.
If she just wants the romantic engagement that just happens to be next summer, then I say wait. I didn't get the proposal I wanted, and I'm still jealous of other people who got nice romantic ones. Do whatever it takes to make her happy... or you'll regret it.
I'm rambling, and terribly old fashioned about these kinds of things...
*Steps off soapbox*
Thanks Bunny, honestly I really appreciate it!
The thing is, I might have made it sound wrong... it's not like she doesn't want to get engaged and wants to wait until Summer... also, there is absolutely 0% chance of us moving in together, breaking up... any of that...
We've been together 7 years, its absurd... and we both know its been forever... we rented together for a month when she was going to go to grad school, but moved back home because she decided she'd rather work... but that month was awesome... and we both were annoyed because we just had a great time and were so happy...
trust me, relationship wise it has nothing to do with any of that...
I know her thinking, basically it's
1) we're going to buy a house in January, it's going to be expensive, the down payment is going to be expensive, and we're all of a sudden going to have bills and a mortgage and all this jazz... she doesn't want me worrying about coming up with the money to buy a ring and so if it were here; she'd want to financially get her feet grounded before buying that...
but I've devoted a seperate savings to the ring, and don't even consider it as my money at all when we talk about the house, the mortgage, the down payment... it's lost money already with its intent in line (i don't have it all saved, but I constantly budget out my life 12 months ahead so I know what I can and cannot afford at all times...)
so... she just wants us to settle in financially, not like emotionally or relationshipally... :lookaroun
also... i don't think Summer is her ideal time to for a proposal or has any planned out thought in her head... she'll want something romantic, which i would do in Disney, and want to be surprised... which she will be...
I told my buddy who is proposing about what she said and he said "I think she didn't want to sound like she absolutely wants to get engaged right now, and understands the financial burden and just wants you to feel like she isn't going to rush you to put up that kind of money.... but she definitely gave you the green light; which you already had because both of you clearly are ready..."
so... I think all will be well...
I hope...
All this engagement talk and all I can focus on is the marathon aspect of the story.
AWESOME JOE! One mile to FOUR miles!? Great job!
hahahahhaha thanks Luke!
It was brutal, I have shin splints, so stamina wise I always knew I had like 3 miles in me... but also that I've only been working out for 2.5 months, still have like 20 pounds to lose... and so 3 miles might be a stretch... but all I needed was to be able to get past my shin splints...
well i finally just ran through it until it eventually faded away... and then just kept going "half a mile more" at a time... at 4 miles i nearly passed out though, hahahahahah
