dear friends, I have wonderful news to share with you...I am sure you can well imagine what it is...Mike surprised me on February 14, 2007 (Valentines Day) by taking the day off and coming up to camp hang out with me. Since he lives in Chicago, it was a treat to be able see him on a weekday. We spent the day at Timber-lee, visiting with friends and walking around, just enjoying the time and one another's company. As we headed back to my house, Mike asked when we could exchange valentine's day cards, so, eager to give the card I had constructed for him, I suggested we do as soon as we got home. In a rather hilarious stroke of fate, I had not finished the gift I intended to give him--which was to be a game/analogy for use with his clients; so I had only a handful of nails for Mike. (nails!) After presenting him with his handmade card, he handed me a shoebox. Now I had seen this shoebox before, just over two years ago, on our first date. At that time he had sculpted me a figure of a man, kneeling in prayer and praise. It is my favorite.

So having seen the box before I was anticipating something equally wonderful. As I peeled back the layers of tissue paper I spied a metal figure, much like the last, and laughed with delight. As I pulled the figure out I saw that it was actually two, connected. It is beautiful, and I jumped up to thank Mike. I hugged him and thanked him, thinking that this was my present. He took my hand to get my attention, and said "Katie, it's called 'the proposal'!" as he bent to one knee and drew a ring box from his pocket. I didn't even dare to look at the ring, I could only smile and nod and look into his eyes.

I did manage to let "yes" slip through my smile, and I did look at the ring, and it's perfect! He slipped it nervously onto my finger and we both just sat there, looking at each other trying to soak in as much as we could of this fantastic moment. It's a feeling like no other, when you're so overwhelmed with joy you can't fit anymore inside you; and it hung in the air for a good long while, before we went upstairs to announce the news to my family.

what a wonderful valentine's day, I couldn't ever wish for better.