I'm not even sure where to begin this post, suffice it to say that it has been arguably one of the best times in my life. My spring break began on Saturday 27 March, technically a week earlier than the rest of my school. I took the extra week because on that Saturday Scott arrived for his mid-deployment break from Afghanistan. He was given two weeks leave and I made sure that I cleared my schedule for it. It has been a very, very, very long 6 months since he left and although I made it through successfully, time does NOT fly by. I tired very quickly of hearing people tell me that the time "would fly by". In any case, he finally arrived and we had an incredible time together. I could spend the rest of my life with that man, we get a long so well. Funny thing, he must have been feeling the same way because on Saturday 3 April, the day before his birthday, he took me to a seaside restaurant
for a beautiful dinner and starlit walk on the beach. And after reminiscing a bit about how the sky and stars reminded us of our first weekend together in Death Valley (I know it sounds kinda funny, but it was really the best first date I've ever had), Scott asked me to marry him. I told him absolutely, that I would marry him yesterday, today, and any other day. He then slipped onto my finger the most gorgeous ring I have ever seen. The photo doesn't do it justice but it is a platinum infinity band with a Hearts on Fire diamond. There are two tiny diamonds under the big one. It is so perfect for me and apparently he (with his mother's help) spent a great deal of time researching and choosing something that he thought I would love and he did a perfect job (I keep using the word perfect because I really can't think of anything better to say-lol). His whole family knew about it ahead of time and were ecstatic. They have been so wonderful to me and welcomed me into their family with open arms.So how did we celebrate? We went fishing of course! Sunday morning Scott, his parents, and I took the boat out and fished the bay for a few hours. Scott's parents had gotten him a new rod & reel so he had the chance to try it out. Thank goodness they gave him the rod & reel because he had been set on buying one as soon as he got in and I had used every tactic I could muster to keep him from going to the store and buying one himself. And people, you all know that I am not the best at keeping secrets and this was a mighty difficult one since Scott is fairly stubborn and when he wants something he goes and gets it (sound like someone else you know? lol). The set up that his parents bought was very similar to the one he bought me for Christmas (yes, I am the girl who was absolutely thrilled to get a fishing rod for Christmas) and although neither of us caught any fish that day, we had a good time putting our poles to good use!! Well, I put my pole to good use in between phone calls and text messages about our engagement :)
The rest of Scott's visit was spent mainly in the Keys. We were able to rent a townhouse on the Navy base in Key West and headed down there Tuesday-Friday. The ride was f
antastic because Betsy (the '83 Jeep CJ 8) was fixed and ready to go. The weather was marvelous for driving and we took the hard top and doors off for the trip. I love that Jeep, it is so fun to ride in and drive, however not so good for the hair :) It was fitting also since we spent our first weekend in Death Valley rompin around in her. Scott's parents and uncle met us down there with the boat and the boys spent two full days fishing. They went the first day without Scott's mom and me, mainly because it was fairly rough with the wind and we also knew that they would be going again the next day. Also there was shopping to be done in Key West. Oh yeah, and let's not forget the Key Lime Pie on a stick. Those of you who have not experienced this culinary miracle are missing out!! This is frozen key lime pie with a layer of chocolate around it. It is a must for any Florida Keys trip.So the day we all went out off Key West to fish was wicked awesome! Ok, it didn't start that great for me, I was more than a little embarrassed that I was queasy on the trip out, but as soon as we stopped I jumped in the water and felt instantly better. From then on it was non
-stop fishing. We anchored over a wreck and stayed almost the whole afternoon. We were just catching one fish after another! The best part was that I finally got to christen the fishing pole that Scott bought me for Christmas! I probably caught at least a dozen fish that day. Blue runners (not to keep but fun to catch), Amberjack, Grouper, and Snapper. Most I threw back but some were kept for eatin :) We all caught a load of fish over the day but the highpoint of the trip was Scott's catch just before we pulled up lines to head in. He had thrown out a line with a crab in hopes that he would lure Permit in. We had just decided to pull in the lines when Uncle Charlie, me, and Scott all hooked up at the same time. Charlie and I lost our fish but Scott ended up reeling in a 30+ lb Permit. The craziest part is that the hook was just barely sticking into the fish's lip. This was the fish that Scott had been waiting for and will probably not see again. He had permagrin for the rest of the afternoon :) The ride in was the icing on the cake for us as a huge spotted ray was jumping
out of the water as we were cruising by. What an awesome display of nature's beauty!!We finally came back to Stuart and had a few people over to celebrate our engagement. Kimmie went into party mode (I think she just likes excuses to put her culinary education to good use-lol) and created a fabulous display for us. The ducks even have tongues!!!
Scott brought me a gift from the interpreters that he works with in Afghanistan...a birka. This is the traditional attire for women. Women are not allowed to show any skin (I think I broke the rules by showing my hands). Can you imagine having to wear this getup all the time????
This final photo is of my big fish of the trip. I almost was voted off the boat by the boys for this one-lol
It is a 28" Gag Grouper that I caught off Tampa Bay. I was certainly tired after fighting this monster. It is the first grouper I've ever caught!!
So...you may be thinking...what now? The plan is that I am going to finish out the school year and then pack up my stuff. put it into storage, sell my truck, and take off to Hawaii. My friends Chris and Sarah live in Honolulu and they have graciously invited me to come stay with them. I am going to probably do some odd jobs while there and then at the end of September I plan to head to my brother's in NH to help out for a week or two since they are expecting their first child!!!!! I am so freaking excited for them and can't wait to see my brother as a dad :) I will stay with them until 7 October when Scott returns from Afghanistan. We don't know where he will be stationed yet but he is getting promoted to Major (YAY!!) so it is quite possible that we will end up at Ft. Leavenworth, KS so he can go to military school. Yes, I know, Kansas. However to me it doesn't matter where I go, as long as I can be with Scott. Once we get settled then I will evaluate my job prospects and decide what to do. In the midst of all of my moving, Megan will be giving birth to her second child so as you can see, there really is never a dull moment in my world! Love and happiness my peeps!
