Ehrmehgerd!!! We're Engaged!

After our visit to Texas, we felt a lot more relaxed about moving....knowing that we had a house waiting for us instead of a search ahead of us made life easier. The entire month of April was just a countdown to quitting my two jobs! By May, I was unemployed for the first time since I was 15 years old.

To fully enjoy my lack of responsibility, we planned a hiking/camping trip in May on the Appalachian Trail. (A short one....let's be real...I might do a few mud runs but I'm no hiker or camper!). Well.....and this happened!

(My Facebook announcement, inspired by Success Kid memes.

 My mother was horrified, my friends were amused. Mission accomplished!)

Instead of recapping everything that happened before we left for Texas, I'm just gonna tell you that we got engaged. But in story-form. Duh.

Aaron and I went camping with 5 of his buddies on the Appalachian Trail. Now...I should have believed him when he said it was going to be 'real' hiking and 'real' camping.

I grew up "camping" with my dad - you know, the campgrounds that have video arcades, and where my dad built a fire for marshmallows but cooked on his grill for real sustenance.

This......this was different. Aaron got a bigger tent to accommodate us, instead of his 1-man tent from before. He got me a backpack....a legit hiking pack (which I believe everyone was/should have been jealous of). He got me a sleeping bag - although NOT the New Kids on the Block sleeping bag I requested.

I went up a day early because my father lives about an hour from where we were to begin our hike. I spent some quality time with my dad and stepmom, and met the boys at Thornton Gap to head in.

We hiked a total of like 6.5 miles in, which I believe is the equivalent of "What the f*@# was I thinking?!" - it really was quite uphill and narrow at spots. Gorgeous views along the way made it acceptable to stop frequently.

We made it to the "Byrd's Nest" where we were to camp that night. I hadn't cried, or whined *too much*, so I still had my dignity.

Also, I had a sunburn. But only on my left side. Because it would be too awesome to have symmetrical burns.

Then we set up tents. Then walked to the BOTTOM of the mountain again, finding clean water. Then there were bears.

No, really. Some other hikers said there were bears. And I heard them later, too. Some of the guys saw them.

Just after settling in, Aaron took me for another walk. I wanted to hurt him for making me walk MORE after hiking uphill and being exhausted....but I didn't want him or anyone else thinking I was just being a little b(*&# about it. I'm a Tough Mudder, dammit. So I went. Slowly. But I went.

When we got to the overlook, he told me to stand on the rock, and he had a question to ask me. At that point, I knew what was happening. He ended up having to kill 2...no 3....black bears, which made him tear up a bit, but in the end, he proposed, it was beautiful, and I said "yes", obvi.

Nothing like knowing the man loves me even when I'm drenched in sweat, exhausted, sunburnt, no makeup, and in a horrible bitchy mood.

I survived the 3.5 mile hike out the next day, we camped in our car at the campground during a monsoon-like storm, and then headed home!

I love him, too.