And then he kissed me . . .

Warning: This is not a cross stitching post, but I can't NOT share it!

I just got back from our long weekend on Assateague Island. Such a momentous weekend.

We loved it there last year, and were so looking forward to some sunny days with just each other. Camping. In a pop-up. SO has been working so hard all summer. SO hard. I've been stressed out.

We were a little miffed to hear that a coastal low was sitting right at the beach. Because rain ruins anyone's day. They PROMISED it would be out by Thursday. It was bright and cheery on Thursday when we pulled out. I loaded up the camper with the new issue of Cross Stitcher, and several projects. Several books, including Pride and Prejudice, came along. I had about 10 pairs of pants for all weather, since last year, we climbed the lighthouse and it was a bit hot as I ascended it in my long sleeve shirt and jeans.

We got to Salisbury and it started dumping. My boyfriend got this irritated look and said, "I am looking SOOOO forward to putting this up in the rain." I told him I would help and it would be OK. I have GOT to stop doing this, especially when it is patently apparent that the situation WILL NOT be OK.

He got soaked checking in. And said the park wasn't allowing people in tents to set up. They said we should be OK because we were in a TENT TRAILER. So we sat and waited for it to slow down. I can take wind. I can take rain. Wind and rain, driving sand, not so cool. Not so pleasant feeling.

We managed to get the camper set up, soaking a lot of the bedding, and the mattresses, and then gingerly handed in the essentials: clothes, my book, and snacks. I didn't bring my stitching in because it was safer in the truck. And we sat. And waited. The park ranger said the storm was supposed to blow out by 8PM. OK, we can handle ANYTHING for 5 hours.

But it didn't stop. That camper pitched back and forth like mad til 9. We took a nap and talked, crammed together on the sofa. SO is a big man, and I'm not exactly a delicate flower (but that will change). SO moans, "I have ribeyes marinating in the cooler. They can't sit in that another night." So he dashes back out to get them, telling me to stay put. We had fried rib-eyes on the campstove with corn and beans. SO was so upset about having to fry those steaks. I told him that they were awesome, and they were.

We went to sleep on the couch, but he woke up at 12 and got up to go lay on a soaking mattress. I told him that I'd go lay there and he could have the couch; he'd worked so hard to get the camper up, but he told me I get the best.

And all through that night, we laid there. I am surprised the camper stayed together; it was that bad. I was scared, but I know SO wouldn't ever keep me in a bad situation. I trust him. I had to change clothes 3 times because going out was soaking them. His pillow got wet. I heard a crash, knew it was a wave and ran around to check to see if we were under water. I couldn't see it, convinced myself it was the neighbor's awning, but SO told me the next morning he'd heard it and it was probably a wave crashing on top of the dunes. If I'd known the water was that high, it would have been bad.

I did manage to drift off to sleep finally, by telling myself that the rain couldn't keep going. When I woke, the wind was more normal and life was going on. I got our fire ring out of the 2 feet of water behind the camper (we were high and dry and set it up. Then took a walk. The campground was flooded. We all came out and congratulated each other. Someone pulled in and said they'd been turned away and they were turning away the pop-up campers; we'd been in a gale and it wasn't safe for pop-ups to be up. The book Stormy Misty's Foal is about a gale and how it devastated little Chincoteague, and we'd been through one. I don't wish to repeat that. I have been in 2 hurricanes and I was never so scared as I was Thursday night.

Friday was our recuperation day. Some ponies came to visit. I learned that, the ones on the Maryland side of the fence are Assateague ponies, the Virginia ones are Chincoteague. I wonder if the ponies know this? They do know how to get in a cooler, as SO found out. Two mares knocked over his Dr. Pepper and drank it, then went in the cooler. SO said he couldn't believe their lips were that strong. I can! That night, SO woke me up to say, "There are ponies outside. One's on one side eating, the others are over on the other side." They were so beautiful, standing in the moonlight. And we quietly watched them. Two lay down to rest. SO was impressed they got between the truck and the camper without knocking into anything. We wanted to take a picture, but it didn't turn out. A lot of pictures this weekend didn't turn out. I guess some things are meant to be remembered with the eyes of the heart. I know I'll never forget that sight.

Saturday, we spent the morning scouting future campsites. Our loop appeared to be the highest point of the state park, because the other sites were flooded, including the loop with the water and electric hookups. Not good. Not safe. We then went on the beach. I read Pride and Prejudice, and kept pointing out stuff to SO about marriage. I told SO it made absolutely no sense that Mr. Collins would be so adamant to marry Elizabeth one day and then two days later go get engaged to the other girl, and how odd that was that one could change affections so fast. Just little things like that.

He asked if I wanted to go to an early dinner. I was like, "but it's really early." SO is not an early eater, and we had had steak at 1, so I was a bit confused, but he wanted to go to Ocean City, and I'm not going to deny him ANYTHING on vacation, not when the man slept on a wet spot so I'd stay dry. We went to a nice place, had some awesome seafood stuffed potato skins. I am SOOO making them here. They were yummy.

We went back to the campground after dinner, and SO wanted to go fly a kite. he grabs his backpack, and I said, "What is that for? You don't need a backpack to fly a kite!" He told me to stop being so nosy. I thought, "OK, if he wants to do it, he has a reason." I said, "My tummy is a little bit achey, so I might have to leave the beach." He then says, "Can you please try to do that before we get to the beach," which is a very odd thing for him to say. He knows my stomach is cantankerous, and has never asked me to please do what I need to do before we go. He ought to know these things can not be controlled, but I wasn't denying him anything.

I met him on the beach and we tried to get the kite to fly. Of course, it didn't. The breezes weren't right. I told him it was still fun. And it was; he carries the weight of the world on his shoulders and any chance I get to see him relax and have fun is a pleasure to me. He never will understand the joy I get in seeing him play, but he works so I can play, and I want the same for him. So we walk back to the top of the dunes. And he stops. He says, "I have something for you." He opens the backpack and hands me a card. A romantic card. About wanting to wake up next to me the rest of his life. I read it, and I'm thinking, "What is this? Is he asking me to marry him? Is this an engagement card? Do they make cards for that? Should I ask him? What if it's not and I ask the wrong thing, and it's not and . . .", so I asked, "Is this what I think it is?" Because I want to maintain a bit of modicum and decorum. He says, "Maybe," and that's when I saw the box. And he went down on one knee. And I do not specifically remember him asking me to marry him, because I was shaking and saying yes. I probably looked like a freaking idiot. I could not breathe. I could not look at the ring. He put it on my finger.

And OMG, is it beautiful. White gold, solitaire stone with 14 channel set baguettes on either side and bezel engraving. It didn't look right on my finger, too pretty, LOL. He told me I was glowing. He designed it for me. No other girl in the whole world has this ring. And the fact that he loves me enough to not only work his tail off for months to pay for it, but to wait til he could take me to the place I love more than any other place in the world, the place I realized that I was in love with him, in order to ask me to be his wife is so mind-blowingly romantic.

Our families are happy. My parents weren't home when I called, but I did tell them. My brother is pleased. SO's, er, Darling Fiance's, niece can't wait to be the flowergirl--her mom had to tell her that we have to ask her before she can tell people. Her mom said the little niece was happy her uncle was getting married, but it took a few minutes to get her to connect that he is marrying me, LOL, but she thinks it's awesome I get to be her real Aunt Rachel, LOL. And I think it's pretty cool that she gets to be my real niece :)

Anyway, must run for now. I'll post again tomorrow, hopefully with photos.