A week ago or so ago Matthias proposed to me in Central Park, New York City. I am so excited and thankful to God! I waited to post this big news on my blog until I had time to tell people. I didn’t want friends to find out such big news on my blog. If I somehow missed you or forgot to email you I am very sorry!

At the moment I am really sick with a bad cold. Thankfully I didn’t get really sick until Monday, the day Matthias left to go back to Japan. He is back safe and sound in Nagoya, Japan and I look forward to heading to Germany to see him on December 28th. He is busy packing up his stuff to head back home to Germany on the 21st. He plans to be in Germany for a year to a year and half before we head back to Japan together as a married couple. I cannot believe I am going to be living in Germany! I never imagined I’d visit Germany let alone marry a German man and live there. It’s going to be quite an adventure!

My ring!

Matthias proposed in Central Park – what a gorgeous park!

Matthias got a kick out of all the squirrels in Central Park

Right after he proposed

Right after he proposed shot #2

This is how he proposed. Last Tuesday morning we took a bus from our hostel to the MET (a famous art museum). I was SO excited to get off the bus and rush right into the MET, but Matthias said, “let’s go to Central Park first for a walk.” I whined and complained the entire walk through the park, because I wanted to go to the MET and it was pretty cold in the park. I kept saying, “I’m SO cold, can we go back now? I want to go to the museum!” Eventually we found a lovely spot and it didn’t feel so cold. Then Matthias said to me, “Do you know why I brought you here?” And immediately I KNEW why he had brought me there! I cried, “Oh nooooo! And I’ve been such a brat all morning!” I knew he was going to propose and felt terrible. Indeed he asked me to marry him and all my whining stopped and I gave him a big hug. We talked for a long time before I said yes. I wasn’t expecting him to ask me for a while, but actually he had been wanting to ask for a while. The day before he kept smiling at me in such a goofy, suspicious way and the thought popped into my head – “he’s gonna propose” – but I dismissed that as a ridiculous thought! Somehow he managed to ask my parents for permission while I was not around which is pretty impressive. We are thinking of an April wedding (yes in 2010) so I am very busy with planning, finding a place for the reception, getting ready to go dress shopping this weekend, looking at flower girl dresses in catalogues, thinking of hairstyles, etc. Planning a wedding is a ton of work! Thankfully I don’t have to do it alone.