I must be a romantic, Right?!

This weekend was normal like always.

This includes train, eat, train, snuggle, eat, repeat.

This photo is old, but you get the idea.

Except this Sunday we had a double date with some friends,

who ended up ditching at 6:27 (meeting was at 6:30) and left us apologizing to the poor gondolier

...that we were sorry for our lame friends...

...waiting for peeps to arrive...

That was a setup.

Apparently Kev, the company, and the friends had all been in on this plan for months!

So, back to the part where i'm still in the dark.

the complimentary 'before' picture...

We got on the gondola, poured our wine, and we were off.

from the bay in Long Beach, thru the harbor over to naples we were paddled along peacefully.

It was near sunset, so it was a bit windy but so beautiful.

We gazed at gorgeous homes, glided thru little canals, under bridges...

we were informed that we were supposed to kiss under every bridge as they do in the 'real' Naples.

So of course we did.

I was puckering up.

The gondolier sung a beautiful song under a bridge, which gave him great acoustics to work with.

And under the third bridge, after I gave Kev his mooch..

I saw this lonely bottle, that I thought some inconsiderate drunk left.

All i thought was 'Seriously people?"

(I must that predictable that Kev knew I would pick up the litter)

I asked the gondolier if he could get me over to it I'd grab it and throw it away 

when we got back to the dock.

So, he swooshed me over,  and I yanked it out of the water. 

Our conversation as follows:

Me: "oh dear, its someones message..." 

Kev: "Open it"

Me, "I'm not opening someone elses' shit, that's wrong"

Kev: "No, it'll be fine. Just see what it is."

I gave in and opened that dang thing.

I mean this thing was all professional like.

It had a string to pull it out of the bottle, little tape "tabs' 

so it would stay closed but would open easily.

He wrote me the sweetest love note. I'm going to keep that part to myself.

(If you can read it in the pictures, you have way too good of eyesight and you should get that checked.) ;)

BUT  thats not the end of it.

I thought that was it, we stood I gave him a thank you for being so sweet hug, 

thinking that was the end of it.

Well, he is so confident and well spoken that he starts stammering and his eyes got all red and 

he dropped to a knee.

I had NO idea what to think.

I never thought I'd see Kev all thrown off like that, I mean he was a mess! ;)

SO, I started to well up, my jaw dropped, 

He asked me to marry him, and all I can get out is a DAMN nod?!

I mean WTH?! Seriously?! Poor guy had to ask me later, after he had already put the ring on,

if i had said yes?!

obviously, i said yes.

So, the rest of the ride was spent drinking off our nerves,

laughing about what the boys had fooled me over,

and enjoying the gorgeous scenery. 

What a amazing night that I will never forget.

I truly was blessed with such a thoughtful, loving man.

I look forward to planning our August-ish wedding (gotta plan for between races and tapers!)

with you sweets,

you are a constant gift that keeps on giving unexpected kindness.