All the single ladies

all the single ladies...

ALL THE SINGLE LADIES...

all the single ladies...

{Picture me dancing around like Beyonce in a black leotard and heels.}
Yaaaa buddy...

Ok so foreal...this post is {obviously} for the single ladies.

Yes...I'm talking about YOU sitting here reading this wishing you had that pretty little rock on your hand, cussing your boyfriend every time another couple gets engaged and welling up with tears every time you see a bride walking down that aisle because you just know, that one day, that bride will be you.

Trust me. 

I've been there.

I've been that girl all teary eyed wondering what my big day would turn out to be like, wishing I had a princess cut diamond ring my left hand and cringing every single time I heard about someone else getting engaged.

I was that girl who thought "Is he ever going to ask???"

My mom was that mother who thought "He's never going to ask..."

Well ladies, clearly...he asked.

But did I ever tell you it took 5 1/2 years??

Yes. FIVE POINT FIVE YEARS to put a ring on it.

(I mean, obviously he knew right away...he just needed to find the perfect stone...psssssh)

All seriousness aside: This would be our very first picture...on our very first "date"
...if that's what you wanna call it...8 years ago...

...and by "date" I mean underage drinking at a bar called "Pink Monkey"
and doing keg stands on the dance floor. Someone obviously had a little growing up to do...
{Be proud mom...I was such a class act back in the day...}

Enough about that...

We looked at engagement rings for damn near close to a year.

I knew exactly what I wanted the first week we looked.

I got my hopes up so many times only to be let down just about every single time...

Would he do it on our 5 year anniversary? What about New Years Eve? Would I find a ring in my dessert one night? Nope...it was the day BEFORE Valentine's day...the day-freaking-before Valentine's day. Talk about throwin' a girl off...

So anyways...my message to you is this: it doesn't matter how long you've been dating someone. When you know, you know and it doesn't matter if it takes 6 months or 6 years. So many couples have so many different circumstances as to why it takes longer than others...too young, too broke, too immature, too far away...the list goes on and on. Stop comparing yourself to the "social norm". Who says you have to get married before a certain age? Have kids before a certain age? That's right...NO ONE.

Take it from me. 

Take it from someone who's "been there".

A girl who went through what I like to call "hell and back" for a frat boy who took FIVE AND A HALF loooonnnnng years to get down on one knee.

The knee dropped. The ring was there. There were tears of joy and maybe even a few "This is a joke"s...It came. It went and now I've been married for over 1 year now. I was engaged over two and a half years ago.

{2.13.2010}

whoa.

Like WHOA.

The whole engagement/wedding process goes by so gosh darn fast so I don't want you girls to go off wishin' it away. Your time will come and though it will be one of the most exciting times of your life, it's gone in the blink of an eye and then you're just stuck being an old married hag.

Kidding...about the hag part.

What I meant to say is that you're just stuck being a hot married trophy wife...duh.

(Kristen...look familiar?!) ;)

But foreals...look how much all you single girls still have to look forward to!! Picking out rings, seeing the love of your life down on one knee (or in my case, lunging on one knee...), picking out flowers and venues and trying on your very first wedding dress. What about seeing your groom for the first time? Sharing your first kiss and singing to each other as you two-step to your first dance? Gosh dangit you have SO much excitement coming your way and you don't even know it. 

Don't get me wrong, I L-O-V-E being married. It's like a permanent slumber party with your best friend in between picking up their stinky socks and cleaning up their dirty dishes. And though I still have really exciting milestones in my future like building a house, having babies and growing old together, I still ask...err-BEG Beau to let us get married again...like every single day. He thinks I'm nuts (and perhaps he's 90% right) but there's just something so romantic about hearing the guy you love profess his love for you in front of every last person you know. And being in a diamond white dress with a fluffy little veil on your head ain't so bad either..

So be patient, my little grasshopper. Realize all that you DO have in your near future and don't wish it past you. Obviously, if your man-candy didn't want to marry you, he wouldn't waste his time, money or sanity on you and one day...you WILL be that girl. <3

Just my words of wisdom...take it for what it's worth. ;)