Sunday, January 29, 2012

The Story of Us.

Conversation from the beginning of the school year:

Student One: Ms. Dudley, are you married?
Me: No, not yet.
Student Two: Wait, you're a teacher and you're not even married??!

He put a ring on it!

Guess what, Student Two?
Ms. Kristen-Crayon is ENGAGED! 
On Friday, January 27, 2012 my boyfriend, now fiance (so weird!), and longtime best friend got down on one knee in front of the Washington Monument and popped the question. We are notoriously bad about taking pictures, so it was fitting that we didn't take any right after the event. The above is in our apartment, from the morning after. I said yes, if ya couldn't tell :)

Below is a small portion of our shared history, which started in 2003 as high school seniors. There's a break for 2005-2006... the relationship ended ("ended") in 2005 due to long distance complications. But we started talking again in 2007, renewed the friendship, and by 2010 we were back together and sharing a Baltimore apartment!

 Prom time! And Nate's high school graduation party, 2003.

Annapolis, MD, May 2004.

Postcards from Nate's Eastern European adventures on my wall, 2007.

Wrightsville Beach, NC, July 2008.

Chris and Rhia's wedding, May, 2009.

Alaska! July, 2010.

Still smiling in June, 2011.

While I'm pinning away on my newly retitled Pinterest wedding board (went from "One Day" to "Kristen & Nate Gettin' Hitched"), there will not be a wedding in the near future. With only one income (mine), law school half-completed (for him), and near-crippling student loan debt, we're just not in the place we want to be to have a wedding. But I don't see that as a sad thing... I'm so incredibly indecisive, I'm going to need at least two years to plan that shindig!

Here's to the future, here's to us and everyone we love!


And here's another conversation, from yesterday:


Me: We're going to have to get engagement photos taken.
N: What are those?
Me: You know, people take formal photos to use on their save-their-dates, announce the engagement, etc.
N: That is what Facebook is for!
Me: ...
N: I proposed! My work is done!

Oh, Lordy. Help me.
:)

12 comments:

  1. CONGRATS!!! I'm so excited for you. A lifetime with your best friend is something to celebrate!!!!

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  2. Congratulations!! Wow, so fun! Also, I like to think of myself as one of the young teachers, but now you are making me feel old looking at the dates on your pictures :)

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    1. What are you talking about? By the looks of it, you ARE one of the young teachers! And you're a young teacher with teaching experience... I'm a young teacher who is still relatively clueless, haha. Thanks so much for the congrats!

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  3. Wonderful! As my hubby and I approach our 24th anniversary in a couple of weeks, it's so nice to see people at the beginning of a lifetime together. It's nice to know that there are people out there who still believe in getting married!

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    1. Twenty-four years... congratulations to YOU! So impressive and awesome. We're really lucky to both have parents who have been married for 30+ years... so we're definitely believers! It was very sad to hear one of first graders tell the class, "First you get engaged, then you get married, then you get divorced."

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  4. I am a lifetime single person by choice, but that doesn't stop me from sharing your joyful news! Congrats and plan a GREAT wedding!

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    1. Pat, thank you for being a single person who is sharing in our joy!

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  5. CONGRATULATIONS, Kristen! I'm so excited for you! Now it's officially "ok" to work on that first dance! Just think how great it'll be if you have 2 years of practice under your belt...haha.

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    1. It's SO exciting to be able to start practicing for that first dance! We're gonna look like pros with two years experience :) Thanks, Amy, and see you soon!

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  6. Congratulations! Your ring is gorgeous!

    I found you via Pinterest, tracking down your "Take what you need." flier. Is there any possibility that you could upload the original?
    :-) ReadWriteSing

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