Ah, love. Ain’t it great?

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I know I’ve mentioned my relationship with Al on this blog before, but today, I wanted to share a bit more about us.

I have to give most of the credit to Al’s brother, Nick. If Nick and I hadn’t become such good friends in 2009, I don’t think Al and I would have ever met. Nick tried to set up Al and I in the summer of 2010, but I knew I needed to wait a little bit, since I had just ended a long-term relationship.

I returned to Longwood for my senior year, and before I left, Al and I exchanged phone numbers and started talking and texting – A lot. For the first two weeks of that semester, I couldn’t believe how close we were getting – I knew I would be happy if Al and I remained friends forever.

Well, fast forward to Labor Day Weekend. Nick’s then-girlfriend lived near us and went to Longwood, so he asked me to bring her home for the weekend. I realized I was going to be able to see Al, so we set up a dinner date for Saturday, September 4, 2010. That afternoon and night changed our lives forever. We had our first kiss on the Virginia Beach Boardwalk, and the sparks and fireworks were there from the very start.

We endured a long-distance relationship from September 2010 to May 2011. I still remember how excited Al was when Christmas break approached, “You’re going to be home for FIVE WEEKS? I get to see you every day for FIVE WHOLE WEEKS!”

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Four years together seems to just fly by!

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This was my Facebook status for Valentine’s Day, 2012:

One of my favorite songs that makes me instantly think of Al and I: “Standin’ here feeling like a love struck Romeo…All I wanna do is hold you close and steal a little more time, is that such a crime? Sweet thing…Cause you know I need you and there’s no way I’ll be leavin’…til we’re kissing on the porch swing…oh my little sweet thing” ~Keith Urban

Happy second Valentine’s Day to Al, one of the best things that could have ever happened to me! ♥ 9/4/10 ♥

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Al’s caption on Facebook/Instagram: “Awesome girlfriend won VIP tickets to a Busch Gardens concert. KC and the Sunshine Band.”

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This is one of my favorite pictures of us. I had a housewarming party in my apartment last September. My beautiful Little, Lane, took this picture, and it is amazing. This picture is my background on my work computer, and every time I see it, it makes me smile from ear-to-ear.

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One of my favorite songs, and one that makes me think of Al and I every time, is Taylor Swift’s “Mine.” I love these lyrics, and it gives me chills every time I hear it.

“… I say ‘Can you believe it?’
As we’re lying on the couch?
The moment I can see it.
Yes, yes, I can see it now.

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Do you remember, we were sitting there by the water?
You put your arm around me for the first time.
You made a rebel of a careless man’s careful daughter.
You are the best thing that’s ever been mine.

…

But we got bills to pay,
We got nothing figured out,
When it was hard to take,
Yes, yes, this is what I thought about.

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Do you remember, we were sitting there by the water?
You put your arm around me for the first time
You made a rebel of a careless man’s careful daughter
You are the best thing that’s ever been mine.

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Do you remember all the city lights on the water?
You saw me start to believe for the first time
You made a rebel of a careless man’s careful daughter
You are the best thing that’s ever been mine.

…

You said, ‘I remember how we felt sitting by the water.
And every time I look at you, it’s like the first time.
I fell in love with a careless man’s careful daughter.
She is the best thing that’s ever been mine.’

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Hold on, make it last
Hold on, never turn back

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You made a rebel of a careless man’s careful daughter
You are the best thing that’s ever been mine …”

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Al has been so sweet to give me jewelry pretty much every Christmas, for the last four years.

We have talked about getting married for a couple of years now, but we started ring shopping earlier this year. We chose a wonderful jeweler in Virginia Beach and they made a gorgeous custom ring from a picture I found thanks to Google.

I had an epiphany a couple of months ago, realizing that Al may propose to me on Christmas Day, keeping up with the jewelry tradition. I went back and forth for many weeks, trying to prepare myself, mentally and emotionally, for either scenario.

The only clue that he gave me was “something had come in the mail for me for Christmas” about two weeks ago.

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Well, this morning, I went over to his house so we could exchange gifts before going to his dad’s family’s Christmas breakfast. He had a box wrapped up beautifully, complete with a red bow. When I got the paper off and the box open, this is what I saw:

Al explained that it was a music box, and when wound, it plays “You Are So Beautiful To Me.” I thought it was such a gorgeous and thoughtful gift!

Then, I opened the music box, and saw the black ring box next to it. I started shaking and I saw Al get on his knee and he asked, “Will you marry me?”

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So, we are officially ENGAGED! We couldn’t be happier, and we are so excited to start this next chapter.

Best. Christmas. Ever.

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Merry Christmas, to you and yours!

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Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂