Happy News!

I forgot to say that 2 weekends ago my brother went to the beach with his long time GF. A little history: they were dating in high school, and my mother caused them to break up by basically arranging for our church to pay for college if he went to bible school. Later- because for some reason my mother didn't like his GF- the church said that they wouldn't pay for school as long as they were still dating, because my crazy assed mother is a master of deception and manipulation.

The church sat him down and told him, and seeing his life going down the tubes and seeing that basically his only chance to get far, far away from crazy ass was being taken away, he broke up with her.

Any way my brother had been having problem sin his marriage and was going to marriage counseling alone, because his wife refused to go. At this point my brother had already given his wife an ultimatum. One day after his appointment he ran into his old GF by chance, and the odd thing was that she also was going through marriage counseling alone and had been going for a little bit longer than Ben. They chatted but they both were very tender and seeing each other wasn't even a glimmer on their collective horizon because they were both giving their spouses their last chance.

A few months after Ben moved out, they saw each other by chance again. They tentatively saw each other, and Ben would ask her every week if she would marry him. She would say no because she thought it was too soon to get married and neither of them were even divorced yet. My brother told her that he has always loved her and had never stopped... she was the one.

Finally he got tired of being shot down ;) He told her that when she was ready that she could ask him, and pointed out a watch commercial that just happened to be showing. "Get me one of those as an engagement gift when you ask me, and I'll think about it."

Two weekends ago they went to the beach, and he drover her somewhere as a surprise. "You took me to Hooters? How romantic," She said.

"No," he said laughing, while pointing to the massage place next to Hooters, "I'm taking you for a massage and pedicure, ya goof."

Tammy had mentioned that she was thinking about marriage, and Ben - having been turned down many times after 2 1/2 years- said he thought that they weren't ready. "You don't think we're ready," she asked disappointedly.

Ben thought about it and said no. He thought to himself that he had always been ready and didn't want her to feel pressured, so he said no.

Afterwards, they decided to take a walk on the beach. When arriving, Ben noticed a gift in the back seat. "Are you going to ask me to marry you, " he asked.

"Pfffft, don't get your hopes up," she said wryly.

He had gotten his hopes up, and was disappointed. The walked and she sat him down and gave him the box. Inside were 3 boxes, and he unwrapped the first. it was a picture of them when they had first started dating. "For the past,"she said.

He opened the 2nd box and it had a picture of them now. "For the present," she said.

He opened the last box to find a beautiful new watch with their initials and the date engraved on the clasp,and she said,"For the future." She got down on one knee and asked him to marry her.

The date on the clasp signified that that day two Saturdays ago- as she asked the question he had been waiting so long to hear - was the anniversary of their first kiss.

He said yes of course, literally! "Of course I will marry you!"

The amazing thing... how many of us have the chance to catch the one that had gotten away? I'm fortunate to have had the one all along, and to see my brother finally find true love and happiness is such a blessing.

Congratulations Ben and Tammy! May you have many many years of happiness. And sarcasm. Lots and lots of sarcasm, it keeps you young ;)

The wedding will be a small one next November n Maryland, and then they plan on flying down to an island and having a private ceremony on the beach, him barefoot and her with flowers in her hair. *sniff* So romantic!

I told him we should be able to drive out there by then. Emma will be 3 1/2 and we will have had time to stock up on lots of children's Benadryl.