I really do love my horrible, rotten, mean, awful, sweet, wonderful, absolutely fabulous husband!!!

Alright - so we've fixed the ring dilemma - if you don't know what that means . . . click HERE.

For a couple months - I've been scouring the internet and jewelry catalogs at fine jewelers all over town - looking for my ring. I have seen some pretty close rings - but not what I've  got all stored up here in my head. Well - last week we had a breakthrough and the FABULOUS jeweler we've been working with and his wife (of Blakes Fine Jewelry) finally found the right setting. And a couple nights ago I'm asking about the ring - Dan's being overly analytical about his response to my analytical suspicions. 

So today I'm thinking - hmmmmmm . . . maybe he HAS it - and the only possible way for me to know is to check our credit card statement - so I go online and when the balance comes up I can tell the charge isn't there - BUT then I click on the statement and voila . . . the payment is pending. And I'm trying desperately to forget what I just saw and trying to convince myself that just because he's paid for it doesn't mean he has it . . . . then he comes home and gives me an extra smoochy smooch and I can tell he's got something he's not telling me - so I step back and say, "WHAaaaaaaT?" And I see that he has a ring box in his shirt pocket - kay, so I'm dying because I need to run now that he's home and take dinner to a friend that just had her baby (cute little thing!) and I'm just freaking out - do I run even more late or do I look at the ring I've been waiting for? Well, he pulls it out - opens the box and pulls out a little draw string bag - and from that, he pulls out a YO YO!!!! No lie! I almost punched him right there . . . so he tells me he does have it - but I should go deliver the dinner. 

Once I get home, we serve up dinner and I'm just dying - trying not to pry cuz . . . who knows, maybe he's got some specific plan, and I'm Sooooooo trying to work on my impatience . . . so in the course of dinner I can tell the kids know more than me and I start asking questions - 

I ask Harrison, "What do you know?"

he says, "I know that Dad's conspiracy level is greater than yours." 

WHAT? He's just cracking us up - and at one point while I'm bantering with Dan, Harrison also says, "Yeah - stick it to the man!" along with other hilarious dialog I wish I'd had a recorder for - that kid reads too much Calvin & Hobbes!

So finally Dan brings in a shiny silver bag and I'm shaking and SO DANG EXCITED! Well - it's EMPTY!!!! No wonder my kids can be boogers - they get it from their Dad. The kids are hysterical with evil laughter and I'm ready to burst!

Then Dan steps into the front room and says, "Maybe it's in here." - I follow him in there and he's holding an even more beautiful little box. I start getting all shaky and giddy - then scared spit-less because I'm afraid it won't be what I saw in my head - I can't hold still - I'm getting nervous palm sweat - and he finally opens it - and it's perfect. It's so beautiful! He says it's time to replace the old one and slips the new ring on my finger. I'm ECSTATIC! Of course I was all teary-eyed. I got so excited I just tackled him. The kids are all running around laughing and having a great time! Harrison's taking pictures and saying things like, "lemme get a shot of your love-fest!" (crazy boy!) And Dan says, "It's a lot more fun having all the kids here than it was the first time." I have to totally agree - I'm so glad they were there - so thankful to Dan for this beautiful ring - so glad we've had 10 fabulous years together along with 4 kids - many experiences - and more devotion than I've ever imagined. I so love him! Even if he made me sweat over it - twice!

Dan says I better be 100% happy with this ring because if I even HINT at wanting another ring he's threatened to get me one with hearts and dolphins! (No offense to you fans of  jeweled dolphins!)

Click on the photo to get a better view -

{Photos and Experience August 28, 2008}