2010: A new year, with so many new and wonderful things

Well, I know that it has been a very long time since I have posted on here, but I figured that it was probably about time that I did, because so much has been happening since my last post. And I realize that someday I am going to want to remember exactly how I was feeling at this point in my life and without writing on here, I really would have no other way to document what is going on at this time in my life. So here we are again!! At my semester abroad-turned living with my boyfriend abroad-turned ENGAGED-turned filling out Visa applications-ever exciting Withlovefromlondon blog. :)

The last time I wrote, I was still living with Mike in Milton Keynes, and at the end of my allowed time there in the UK (end of September). After leaving England, I came back to Alpharetta to move back home and live with my Mom and Bobby and Jim. I missed Mike, but fortunately, our new plan included him moving to live with us for three months in Alpharetta. Which turned out to be really nice. Mike was able to help around the house and the yard with stuff to make the house all pretty for when my parents decide to put it back on the market again. And I started the job search, which was pretty slow-going, so in the meantime I got a part-time job at Gap at Northpoint Mall. I kept on looking for another full-time job, and ended up getting a position as a receptionist at a Wells Fargo Home Mortgage branch here in Alpharetta, which is not only a great starting position for me, but it's also really great because it's only a short commute.

I had just started working at Wells Fargo, and time was passing so so so quickly, and then Mike had to go back to England at the end of the month - when Mike surprised me with a weekend away to Nashville. He picked me up from work on Friday and told me that we had to stop by Trader Joe's for some special juice that my mom wanted...so we started driving in that direction, and when we passed the store, I asked him why we didn't stop and he said because we're going somewhere else. I guessed Nashville, and he was like YES!! So we drove the 4 hours up to Tennessee, and got a room at America's Best Value Inn (aka really cheap). The next morning, we ate a yummyyyyy breakfast at Waffle House down the road from our hotel, and then set out for a day of sightseeing. It was soooooo cold in Nashville, but it was nice to just bundle up and enjoy a day together with peace and quiet because there weren't really very many people around. We first went to go see the Bicenntennial State Park, which was pretty, but it was too cold to hang outside much, so we ended up heading over to the State Capitol Building over across the street.

It was a really pretty building sitting on top of a big hill right in the middle of the city, and we had to walk up a huge flight of stairs, but once we got to the top, the views were so pretty and it was just nice to walk around together hand in hand. We walked around the building to the front to see if we could go inside for a tour, but I guess it was closed for the day, so we just stood out in front looking out onto the courtyard below, with a festively decorated Christmas tree right in the center of it all. I was just standing there taking in the scenery when Mike turned to me and told me that he had a question to ask me. I got really excited, because I had a feeling that I might know what that question was.

For the past week or so, Mike and I had been talking about our plans for when he left on December 29th. And although we had talked about marriage before, it never was something we actually had started making plans for. Except this time it was for real. We were really serious and we were really ready and we were so excited about getting to spend the rest of our lives together. So, we told my Mom and Bobby about our plans the weekend before we went to Nashville, and Mike was able to ask my Dad for his blessing when he had a layover on that Monday in Atlanta. After much searching, we were able to find a ring that I loved and that he could afford right now, and put it on layaway. But earlier that week, Mike had told me that when he'd gone to pick up the ring, it hadn't been sized yet and it wouldn't be ready for a few more days. I was bummed, because although I didn't know about Nashville yet, I'd figured that Mike would probably propose that weekend anyways.

So, needless to say, when Mike said that he had a question to ask me, I was pretty excited, because I had seen him clutching at his sweatshirt pocket all day, like he was trying to hold something in there. I thought that it might be the ring, but I didn't want to get my hopes up because I knew it was still in the shop getting sized. But then, as he turned toward me and got down onto one knee and pulled the ring box out of his pocket, I knew that it was really happening. I knew that he was asking me to marry him. He held out the ring box and told me that he loves me so much and he can't imagine not spending the rest of his life with me and then he said, "Simone, will you please be my wife?" And I just could not stop smiling. I said yes, of course I will be your wife. And he slipped the beautiful ring onto my finger and stood up and pulled me close to give me the warmest and biggest hug ever. I held onto him and just could not stop smiling because I was so happy that we were going to have this future together.

The rest of the weekend was really fun too, because Mike surprised me with Ashley coming down to celebrate with us!!! It was awesome, she came to surprise me on my happy day! So that night we all got gussied up and went out in downtown Nashville for a looooot of beer (PBR) and good live music. It was a great night, followed by a lovely breakfast the next morning at Waffle House and then Ashley hit the road for Louisville, and we headed back down to Atlanta because we had to go see a show with the family that night. But I couldn't have imagined a better weekend surprise.

Christmas came and it was really great to have some time off work and eat yummy food and spend time with the family altogether. And then, that Tuesday, Mike had to go back to England. It was sad to see him go, but a little bit easier than it usually is, because although we knew that we wouldn't be seeing each other for awhile, at least we knew that the next time we were together, it would be for good. Forever.

So, we've started the Visa application process....which is a lot of paperwork, and pretty nerve-racking, but now that I have sent off the first packet of forms and paperwork and evidence and proof, I feel a little bit better because I know that at least we've gotten the ball rolling. The next thing to do is just wait until they've received it, and then there's the waiting time for them to get to our case and start to process it. Then, we wait until they're approved us for a fiance visa, and then they schedule Mike's interview at the U.S. Embassy in London, and then after that goes well (fingers crossed!!), they give a date when he can enter the United States! And then, once he's here, we have 90 days to get married. Which is why we're going to have a court ceremony first, and then our real wedding celebration next summer most likely with all of our friends and family there. Gives everyone enough time to save up to be there with us, and us enough time to get settled and everything and save as well to help pay for the wedding!

Back to the whole visa process though....it can take anywhere from 6-8 months total, which kind of sucks because that will be the longest that Mike and I have gone without seeing each other. We have Skype, and webcam chats, phone calls, emails, letters, and texts to get us through til then though, but it will be tough nonetheless. But Mike keeps telling me to keep my chin up and not to get sad, because when we are together, it will be forever, and we will be DONE with the long-distance thing forever!!! Which makes me really happy.

PHEW. Well, that's it for now. I think that this post was more for myself than for other people, because I just started typing, and then I couldn't stop. haha! So, if you're reading this (and made it this far...), now you're all updated on my life! I'm ready for 2010 to be a year of changes, both good and bad, and for me to continue on my path of growing up...slowly, but surely. It's scary sometimes, but deep down, I can feel that it's a good thing.