12/20.

Happy Monday! I looked at the calendar and smiled this morning, not just because Christmas is less than five days away. I smiled because I knew exactly where I was two years ago today... 

All images by {av}

On December 20th, 2008, a cold wind was blowing outside of my window after a short night's sleep. {cv} and I had planned on taking a morning jog in and around Georgetown's campus, but sub-20 degree temperatures made that plan look much less attractive. 

{cv} had made the drive from Charlotte the night before, arriving close to 11pm. Though he'd been to my apartment before, he managed to miss the turn at least three times--something I now attribute to nerves. We spent that Friday night listening to Christmas music, catching up, and dancing in my living room. It was one of those perfect nights which reminded me just how much I loved him.

He apparently had multiple ideas for the proposal, many of which have come out over the last two years. One included fireworks and another was centered around the jog. The one he finally chose to execute placed us where we had our first date on Wednesday, August 31, 2005.

That first date was on a busy thoroughfare between Red Square and Leavey Center, across from Reiss...a location any Georgetown grad will understand. There's a secluded little hill where we decided to plop down, eat Pizza Hut Express breadsticks and watch a documentary I'd forgotten to view that summer. I laughed. He made me smile. I probably talked too much. Now more than five years removed from that first date, I can happily say that not much has changed ;)

Since the run wasn't going to happen, he had to somehow get me to our "spot." He craftily said that he wanted to visit campus and check out the new business school...being my gullible self, I agreed. I should've realized something was up when he told me I should drive over to Georgetown...because he never compliments me on my driving. I agreed and we made the quick trip across the Key Bridge into Washington.

We walked hand-in-hand through the familiar front gates of Georgetown and make a walk we had taken a million times before, until we ended up right where we started, more than three years before. He fumbled around and suddenly pulled the most perfect little sparkly object from his pocket. It had been a little muddy that day, but I insisted on the "getting down on one knee" bit. I went silent {which I don't do often} and listened to his proposal before bursting out with a resounding "yes".

The proposal was everything I dreamed that moment would be...and in retrospect, I'm happy none of his other brainstorms worked. Thankfully, I always carry a camera to capture the moment. I skipped down the hill and found a passerby to take our photo. Later, I learned that {cv} had exchanged a few emails with my mom after he asked for my hand at Thanksgiving, one of which described this particular "happy skip" which I definitely did that day.

After calling our families, we celebrated by heading to the Tombs, a favorite of any Georgetown grad--where we toasted with champagne at 11:00am. It garnered us a few funny looks at first, until we explained why. {They were even kind enough to comp our meal and sign our bill with many congratulations!} From the Tombs, we headed to a Georgetown basketball game where we saw many of our friends and shared our very exciting news.

Later that night, I surprised {cv} with reservations at The Source, a Wolfgang Puck restaurant in the Newseum. I made those plans without any knowledge of the pending engagement and it ended up being a fabulous place to celebrate. After dinner, we took a cab to see the National Christmas Tree before hopping over to a Christmas party at the apartment of the two dear friends I visited this past weekend in NYC. A few hours of champagne, friends, and hugs later, we trekked back to Alexandria before calling it a day...

December 20th is a day I know we plan to celebrate forever. Thanks for indulging me in that long story. I hope it brightened your Monday a little bit :) Can't wait to share lots from NYC tomorrow--I just couldn't help myself from sharing this with you today! xoxo {av}