The One with the Proposal (Part 2)

So we had gotten to the morning of our third day in Vegas. We had one more night, and I had been told that I had to pack up allllll my things and that I was being "sent" somewhere that morning.

It turns out that "somehwhere" was the Bellagio salon! MM had booked me a surprise manicure!! (Collective "awww"....NOW!) You can see where my crazy girl-brain was going with all this. Even my manicurist asked "...so is he going to propose??" ("I don't want to jinx it." I had replied.)

So I come out of my manicure with some pretty french tips, and I am ready to find out what this whole packing business was about. MM meets me in the lobby, and asks me to accompany him to our new room.

...And by room, I mean PENTHOUSE SUITE.

This photo absolutely does not do it justice, but I didn't want to bore you with real estate.

Yes, it had a living and dining area, wet bar, 2 and a HALF BATHROOMS, a sauna in the shower, and a bidet! (If you've never tried a bidet, it's....interesting.) AND to top it all off, from the 30th floor, we had the perfect view of the Bellagio fountains. ZOMG, I was over the moon.

How awesome is this view??

MM has the biggest grin on his face, and says "I think Vegas should be full of surprises."

After I have sufficiently played in every room (yes, I am that person that opens every drawer. Is that weird?), MM suggests that we have dinner in the room tonight, because of our fantabulous view. "But we should still dress up," he adds, maybe when he sees my crestfallen face at the idea of just eating in our PJs. What can I say, I am a girl who likes getting dolled up.

Our fancy duds weren't completely out of place, though--where else does room service provide you with a tablecloth, fresh flowers, and a bread basket?? Oh, and the steaks were restaurant quality as well. Highly recommended for your next penthouse stay ;)

All dressed up

A shoddy picture of our delicious room service fare

So as we ate dinner, we enjoyed the beautiful Bellagio fountain shows, scheduled for every fifteen minutes until midnight.

*Sigh* I love these fountains

Well, about halfway through dinner, the fountains broke. MM and I waited patiently for them to restart, but even upon finishing our meals, still no shows. MM called down to the front desk to inquire, and was given the flimsy answer of: "Oh, it's pretty windy. There might be another show in fifteen minutes." Another thirty minutes pass. No show. I am starting to get frustrated that we can't enjoy our view to its fullest potential, when MM just sighs and says, "Well, let's just do something else, then, but let's enjoy the view down the strip at least, for a little bit longer. Come join me at the window."

So I get up, and I face the window, with MM behind me. "So this has been a really great three and a half years with you," he starts. And my mind just starts swimming. My girl-brain thinks of something appropriate to do or say, and it comes up with Finding Nemo. Yes, you read correctly. During my proposal, I started rambling about a PIXAR MOVIE. I stammer about the crabs in Finding Nemo for a couple minutes before MM gives me a look that says "Can I finish please??"

He continues with what I can only assume is a very romantic speech about our relationship (because I was so overwhelmed I can't remember a single thing after the Finding Nemo bit).....and as I am still facing the window, I see his reflection in the plate glass window take a step back, then get down on one knee.

I turn, and he is holding up the most gorgeous ring I could have ever imagined. "Will you marry me?" And after several seconds of bawling (yes, not just crying, but BAWLING) and fanning myself, I manage to make out "YES!!"

And this is our obligatory immediately-post-proposal picture (with champagne we had promptly ordered from room service):

Deliriously happy

Obligatory night-of ring pic

And we both lived happily ever after!




....o wait, isn't there something that comes before?? Up next: wedding planning!

The One with the Proposal

Let me start from the beginning. The beginning was about 3 years ago. MM and I had been dating for a few months at this point, and we wanted to take a vacation during our school break. We had decided on Las Vegas, seeing as how it fit nicely within our budget. It was wonderful--we stayed in Paris, watched the Beatles Cirque du Soleil show LOVE, and in front of the Bellagio fountains, MM told me he loved me for the first time. (Okay, everybody gag....NOW!)

MM in front of the Bellagio Fountains during one of the nightly shows

So when it came time to plan our vacation this year, again with a tight budget, we decided to do Las Vegas again! I was thrilled--there was so much more of Vegas I hadn't seen! So many places I had yet to stay! So many shows I had yet to watch! (And so on and so forth.)

We had found a FANTASTIC deal for the MGM Grand ($69/night, thanks to Vegas.com), which I was perfectly happy with. MM suggested that we stay for three nights, and that he would plan the first and third nights, and I could plan the second. MM decided on In-and-Out Burger and the Jabbawockeez for the first night, and I had suggested Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill and Cirque du Soleil's Zumanity for the second night. MM refused to tell me what he had planned for the third night, which should have been my first hint....

So fast forward a few months: MM and I arrive at the Las Vegas airport. I am telling him we need to figure out how to get to the MGM Grand, and ask him if there is a shuttle. MM says he will figure it out. We come down the escalators, and lo and behold, there is a suited gentleman with a sign with MM's name on it.

I am confused. "Is this the shuttle driver?" I ask, as the man takes our suitcases and leads us outside. MM has a cryptic smile on his face.

Outside, my confusion is replaced with surprise as I see where the driver is headed.

"You got us a LIMO?!?!" I shriek. (I'm sure the driver is just listening to our conversation, bemused.)

MM smiles and motions for me to get in. So I do. And I marvel at all the little amenities inside said limo, disregarding all the little signs that say "Bellagio" on it...Then we pull into the Bellagio driveway. Once again, I am confused.

"Wait, are we still going to the MGM Grand?" (I'm sure at this point, the driver thinks I am mentally handicapped.)

"No, silly. I decided to upgrade us to the Bellagio!" And upgrade us, he did. As soon as we arrived, a bellhop was there to pick up our suitcases. Yet another suited gentleman hands MM an envelope: "Your itinerary for the stay, sir."

We are ushered past the checkout lines and through an unmarked door. Inside, is a private concierge desk, and a spread of pastries, wine, and beverages like I have never seen at a hotel check-in. Still unsure of what is going on, I sit on the couch in this VIP room in a half-daze as MM checks us in.

MM tells me, "I talked to my cousin, and he got us this VIP service. Unfortunately, I couldn't get us an upgrade for our room, so we're just in a standard."

Are you kidding me?? I don't need an upgrade, I'm in the Bellagio, baby!!!! This is what I am thinking, but I am still in shock, so I just mumble my understanding and follow him up to our "standard" room. Which was still pretty damn nice.

So we spend our time enjoying the Bellagio pool during the day, and entertaining ourselves on the strip at night.

Jabbawockeez stage

Us at Mesa Grill

After our delicious dinner at Mesa Grill, MM gives me a serious look. "Okay, so tomorrow morning, I want you to pack up all your things, and I am sending you somewhere."

I try to get more out of him than this, but he is tight lipped. I am suspicious, but the next morning, I do as he asks and pack up my entire suitcase...

....and the next part will have to wait for the next post!

Back on the [blogging] ball

I'm not going to lie--this was a very hard post to write. Not because it's picture heavy (sorry) or controversial (sorry) but because it's my FIRST POST IN OVER A MONTH.

*hangs head in shame*

Blogging is like exercising. Super easy once you have your routine down, and you are doing it regularly. But stop for a while, and that first run is TORTURE.

So this is my attempt to start. Again. We'll do this chronologically:

Utah
MM and I had so much fun snowboarding out in Salt Lake City (SLC)! We stayed with his wonderful aunt and uncle out in Sandy, UT, and were a short drive from Solitude, where we spent five awesome days snowboarding.

MM and I on the slopes!

Luckily for my rear end, I got a lot better at snowboarding than when we went to Wisconsin, and I even went on some blue runs! (For those of you who aren't familiar, like myself a few months ago, in order of increasing difficulty: green, blue, black diamond, double black diamond etc)

MM and I at the summit at Solitude. How badass am I?? (not really; I am hanging on for dear life.)

Unfortunately for my rear end, my last day of snowboarding was strongly punctuated when I landed HARD on my bum on a flat trail under some flat light, and let me tell you: it HURT. As in, it brought tears to my eyes as soon as it happened --that kind of hurt.

Thankfully MM's aunt let me use a bag of frozen peas to ice it when I got home (don't worry, they were not consumed later), and though my rear end still hurts a little when I run now, I still think the trip was still TOTALLY fun and worth it. I mean, just look at the view!

SOO much fun. And highly recommended.

Florida
After our snowboarding stint in Utah, we flew down to Florida for a few days to spend time with MM's parents. And as fun as our snowy adventures were, holy canoli was I glad to be in warm weather.

Basking in the sun. Pretty much what I did everyday.

While we were there, we ate at Tarpon Bay at the Hyatt Regency in Bonita Springs and had some of the most delicious seafood while seated over the water.

(Photo from google images)

We also celebrated MM's father's birthday while we were down there with a GIANT sushi boat.

Not our boat, but you get the idea. Source

The three of us took the whole thing down like champs. It was pretty epic.

While we were down there, MM's dad also showed me how to shuck oysters!! I took a picture of him shucking, but since I have not asked his permission to plaster his face all over the interwebs, I will refrain from posting it. It was a great experience though! I never knew shucking oysters was so easy. I got the hang of it after about six, and shucked the last six of our dozen like a pro. If my cholesterol weren't already high, I would totally eat oysters all the time...

And that concludes my February vacation! Up next: my birthday and match day!