In less then a year....

In less then a year (11 months to be exact) I will be saying "I Do."

This is a fairly monumental event in a persons life so I have decided (after a inspiration wave hit me on the train) to record my journey down the isle to share it with the world. After all, what is more exciting to a woman the getting married...(ahh....umm....)

Firstly I will introduced the (soon to be) groom...

Handsome. Romantic. Sensitive. Already a Dad. Generous.

Ben has all the makings of the perfect husband. But will I be the perfect wife....?

Ben was the only man I have ever wanted to marry.

Actually that is not true. 2 of my previous relationships had me thinking about marriage, but it wasn't because they were the only person in the world I could see myself with, it was more (and here is some brutal honesty) because I didn't want to be NOT married when I was 50. I would look at the guy I was dating and think "Well if 10 years pass and no one else comes along I guess you'll do..."

C'mon ladies - we have all done it. It's called settling *wink*

But Ben. From the minute I looked into his eyes and saw his smile I knew I would marry him.

After our first date on October 7th 2006 our lives kicked into "HIGH SPEED" and things have been powering ahead.

The words "I Love You" surfaced on only our second date.

By the third date (about 10 days after I met him) we were talking about marriage.

On Christmas Day 2006 Ben asked my father permission to marry me.

My fathers loving response was "Yeah, take her!" - he does love me, I promise, lol!

Later that day as Ben and I enjoyed a quiet moment alone from the family Ben casually said "We don't need a ring to get engaged do we? I could ask you right now..." in which I responded with "Okay, ask...but you will be getting me a ring!"

So we were engaged....and it may not have been the most romantic proposal in the world but I loved him and he loved me.

I was still adjusting to the idea 3 months later when Ben took me out to dinner. We were at LaVinga (Italian Forum, Liechardt, Sydney)- the restaurant we first met at - sitting at the same table smiling to the same waiters.

As the waiter positionend the garlic bread on the table he placed a small white plate directly in front of me and my breathe slowed. Sitting in the middle of the plate was a wooden box and sparkling away was my engagement ring. No one knew we were already engaged so people watched on expectantly and the staff hovered waiting for my response. I blushed with embarassment. I grinned then kissed Ben. People clapped and cheered as Ben slipped the ring on my finger. We were now officially engaged.



Even now I look at the ring and think it is amazing how much one piece of jewellry can mean to a person, how much it can represent. How valued it can be. Do you think when the ring is made it knows how important it will one day be?

About 6 months after the ring arrived we held our engagement party by the water in Regents Park, Gladesville. The weather kept me on my toes the entire day as it drizzled consistently causing my blood pressure to rise...but of course...come the time for the party the clouds parted and people began to arrive.

So where am I - oh that's right - April.

As if getting engaged wasn't enough to deal with - Ben and I went ahead and bought a house.

Ben already had a property in Rose Meadow - deep in the southern suburbs of Sydney - which was a carry over from his relationship with his daugthers mother, Alison.

The house was a lovely brick residence in need of some tender love and care. Bitter tenants and lack of spare time for Ben had meant the home was in serious neglect but spurred on by the pressure of a second mortgage Ben was able to find a buyer and got to work to prepare the home.

The new property was to go souly in my name for grant purposes which eleviated pressure on Bens end - and of course doubled it on mine. I soon leant the meaning of real estate jargon and how costly it is to in fact buy a house.



2 months after we first viewed the property we were holding the keys hugging one another on our new front verandah.

And so with our little pink cottage, a 2nd investment property and 2.3 kids (1 is Charlie the pooch, lol) we start the count down to the wedding. Tick...Tick...Tick