Sorry about that. But no fear because today is the day!
Just so you are warned, this post will be full of details and pictures and mushyness.
Continue at your own risk.
Back on August 27th, a Friday, Vito spent his evening at work while I spent my evening trying to ready ourselves for a day trip to the beach. We were suppose to be leaving early the next morning to meet up with our dateversary twins and head to the beach. I felt it coming. The dreaded, horrible, miserable cold. I tried to ignore it because hi, it was August and I had yet been to the beach. This was a tragedy. Went to the store and bought snacks. Came home to pack and decided to lay down for a bit, in hope to feel better.
Vito woke me up 4 hours later when he came home from work. I felt worse. Cue tears and whining "It's not faaaaaaaair" and "I want to goooooooo". It was ugly. Vito kept insisting I would be fine. I told him how badly I wanted to go but I didn't want to be on the beach with a box of kleenex as my bff. So we canceled. Cue more crying and more misery. I was upset, Vito was bummed. Our friends were sad.
I updated my FB status the next day with "miserable". I get a text message within a minute of updating it from my sister inquiring what was wrong and if I was okay. I didn't think anything of this until later. But I told her how I was sick and stuck on the couch. Sad times.
The next weekend rolled around and we decided to head down to the beach on Sunday. Our friends sadly could not come as the guy, Steve, was now sick with the dreaded sniffles. Cue lots of sad times again. But it was Labor day weekend, it would be our last shot at a beach trip with school started so Vito & I decided we'd go it alone and enjoy our day at the beach.
Sunday September 5th.
We got up late. As per usual. We headed out around 7 and I decided I'd drive this time. We stopped at BK for breakfast and made our 3-3.5 hour trek down to OCMD.
We made good time and found an amazing parking spot down by the boardwalk. With it being Labor day weekend, it was very, very packed but we found space and marked a spot all to our selves.
It was beautiful, barely any clouds in the sky.
In the low 80s, perfect beach weather.
For me, I enjoy relaxing on the beach.
Vito on the other hand, is all about swimming and acting a fool.
We enjoyed sun tanning.
We ate our packed lunch of sandwiches and chips.
Really, it was perfect.
What better way than to spend the day enjoying each other at my favorite place?
I couldn't think of any.
We played in the water, did sudoku puzzles, read books, listened to music, napped in the sun.
Love.
Also, this is probably my favorite picture of Vito ever.
Really, ever.
After laying on the beach for 5+ hours, we were getting hungry for dinner.
We headed back to my car and changed in the car.
Klassy.
All the sand? Still haven't gotten it all out of my car.
It was only know when we both realized the amount of sun we had soaked in.
Oh we were burnt. Very burnt.
Strike one.
Went to put on makeup, didn't think that my eye liner had melted in the car. It smeared all over my face.
Strike two.
Finally got ourselves together and ready to go eat.
Started to get a rash on my thighs, so painful it was hard to walk.
Strike three.
Cue Vanessa in a bad mood and starving. So we made our short walk to dinner.
I thought getting food would make me happier. I was incorrect.
Let me say, I looove bull on the beach. We've eaten there plenty times before.
This day was just off. My sandwich was gross and I only ate half of it.
Vito casually mentions about going on a walk on the beach later. I dismiss this as my thighs hurt and I'm now officially in a bad mood.
Cue the saving grace.
Let me tell you, if you've never had Thrasher's french fries, you've never tasted heaven.
I crave these things year round.
We go to this beach strictly because they are home of Thrasher's.
Please, go. ASAP.
And be prepared to wait. I'm not the only one who is in love with these babies.
After chowing down on these, my mood improved. Because, well, they are to die for.
After eating those we walked more of the boardwalk.
Picked up some of the best fudge around at Wockenfuss.
Vacations are all about food, right? Right!
Our tradition has always been to go to the photo booth and get our pictures done.
Vito suggested we wait but we were RIGHT by them so I insisted we do it now!
We're fools, what can I say.
Since my legs were trying to be the death of me, we found a bench and parked ourselves on it.
One of my other favorite things to do at the boardwalk, and well in general, is people watch. & the boardwalk happens to be the most perfect place for this activity.
People were probably watching us.
Making fools of ourselves for the sake of funny pictures.
It is what it is.
Then, again, Vito suggests we take a walk on the beach.
This, well, throws red flags. Immediately.
I knew.
I'd spent all day at the beach with the man I love and I had no idea.
Until now.
I even teased him.
"What if I say no right now?"
I'm mean.
His response?
"Oh. Well I guess we don't go then..."
It was confirmed in my mind.
So I said, "Let's go."
The sky was beautiful.
The beach was calming. We walked a short distance and planted ourselves near the water.
Enjoying the waves crashing.
Vito was nervous. It was too funny.
He'd make little comments and then silence.
"I'm really glad we came today"
"There's a reason I wanted to come here"
I saw him fiddling with something in his pocket and so I looked the other way, knowing what he was doing.
Then he looked me in the eyes.
"Vanessa, I love you and..."
Cue tears.
Mine & his.
My thoughts?
It's now. He's proposing now.
Remember what he's saying.
You are going to want to remember what he's saying!
Then he pulled out a ring and asked me to be his wife.
"Yes, yes, a million times yes!"
Do I remember everything he said?
No.
But I remember the feeling.
The overwhelming feeling of love that can't be placed into words.
Something I knew would come one day but I could never have expected it to be perfect.
For me.
For him.
Please know how much I love you all to put up these last few pics, with my makeup all a mess from crying.
I had to take them though. I yelled to Vito that I needed to take them right away.
Incase I ever blog on weddingbee.com one day.
It's a goal of mine.
I called my mom and sister, bawling and so excited.
They both knew.
Vito had asked both of their permission.
I asked him how long he'd had the ring.
Since April.
He'd bought it thinking we were going to the beach in June but that fell through.
He bought the ring and went home that same day and wrote out what he wanted to say.
& he memorized it.
So all those specific words I don't remember? They are written down, never to be forgotten.
After heading back to the boardwalk, we made it back to the photo booth. Vito told me he was insisting we wait because he wanted to do it afterwards. So we have two strips.
We called my Pop-Pop and Shirley, who were down at the beach also and went to see them.
They shared in our excitement and I was so glad we could share it with them.
Around 10:30, we packed back in the car and made our long trek home.
I spent the first half an hour texting with Brit, who had also got engaged that day, on the beach. We have dataversary twins and now we have engageversary twins too.
Vito & I talked about the day.
I told him when I saw it coming.
He told me his favorite part was watching the entire day unfold for me, without me having any idea (until right before) what the evening would bring.
I fell asleep in the car and barely remember going from the car to bed.
