Ringing in the New Year

So this year, Zach and I celebrated the New Year in Paris, and we had reason to follow the French tradition of breaking out the champagne and plastic champagne flutes...WE GOT ENGAGED!! I don't think the excitement of that phrase can ever be conveyed through typed words, but there you have it. We are excited!

Now for the story: A couple days before New Year's Eve Zach suggested that we go around on a photo scavenger hunt around Paris. This suggestion was quite out of the ordinary considering that he is not the biggest fan of smiling for pictures all the time (you know I love you, but it's true :). So we had a hilarious time running all over Paris trying to take pictures of ourselves

different monuments in the background. Whether the pictures are of any artistic quality is less certain :) (picture to the left).

The afternoon of New Years Eve we went to a park nearby Zach's apartment to walk around and toast to the New Year quietly by ourselves before we went downtown to celebrate en masse with tons of crazy Parisians (and surprisingly a lot of Italians). The park is called Jardin des Impressionistes (Impressionists Garden), and even in the dreary winter weather it was beautiful. It was perfectly adorned with arches, winding pathways, and a Monet-like bridge crossing a duck pond. We sat down on a bench on a little island in the pond to enjoy our New Year's champagne. First, though, Zach pulled out a box of choclates from a chocolaterie that is specifically special to us. Inside the box was a collage of the pictures we had taken previously, only they were cropped in such a way that different parts of the Parisian architecture behind us spelled out "Will you marry me?" He got down on his knee, pulled out a gorgeous Tanzanite and diamond ring and asked me to marry him! He was, as always, so thoughtful, and it was perfect. We are so blessed to have each other and so excited for the months and years that lie ahead!