Some of you kind enough to read this stuff every week have been with me for many years, a few even from way back in the days when I used to write funny trip reports. One of the loveliest things about that for me is your kind and sincere interest in my family and our journey as the girls have grown up.
I often get comments from you saying that you feel you know us even though we’ve never met and that to me makes all the effort of writing the reports and the blogs worth it. You are a lovely lot.
In all that time you’ve shared all the landmark moments of the last thirteen years or so, most of them good, a few not so much and seen the girls turn into the lovely young women they are today (even though I say so myself).
Like most parents with grown up kids I spend most of my days wondering what happened to all those years and at times wishing they were little again. I’m sure when they were little I was wishing they were grown up already. That’s life I suppose.
In these blogs in the past I’ve documented first boyfriends, bad boyfriends and the odd good one too. All Dad’s of little girls joke about the time when their girls start dating and it’s all bravado to acknowledge that really they are pretty powerless when it comes to the choices their daughters make in this area. Both Rebecca and Emily have made some really bad decisions at times and all you can do is keep your eye on them, offer advice that will be ignored and then breathe a huge sigh of relief when finally they see the light and move on to better things.
Well, today I need to share another landmark moment with you. You may know that Rebecca has been seeing Tom for a good while now.
Well, a little while ago Tom came to see us to ask me and Louise THAT question. Could he ask for Rebecca’s hand in marriage. I did wonder why he has was asking me that as surely Rebecca is still only eleven years old and is far too young for that sort of thing. Apparently she is a fully grown adult now and this was all fine from a legal perspective.
Tom is the sort of boyfriend that you wish for if your daughter has to have one. He treats her very well, works hard, respects her family and knows that Rebecca is a princess and he behaves accordingly. With all that in mind he is one of the few humans on the planet that we would entrust one of our most treasured things to, so we said yes.
With that done he went away to plan the event, helped and supported by Emily for inside knowledge and a girl’s perspective and last night it happened.
He had secretly booked a hotel room in Manchester, telling Rebecca they were just going to the Christmas markets. He decorated the room in a Beauty and The Beast theme and Rebecca shared a bit of this shortly after he popped the question.
What followed were probably the most excited texts we have ever received from Rebecca as she told us all about it and how incredibly happy she was. As you know the rule is that if the girls are happy then we are too (generally!).
I am so pleased for Tom that he managed to keep it all a secret and that it all went to plan as he put a lot of thought and effort into the whole thing. I hope he now understands that he has set the bar very high for every other special occasion they share and that the hard work only starts now!
This morning they are both hungover and excited in equal measure and sharing the news with family and friends.
So there you have it. That little girl you saw in the stroller in the theme parks for all those years is now engaged. As with most things in life you think you have all the time in the world until all this stuff happens and then it just does. My bank manager and I pray for a long engagement but I am sure she already has it all planned. You will no doubt here all about it as it unfolds!
Till the next time…..
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