Somewhere over the rainbow cake.

For most of my life, I have had two big dreams of inexplicable origin:

1. To see someone holding a sign with my name on it in the airport, and

2. To witness a live wedding proposal.

And, actually?  Scratch the inexplicable origin part. Don't both of these things happen in Sleepless in Seattle?  They seem like the kind of things that should happen in Sleepless in Seattle. 

I saw that movie when I was 11, and it was about that time when I decided that both Dreams #1 and #2 were dreams worth having.  They were just terribly romantic.  Well, at least #2 was. Why did I think that someone (a chauffeur) holding up a sign (made of cardboard) with your name on it was so special?  (Fact: I still scan the cardboard signs at baggage claim after every flight, secretly hoping one of them says "Moseley.")

Anyway, I told my parents about Dream #1, and they made it come true a few years ago at the Houston airport.  But Dream #2?  Well, aside from my own engagement, that one would have to wait. 

Until Friday, that is.  Friday!  The one that just happened.  And you guys: It happened at my house.

See this delightful girl above?  You know her well from my previous posts.  Amy is one of my best friends, and we had a birthday party for her at our place on Friday.

(My sweet baby kitty!  She looks so sleepy in this picture.)

Because Amy is generous and clever, she decided to turn her birthday party into a little more than that.  "But how?" you ask.  "How can you possibly top a 26th birthday, especially one that comes with an exciting rainbow birthday cake?"  Well, one way is to plan a surprise wedding proposal.

Amy secretly plotted with the gentleman below, to have everybody gather around her birthday cake as she was blowing out candles.  Cake that the lovely lady below - Nicki - had made for her.  And after Amy blew out the candles, Nicki was spun around ... to face Tom, with a ring.

Internet, meet the newly and very beautiful engaged couple, Nicki and Tom!

Oh, Reader.  I wish you could have seen it.  You would have just died.  The whole thing happened in front of a crowd of Nicki and Tom's closest friends, and right before he got down on one knee, Tom said (in a slightly shaky voice): "Six years ago Nicki, I called you back, and I'm really, really glad that I did."

We were all packed into Ross's studio in the backyard, and when Nicki said yes, everybody clapped and cheered wildly. "You're ENGAGED!" Amy screamed, and hugged her, her best friend since middle school.  

I stood there with the cake, thinking about the fact that I got to witness my first wedding proposal right there in my own backyard.  The whole thing cast this gauzy glow over my weekend that, even on a Monday morning, still hasn't gone away.