I Have the Patience of a Saint

St. Impatieus, to be exact.  I know for some people, waiting for the wedding proposal can really wear on the nervous system and create anxiety, frustration, and sometimes spouts of anger. I'm not saying I was ranting and raving, throwing myself on the bed with high-pitched wails or gnashing my teeth, but there were definitely moments of impatience in waiting for the proposal.

Shortly after Kevin and I began dating, it seemed natural that we would get married (that lucky bastard). Since I knew it was going to happen I wasn't waiting on pins and needles for the proposal, and we talked about marriage openly.

However, that doesn't mean that impatience didn't raise its tiny head once in a while.

Source

We had picked out the ring two years before he proposed. Yes, two *years*--not months, weeks, but years.  I knew he ordered the ring because smartypants accidentally sent an email to me instead of to the jeweler saying he wanted to purchase the ring. So I knew he had the ring about EIGHTEEN months before he proposed.

Once in a while, I would say things like "Honey, I don't want to wait for the ring anymore, so I have decided that we are engaged. Is that okay? I'm going to call you my fiance whether you like it or not, do you hear me?" or "Set a date! Set a date!" (in my best imitation of Charlotte York).

He eventually proposed.  When he did, I said "Where's the ring?" 

Here's my ring. It's designed by David Lee Holland, who has a lovely little shop in Soho. He creates designs based on objects found in nature, and this one happens to be based on an Australian Pine Cone. I had never heard of that before, and I still don't know what one looks in real life.  

Smile!  I don't have very good photo skills, but that's stating the obvious. I swear, I couldn't zoom in any closer than this.  It's kind of a spazz, don't you think? It looks happy, like a burst of sunshine.  

Do you feel like you had to wait a long time for a proposal? Did you decide to take matters into your own hands and propose yourself, or just declare an engagement?