Very big, exciting news!!! :)

Remember the last time Michael came to visit? He arrived on a Friday and, unknown to me as I was tired and went to bed early (at 11:00), Michael talked to my parents for a few hours and asked their blessing on his asking me to marry him!!!!----and they gave it!

 I love the following song, as it makes me think of what it must have been like for him to do so:

Saturday morning, Michael proposed!!  

He asked me to be his (future) wife, and I said YES, of course. :) 

Oh what a day of rejoicing that was!!!!  It felt like we were living in a dream. I've dreamt of that super special moment for most of my life, and when it finally happened, it didn't quite seem true at first. Now it does. :)

I love Michael David Dalquist so much already and am forever grateful that we met (I'll tell that story another time). God is SO good and truly answers prayers! The Lord has blessed me with the gift of a Godly, honest, hard-working, gentle man who desires for me to marry him. How wonderful it all is! I hope and pray that I will be a good wife.

Through our courtship (when we were praying and discussing many things, determining where our relationship was to go), we had agreed not to hold hands (outside of meal-time prayer, when we all do so). 

After discussing it, we agreed to hold hands now that we're engaged, and I'm so glad we did. It is bonding. For those who are curious, yes, we are saving our first kiss for our wedding. :)  It is very special having such "Firsts"!  

Andrew got out his big camera and took some pictures of the two of us on our happiest of days...

Yes, the rose Michael picked for me did smell very sweet...

Please pray for us now as we make many big decisions (where to live; when and where to marry; who to put on the guest list....). :)

We didn't know Andrew was taking this picture, but it ended up being one of my favorites...

I love, love, love him!

Can't (and don't want to) stop smiling! :)

The following day, we went ring shopping. We picked out our rings at Riddles Jewelry, but the rings needed to be resized and the jeweler wasn't there that day so, sadly, we had to wait a while.  Paula actually ended up picking them up for me (thanks again, dear friend!), just in time for me to take them along to MN when Jacob and I left last Friday to be with Michael and his family during his grandma, Violet's burial and funeral service.

It was a week after we got engaged that Michael got down on his knee and, after making sure I hadn't changed my mind ;), he slipped this gorgeous ring on my finger... 

It was very hard not to tell my blogging and facebook friends about our great joy, but we desired to share the news with family first before telling everyone else (and wanted to have the ring picture too, when we did share!).

Here are a few pictures from our MN trip:

Amidst the funeral planning and family coming and going, the Dalquist men got some hay chopped and blown up into the silo...

The milk cows enjoying the buffet-style mineral feeder that Michael made for them... (He has since then built a cover for it too so as to keep the rain off).

Jacob, for some unknown reason??? likes when cows lick his fingers...

Dale (Michael's dad) feeding some haylage...

We helped the D. family clean out some of the things from their grandma's apartment. They (Violet's children) generously offered many useful things for James & Jenny's and Michael & my new homes, so Michael & I now need to figure out where to live so we can start getting our home ready. :) James (Michael's brother) & Jenny are already fixing their place up.

On the way to the apartment, Michael took Jacob and I to see the dam in Little Falls... 

It looked like a good picture-taking spot, so....

I rode with Michael for a few rounds while he chopped hay on Sunday...

Trying to get a good ring-and-us picture on Monday (the day of the funeral service)...

I love wearing Michael's ring! I took it off for a little while today while I was baking and it just didn't feel right, so I put it back on as soon as my hands were clean.

Michael plans to come this weekend to be with me/us as we bury my Grandpa. It seems a strange way to start our engaged life---each of us burying a grandparent, but maybe God knew we all needed some joy mixed in with the sorrow?

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Yesterday, I went with my parents to help make funeral plans at Grandma's place. Today, my parents went up again. The funeral will be on Monday.

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Well, I still have things to accomplish this evening so, bye for now,

~The future Mrs. Michael Dalquist   :)