So yeah...

As a good hunk of those who keep an eye on my facebook status have figured out, I am engaged.

Graham and I are planning on getting married next April at the ranch. Details in progress.

It's sort of a funny story how this happened.

About a year ago or so, Graham and I started talking about how we were going to get married. We'd been talking about it since nearly the beginning of our relationship, but we figured we should do it sooner rather than later. I had very specific ideas about what I wanted in a wedding, and Graham was very much on board about it: Wedding at the ranch, low key, short and sweet ceremony, very casual for the rest of the day. The only real stipulation for me is that I want to do it in mid-April when the bluebonnets are out and the rest of the flowers are in ridiculous full bloom. I want to get married in the most beautiful place in the world to me at the most beautiful time of year.

We were set to start planning.

The very DAY that we decided to go for it, Graham's brother announced his April wedding in Jamaica. Neither Graham nor I wanted to be the assholes that announced our wedding for the same time and make his family go to two destination weddings in the same month, so we sort of stopped thinking about an April 2011 wedding.

We still talked about it, though. We'd discuss the music, the cake, the various locations on the ranch to do the ceremony, where his mother would stay, etc.

This past weekend, we went to Jamaica for his brother's wedding. It was fantastic. The setting was beautiful, the people were great, the accommodations were first class. We had a very wonderful time.

At the rehearsal dinner, we were sitting with Graham's family chatting, and step-mother asked us when we were thinking about getting married. We usually have a fairly stock answer like "oh, we're thinking about it." or "one day." or whatever. But this time, for whatever reason, I said, "Oh, probably this time next year at my family's ranch in Texas." Jaws dropped. Graham's brother-in-law kept on saying "Officially?" And we sort of looked at each other and said, "Yeah, officially." Graham's dad and step-mother pressed us for details, and we gave what details we could. They asked if my parents knew, if Graham's mom knew. We answered that they all knew we planned on getting married, but just not when. Graham's brother went around to every single table at the rehearsal and announced that we were engaged.

For the rest of the trip, we were congratulated.

When I got home on Sunday, I told my mom that we sort of got engaged. I also told my siblings. Reactions ranged from offers to help plan to "I thought you were already engaged" to "Oh, yeah, mama and papa told me." I told my great aunt Ana on Thursday. And we told most of our close friends in Houston on Saturday and today at various gatherings.

Graham and I changed our facebook status to "engaged" after the Easter pot luck with most of our friends.

We solidified the date (April 14) as soon as we looked at a few calendars to make sure there were no conflicts with other events in the area. Graham's dad already has rooms reserved for the wedding. We've started a preliminary guest list (holy crap is my family big). We have a lot of work to do, but since a lot of the hard stuff is taken care of (venue, officiant, flowers) we're not too worried. And hell, I'm marrying an event producer. I suspect he'll have the whole thing production gridded by the end of the summer.

It's so damned weird. I'm getting married. Holy crap!!