Rachel Brinkerhoff..

...in 5 months that is going to be MY name! I need to start practicing my signature. Thank goodness my name is changing, because my current signature is ugly as sin. It looks like wet noodles on the floor.

BASICALLY, there's no ring, but we are engaged to be married in October. Or September. Our plans- wedding plans, living plans, school plans, life plans- are all based on the Navy right now.

Dear United States Navy: If you could please let my fiance & me get married in September & then live together while he is in "A" school, I would really appreciate it. Love, Me

So this is how it went down. He told me he loved me for the first time & started talking about marriage all in the same 5 minutes. Pretty awesome. He wanted to wait to tell everyone until he had 'proposed' &then all of a sudden handed me his phone and said, "Call your mom." How awesome is he? Apparently he has planned the most amazing proposal EVER. I believe him. I heckled him all weekend to tell me. Not a single detail leaked. When? I have no idea Where? I have no idea How? I have no idea Excited? You have no idea

So bottom line, we're engaged to be married.

Let me tell you some reasons why my fiance is so amazing; some reasons I am the luckiest girl alive.

1. He loves me.

2. He treats me like the greatest thing since sliced bread.

3. He's driven.

4. He honors his priesthood.

5. He's my best friend.

6. He loves my family.

7. My family loves him.

8. He has the awesomest family.

9. He has the most gorgeous smile, dimples included.

10. He likes to kiss too.

11. He loves kids.

12. He makes me laugh all the time.

13. He mellows me out when I'm on a worry-wart soapbox.

14. He is genuine.

15. He doesn't take serious things lightly.

16. He loves the outdoors.

17. He's never met a stranger. I went to the bathroom at home depot and came out to him talking to a couple with a grocery cart full of kids about how long they waited to have kids.

18. He has the most crystal-clear blue eyes.

19. He is the most patriotic person I've ever met. I'm not kidding. Unless you've met him, you have no idea what I'm talking about.

20. He's stubborn.

21. He runs. REEEEEALLY fast.

22. He is extremely expressive.

23. He is a man's man's man's man's man.

24. He can chop down trees in the forest and carry them back to camp by himself.

25. He's taking me to the temple to get married.

26. He stays up all night with a hatchet because he has a feeling something bad is going to come into camp.

27. He has amazing arms. 28. He loves to laugh. 29. He opens my door. Every door. Every time. In & out of the car. When we were dating & I would forget to wait for him to come open my door he would say, "you've been goin out with other guys, haven't you? Because you seem to have forgotten that when you're with me, the handle's always broken." I was, but I love that. 30. He served an honorable mission. 31. After we got engaged he stopped to tell every person we passed that I love him & that he gets to marry me.

32. My brothers love him. 33. He's an awesome example to me. He inspires me to be better and do good. 34. He is a hard worker. Just like Pops! 35. He makes me want to grow closer to Christ. 36. He prayerfully and carefully makes decisions. 37. He analyzes everything. Just like me. 38. He likes big dogs. He hates cats 39. He is down to earth. 40. He wants to register at Cabelas for our wedding. I told him we could. Only for a tent and sleeping bag though. 41. He loves to hunt (hello Stolworthy clan!). 42. He loses bets always. I'm still working on getting him to stop betting his body hair for ice cream. 43. He will watch chick flicks with me. 44. He's as cheesy as they come. I love it. 45. He's sensitive. Not in a girly way; in a "I just punched you in the face on accident when I was jumping up and down out of excitement. I'm sorry!" 46. He grunts. There's good grunts, usually when he sees steak, & there's bad grunts, usually when I poke him in the stomach. 47. He doesn't take himself too seriously. 48. He's spontaneous. 49. He goes with the flow. 50. He keeps me warm. 51. He eats more than 5 of me. 52. He treats me like a princess. 53. He walks really fast. I have to lightly jog to keep up. 54. He honors his parents. 55. His dad is hardcore. So is mine. This works out nicely. 56. Our moms are both amazing & think eachother are the cutest things ever. This also works out nicely. 57. He is tall, dark and handsome.

58. Weston always helps anyone who needs help, without them asking. He stops everytime a car is on the side of the road. Last week I was riding his bike back from the park & he threw his blanket over my head while I was riding. I thought he was doing it to be a punk, but he never came & helped me. I thought I was going to wreck, because I couldn't see where I was going. I said somethin like, "Oh, nice!" & pulled the blanket off to see him at this old lady's side who was pulling her weeds. I felt about 2 inches tall.

59. He is so romantic. He told me that he loves me more than starches. We're talkin potatoes here folks, this is a BIG deal.

60. He said he'll kill the spiders. I love him.

8 months of dating + 4 months of engagement= Eternal Ultimate Boy & Girl Team.

I cannot wait to marry him in September. Or October..... Or August. in the Salt Lake City Temple! For eternity. As in, FOREVER. As in, this is the most important decision either of us will ever make. As in, I'm planning the wedding, but the wedding is just one day out of infinity days. I cannot wait.

xoxoMrs. Brinkerhofftobe