SHE SAID YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First, sorry for the relative silence of late from my Facebook page and blog. I have been trying really hard to keep a REALLY big secret.

On April 16th I flew to Costa Rica to purpose to my girlfriend Jonesí. I had bought the plane ticket and ring about a month before, and every time I sat down to write an update I was so afraid of saying something that would tip her off, that I decided to keep silent all together. It was hard enough not saying anything to her when we talked via Skype every night. Somehow I was able to keep the secret to myself (apart from a few key people). Heres how it went down:

For fear of Jone finding out through the grape vine I held off telling any of her family or friends until a week before I was gong to pop the question. I told her brother Carlos and asked for his help planning a few details. The day before (15th) I called her father to see if we could go out to lunch on the 16th so that I could ask his permission face to face. He agreed to pick me up from the airport at 5 in the morning and then go to breakfast with me, where we had a great conversation and I received his blessing. After breakfast he took me to Danilo's house (Jone's other brother) to hide out until Jone went to work. Finally after a long night of traveling and stressing out I got to relax for a bit and even managed to get some sleep in spite of all my excitement. I also was able to talk to her mother and ask her permission as well. Then in the afternoon Danilo helped me run all the errands necessary so that I could prepare the surprise of a lifetime.

So I prepared everything, flowers, dinner, wine, and a ring. And waited...It seemed like an eternity sitting there with dinner in the oven waiting for Jone to come home from work. Then finally I heard the door of the taxi shut and looked out the window to see Jone collecting some of the flowers awaiting her at the front gate (she still hadn't a clue who they were from). She entered the gate and turned to lock it behind her thinking about why her brother or mother left her flowers and why the front door to the house was open. As her back was turned to the door I stepped out and waited for her to turn back around. Upon turning around this look of absolute shock met my smile, she started to cry (still not understanding the entirety of what was about to happen). We hugged for awhile as I waited for the crying and shaking to subside. She said in that moment, ¨This is the greatest surprise ever.¨ I said, ¨It gets better, there's more.¨ ¨How could it possibly get better.¨ she said. Then I got down on one knee as she started hopping up and down and crying some more.

And then she said ¨YES!¨