There's only a handful of moments where life slows down, you take a breath, and know that suddenly nothing will ever be the same. That was how I felt when I first met Valerie. I was so smitten by her charm that before she even agreed to go out with me, I told my parents I met the girl I was going to marry.

For Val, that moment stretched over the next few weeks as we (Val) wanted to be friends first. Although hearing "let's be friends" is every guy's favorite thing to hear from the woman he's decided to marry; I wasn't going to let Val out of my life. Val and I still debate about when we truly started dating. I think it was after we went to a Cincinnati Cyclones (club hockey) game in March. Val will tell you it was a week or two after when it truly felt like we were a couple. All that matters is that when we met, we both knew someone had come into our lives and everything would be better for it.

I, Valerie Joy Volkman, put here in writing that John William McArthur did what I thought to be the impossible... surprise me. It's a story with so many details and layers of deception that I wish you could have been there as I asked John after the proposal, "what is real in my life right now and what's a lie?"

Don't worry- I was quick to figure it out. John planted so many realistic notions in my head about a different proposal date that I was off guard the day he actually proposed. Everyone in my life was dropping so many "accidental" hints that it led me to cry on the phone to my closest coworker about how devastated I was that the surprise might be ruined for John. I'm emotional, we all know I cry easily.

It turns out egg on your face is good for the complexion when you're saying "yes" to the man you love. I recommend letting John tell you the story in person. He's rightfully proud (and very good at telling) of all the thought that went into the proposal.

Now... let's get some macaroni for all this cheese you've had to read about!