Michael and I headed to Hershey, Pennsylvania to stay at the Hershey Hotel and enjoy the roller coasters and theme park fair in celebration of my birthday. Michael had another birthday surprise- an exquisite 1 & 1/2 carat oval diamond platinum engagement ring. I never even knew it was in his pocket as his nervousness didn't show!

Once we checked in, Michael grabbed the complementary tickets to certain attractions and said, "Lets go to the Hershey Gardens first then to the theme park." Since the gardens are seasonal and we had never been (had always visited Hershey in the Fall), I was ecstatic! Milton Hershey had those grounds cultivated for his wife, Catherine in 1937. So ROMANTIC.

We walked around the beautiful gardens and Michael's hand led me into the rose garden area. He was quiet and looking around- I thought he was introspective but the truth was he was waiting for us to be alone and scoping out the perfect spot to ask! We walked over to the beautiful fountain in the middle of the garden and there Michael took out a box wrapped in silver wrapping paper (like Hershey's kisses, he said) and exclaimed "I have something for you". I got all weak and he had to grab my arm when he asked, "Will you marry me?". I said, "Yes." He then asked if I needed to sit down, I was trembling and crying and he led me to one of the beautiful wrought-iron benches amongst the splendid roses.

We were married less than a year later, 7/24/05 at St. Andrew's R.C. Church in Bayonne, NJ.

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