"We Must Let Them Live!"

Below are two links. The first is a link to the sermon our pastor gave on abortion last Sunday. Phenomenal. The second link is to the video that preceded the sermon. Even though I had seen it twice the week before the sermon, I got a little teary-eyed watching it that Sunday.

Watch both. You won't regret it.

http://bit.ly/9z4KVy

http://www.worshiphousemedia.com/mini-movies/12205/The-Miracle-Of-Life

"As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:15

People have been asking for pictures of our apartment. There are so many things we want to upgrade on. Let's see if you can pick out the two biggest ones...

And the winners of the two ugliest things we own are... the dining room table (from the 1980s with paint and water stains galore) and the TV (it weighs as much as an elephant, so say the males in my family who have carried it up and down stairs). Hopefully when we move to our next base we will replace both. I am so looking forward to moving into a place where we can paint. Walls with color make everything look more cozy and pulled together. Nathan warned me a while back to never surprise him some day and paint the house while he is at work. I laughed and told him there is absolutely no way I am painting our walls by myself! I would definitely need his long arms and companionship during a project like that.

In other news, we will be in the market to buy Nathan a new car probably some time this summer. He had originally said he wanted a Volkswagen. Today he told me he thought he found a car online for a good price that he really wants to see if we can get. Below is the picture he pulled up.

Somehow these are just as cheap as "regular" used cars right now. I feel like I will need to wear a diamond necklace anytime I am in it. If we get it, of course...

If only Santorini was in Louisiana...

Work this week was pretty slow. Herb was in San Francisco planning the High School Choir trip for June so I was up in my corner of the building all alone, working away while listening to Michael Buble. This weekend will be very slow as well since Nathan will be working all three nights. Lots of cleaning, laundry, and book reading for me!


This has been on my mind lately. Mostly because I HAVE to take care of my passport in the next few days. It still hasn't sunk in that we are actually going though. I am so glad and grateful we are able to take this trip. We both have good paying jobs, are able to take the time off, and have been saving since I started working. Plus no kids yet : ) Nathan and I were just talking last night about people having dreams and aspirations, but were somehow not taught that in order to reach them, there must be effort put in on your part (along with God's blessing). We decided before we got married that it is really important to us to travel, even when we do have kids. Mostly because we both enjoy it, but also because there are so many valuable experiences you can have while traveling. While in Oxford for a semester during college and also while in Nicaragua over Spring Break, I learned so much about myself, about God, and about the world. Not, of course, that you must travel all the way to Europe or Central America to do so or that all who travel change as a result of their experiences, but there is usually something to be said about people who have left the comfort zone of their own backyard. All that to say Nathan and I love to travel and have therefore "made it happen" thanks to God's provisions. We have some ideas of what we want to do while there, so the next obvious step (after taking care of my passport) is wardrobe shopping! My favorite : )

Stressed!

Today has been a not so great day. I try not to categorize days as good or bad, instead choosing to be grateful and thinking about all the positive. There are always positives in any day. Always. But today, if categorized, would fall under pretty crappy. First of all, i was running around literally like crazy every minute of the entire day, which lasted until right before 6pm. I definitely got a workout running up and down stairs and trekking clear across the church building (which is really large). I actually sweated. Ridiculous. And it's usually days like today where the copier decides to misfeed twenty times in a row and I can't seem to keep a thought in my head. Pause for one second. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE my job! More than I have every loved any job I have ever had. There isn't a day that goes by that I wish i could work somewhere else or with different people. I think i get a little more fulfillment out of teaching, but that doesn't matter because I know God has me in this place for a reason. But today was just a tiny bit stressful. Add on top of that that I haven't seen Nathan since like 8 this morning and won't get to until 8 tomorrow morning. 24 hours. Sucky. I didn't come home for lunch because I was able to eat leftover BBQ from a ministry luncheon so i didn't see him then. Then I stayed late finishing up some stuff for rehearsals tonight so I missed him before he left for work. And I'm not able to take him dinner tonight like usual because there are a bunch of storms and tornadoes so he will be way too busy all night. Ok, That's all. I realize I need to focus on being grateful that 1) have a job. A good one at that! 2) That I have Nathan, who is one of the greatest blessings God has given me, and that we LIKE each other enough to want to spend time together. A lot of couples don't have that with their spouse.
"So, what did you do all night since you didn't have to cook and didn't get to go up to base?" you might ask. I started the 7th book in a series I'm reading. All I have done is read. (And eat dinner.) It's 388 pages and I've read to page 335. Good thing I went ahead and checked out the 8th book as well.
Nathan and I are both looking forward to the weekend. Johnny's Pizza, a movie rental, something exciting that I can't yet post, Sunday School for the first time since before Christmas, and Hibachi!

Typical & Atypical with a Splash of Greece

Last night was a typical Monday night. I went to watch "The Bachelor" at Jacklyn & Alex's house while Nathan played hockey. "The Bachelor" was typical with the amount of drama. How everything went down, however, was so atypical. Apparently Jake isn't an idiot. Michelle {finally} got sent home even before the rose ceremony. And he saw right through Elizabeth's manipulation. I feel a little torn about that though. I'm glad he didn't fall for her ridiculous stunts BUT I put her on my ballot because I thought he would... I won't be winning for sure. Oh, well.

Exciting news in the Motz household: We are for sure going to Greece May 1st-9th! I got cleared to take off that week from work and we bought our tickets. We have already skimmed Frommer's Greece for things we might like to do in Athens, Olympia, Sparta, and Santorini. We are both SO excited!! I am going to have to get my name changed on my passport before we go though. Major pain. I should have taken care of it way back when I changed my name on everything else, but we weren't planning on leaving the country this soon so I naturally put it off. And when I say naturally, I am referring to my own nature. Ha! I am so glad to get a new picture though. My current one looks like I don't have a nose. The lighting was too bright and washed me out so much that my nose disappeared. Surprisingly enough, I was never stopped anywhere in Europe for having a nose when my photo most certainly did not.

Tomorrow is going to be a very busy day at work. One Dr. Pepper might not be sufficient...

"I gotta feeling that tonight's gonna be a good night..." The Black Eyed Peas

Let's start with Bunco. Jambalaya was delicious. King Cake was even better. I tied with another girl for losing the most games. I was so proud to call Nathan later that night and tell him that my optimism won out over his realism this time. But then the other girl raised her hand too for losing 7 games. Whenever there is a tie for a prize, we have a roll-off. Whoever rolls a six wins. I could have fought her for it, but decided to just let her take the prize. It was her first time to play with us and I have won twice before. I didn't want to be a jerk. I kinda wish I would have though just to see if I could win again. I like to think my optimism was not so unrealistic, proven by the fact that I was only one tiny step away from being 3 for 3. We will see what happens next month. I can guarantee you I will still be hoping to win a prize again, and ever bit as sure that it is possible : )
Highlights of the weekend included Nathan coming back from San Antonio and dancing at the Celebrity Lounge in the Eldorado. I LOVE to dance and it's been a while (our wedding, I think) since I have last busted a move. I hate to work out but dancing is so fun and I can always feel it the next day.
By the way, last Monday was our six month anniversary. Half a year! It still feels like we have been married for much longer. In a very good way, not the way most people joke about that. When I hear people say they have been married for anything under like 5 years, I think of them as newlyweds. Two people still trying to figure stuff out. I mean, I know you are always trying to figure stuff out no matter how long you have been married. And Nathan and I are definitely still "figuring out" but I just don't feel like the stereotype I have of other people who are still counting the months. I don't know if that makes any sense whatsoever. Anyways. The point is we have been married for six months now and I absolutely, completely love being married to Nathan. I don't even like to imagine what my life would be like right now had I not met him when I did. Nor do I like to think about the time we spent apart (a lot of it) between the time we met and got married. Lonely is the word to describe it. Even when hanging out with good friends. But all of that time was there for a reason. Don't ever assume, even for one second, that you know what God has in store for you. Or what changes will come from what He does have for you. His way is ALWAYS best and there is nothing better than knowing He will mold you and shape you into what He wants you to be through the good times and the bad. Especially the bad.
Tomorrow night is The Bachelor. Woohoo for reality TV! I am so nervous to find out who will get kicked off. I am also really curious about what happened after the taping of the show. Are they still together? Will they actually get married? Don't worry. I'm not obsessed. Just curious. I promise.

Already gone...

Nathan left this morning at 5am. He is on his way to San Antonio with some of the officers for their OPD (Officer Professional Development, I think) to talk to the lady who is in charge of making station assignments. It is supposed to help get you the station you want. We are hoping for East Coast or Europe, but it will all depends on what is available. He will be back on Friday afternoon, so I've got two nights alone. Ugh. The good news is that tomorrow night is Bunco. It's going to be at Alex's house this time and the theme is Mardi Gras. She is making Jimbalaya, which I have never had. I told Nathan last night that I hope I win. We have played twice before and both times I have won a prize. Once for winning the most games and once for losing the most games. I am in no way the most competetive (ahem... Allison) but it makes it so much more fun when you get to take home a prize. Nathan, because he is a self-proclaimed realist, told me I can't win every time. Me, an equally self-proclaimed optimist, told him it's possible. Maybe not very likely, but still possible. Here's to hoping that my optimism is realistic!

Our Story: Jen's Version

In August of 2007, I swore off dating any guy for the next year. I was coming up on my Senior year of college and figured my efforts would be better spent focusing on my teaching career. I also was uncertain about my plans after graduation and didn't want to get caught up with a guy who might cause me to miss out on what God had in store for me. Of course, I made one concession: I wouldn't refuse a guy if God brought him to me. But that wasn't going to happen for a long time. I was sure of it.
While at home for Christmas break during my Senior year, God woke me up early one morning and whispered to me, "I have someone for you." I didn't understand why it was important for God to tell me that. I was sure God had someone for me; it was just going to be a while before I met him.
The weekend of April 11th, 2008 I had plans to stay in Belton, TX with a few friends for the weekend. It was a chance to do nothing. Kelly had to drive back to Abilene on Saturday night to finish up an art project, while the rest of us planned on returning sometime on Sunday. On a spur of the moment decision, I rode back early with her. On the drive back, I got a text from a friend in Abilene about a going away party for this guy Dustin. I had met Dustin through the last guy I had semi dated. I went back and forth on whether or not I should go.
I finally decided to stop in, but only for a few minutes.
I met my friends at Bedford Street Pub. When I walked in, I passed a guy who was on his way out. I remember thinking he was pretty cute. I hung out for a little bit with my friends and then we headed back to their house. When I was there, I kept thinking I should leave because I had church in the morning. Then the cute guy from the Pub showed up. He eyed me, walked over and stood next to me. I waited for him to say something to me but when he didn't, I said hi and introduced myself to him. Pretty out of character for shy me. We talked for the rest of the night. I found out a lot about Nathan, including that he was the weekend weather guy on one of the local Abilene channels. He knew Dustin through the news station--Dustin was the sports guy. After our conversation, we made plans to meet at church the next morning. He also got my number, explaining that I would probably need someone to hang out with over the summer in Abilene.
My friend Lisa and I met Nathan and Dustin at church the next day. As we were walking in the parking lot after the sermon, Nathan asked if I would be around the next weekend. I said yes, thinking he was making tentative plans for us to meet at church the following Sunday. Lisa understood his question as plans to take me out on a date. I told Lisa I didn't think I liked him that much and therefore probably wouldn't be going out with him on a date, if in fact that was what he meant.
The following Thursday, while student teaching at Dyess Elementary, I received a text from Nathan asking if I wanted to go to Starbucks with him later that night. Apparently Lisa had been right about him referring to a date, not church. I waited a while to respond. I wasn't sure if I should go. I didn't know if I actually liked him. And then there was the bigger problem: I had sworn off guys until August and it was only April. I called my mom and Lisa, asking them whether I should go or not. Both of them said there was no harm in having coffee with a guy one time. I still wasn't completely convinced but texted him back saying yes. I went home and by the time I was done getting ready, I was felt a little more at peace with the situation. I met Nathan at Starbucks and we had the best time, talking for hours. I was supposed to leave about an hour and a half in to meet Lisa and some of our friends at a dance hall. I was thankful before I met Nathan at Starbucks that those plans were in place so that I had an excuse to leave because I was sure I would want one. I actually ended up showing up really late to meet my friends because I really didn't want to leave Nathan. I was having too much of a good time talking with him. However, in our conversation, I found out Nathan was slated to leave for OTS in Alabama in only two months. I remember thinking to myself that if he was leaving in such a short amount of time, there was no way this friendship we had started could lead to dating. I still tease Nathan that our first meeting at Starbucks was not actually a date because he didn't pay for my coffee. He says he didn't want to pressure me, and I think that might have helped me feel a lot more comfortable around him.
The following Saturday I was at a friend's birthday party when Nathan texted me, asking me to hang out. I told him where I was, what I was doing and invited him to come over. I doubted he would stop by, considering he didn't know any of the people there except for me. I was also nervous because those friends of mine are highly eccentric. Much to my surprise, Nathan quickly accepted and drove over. Again, we talked the night away, this time in the kitchen. My friends thought he was a really cute, nice guy. And he didn't think they were too weird.
During our conversation that night in the kitchen, I asked Nathan if he would come to Dyess and talk about weather to the first graders in the class I was student teaching in. He said sure, not thinking I was serious. That Monday I asked Ms. Hodges, my cooperating teacher, if Nathan could talk to the students. She was thrilled about the idea. So much so that she asked the three other first grade teachers if they wanted to join in on hearing our guest speaker. I informed Nathan about his audience of 80 seven-year-olds. He was not so thrilled. He was nervous because he had never worked with children before, especially not in explaining the weather. I became nervous about my genius idea too. If he was terrible, the teachers would hold me responsible. So for his sake and mine, we met at Chick-Fil-A and discussed what topics he should cover and how to engage little children. We also got into talking about spiritual things. I was shocked to find that some of the ways I viewed God and our relationship with Him were shared by Nathan. Despite attending ACU, I hadn't met very many people who thought the way I did on such matters. My mom was the only person I could openly talk about spiritual things with. I had found a “Silas” at last. I remember leaving Chick-Fil-A that night and immediately calling my mom. I told her about my conversation with Nathan and happily announced to her that I finally had a friend that was like me, that I loved talking to.
Nathan came to Dyess to talk to the first graders and he was a huge hit! The kids were interested and the teachers even learned a few things about the weather. He now has a standing invitation to teach their first grade students any time. I was so proud of him and it caused me to like him a little more. The teachers picked up on my concealed (or so I thought) interest in Nathan and from then on I was constantly harassed about “the weather man” in the teacher’s lounge.
Right around the end of April I began to feel my interest in Nathan die down. I think I felt too pressured by everyone around us knowing about our friendship/dating relationship. I again thought I was concealing my now lack of interest really well. I found out later that Nathan completely picked up on it. Despite that, he stuck around.
We had our first official date on May 1st. I had just completed a capstone project for my Honors coursework and Nathan took me out partly in celebration. We ate dinner at Lytle Land & Cattle, went to a nearby park, met Lisa at Bedford for a little bit, then finished up the evening by watching Charlie Wilson’s War at my house. That night we also had our first kiss. I had been wondering when Nathan would kiss me but was almost dreading it because I was so nervous.
The following week he helped me and my roommates clean up our backyard for an end of the year party we were having the last weekend of the semester. And he made me a peanut butter sandwich before I had to leave to teach kids at church that same evening. I completely appreciated his genuine desire to help me do anything but I just didn’t think I was going to overcome the fact that I was beginning to pull away.
We had the party at our house that weekend and Nathan was there. We talked and danced, but I kept my distance. Again, he helped us clean up the entire house after everyone had left. I was still impressed by his character. I didn’t know any guy like him.
The following Thursday, May 9th, he took me out on a date and surprised me with a bouquet of roses and a card. They were my early graduation present. I waited to open the card until after we returned from dinner. While Nathan hung out with my roommates and some friends in the living room, I stepped into my room to open the card. Inside was a letter. I was nervous. But by the end of the letter, I felt my interest in Nathan begin to grow. In the letter, Nathan stated that he knew we were both about to begin new chapters in our life that would take us in different directions but that he didn’t want that to mean that we would discard the relationship we had. He just wanted us to “let the chips fall where they may.” Interestingly, that letter caused me to stop pulling away from Nathan and to instead fall toward him in a way I had never done with any other guy.
My graduation was that weekend and my family was in town. Nathan had told me days before that he would like to attend my graduation but I felt like that might be awkward. I never told him not to come, so he showed up and sat with Kelly. Afterwards, he met my family and joined us at my house for a little while. My family loved him, especially my grandma. When we started to leave for lunch, I had assumed Nathan would come with us. By that point, I wanted him around as much as possible. But he declined, insisting I probably wanted some time alone with my family. I thought about him throughout the meal and couldn’t wait to spend more time with him.
The week after that, Nathan took me out to his house to meet his parents and youngest sister. I was nervous because I remembered Nathan had told me on our unofficial first date at Starbucks that he never let his parents meet any of the girls he dated because it always got complicated when he and the girl would break up. I took that to mean he didn’t count on us breaking up. At least any time soon.
About a week after that, Nathan took me out to eat at Little Italy and said he was taking me to a surprise place. I was highly intrigued. He drove us into a small neighborhood in the south part of Abilene. He parked at a dead end of a street and we got out. He then led me into a thicket of grass and weeds. All I could see were a line of trees. Then we came to a small clearing where I could see a lake and a dock with a gazebo over it. It was beautiful! We spent a good while talking there that night and Nathan even turned on Coldplay on his iPhone and asked me to dance. It was probably the most romantic night of my life up to that point.
That weekend I went to Dallas for the bachelorette party of my roommate, Tressie. Her wedding was going to be the next weekend. I had a great time with my friends and talked to Nathan once or twice. As soon as I got home on Sunday, I called Nathan to come over. The minute I hung up the phone, I got butterflies. Typically, after not seeing a guy I was dating for a few days, I would feel extremely awkward the first time we would see each other. But as soon as I saw Nathan walking through the front door, the butterflies went away and I was so completely happy to see him!
The following weekend I went to Dallas again for one of my roommates' graduation party and then we drove down to Austin the next day for Tressie and Chad’s wedding. I had thought about asking Nathan to be my date to the wedding but I feared I would frighten him with too much seriousness (aka weddings). I very much regretted that decision the entire time I was at the wedding. I talked to him on the phone after the reception and realized I missed his companionship terribly.
The Thursday after that, on May 29th, Nathan took me out to eat at Abuelo’s and then drove out to Lake Abilene. He surprised me with strawberry margaritas in an ice chest in the trunk of his car. We drank the margaritas and sat on the car trunk just talking. Then Nathan said he had something he needed to tell me but he wasn’t sure if he should then or not. I begged him to let me know what it was. He said it was that he loved me. I was skeptical to say the least. My response was, “What do you mean you love me?” I was very cautious about that word, and still am. People use it much too carelessly. He told me about how no girl he had ever met even compared to me and that I was the kind of girl he had been looking for, but thinking he would never find. I listened quietly. I certainly was not ready to reciprocate and tell him I loved him. But I remember telling him after our conversation, or rather his explaining, that it felt right for him to say that to me, which I thought was really strange.
We spent the month of June spending every minute possible together. We were truly best friends while dating. There were a couple of highlights that month. The first was spending a weekend in Paris, Texas with Nathan’s extended family at his grandparents’ house. I only have good memories from that weekend. I enjoyed getting to know his family better, and in the process, getting to know Nathan better as well. One of the evenings we were there, Nathan and I went on a walk down a dirt road across the street from his grandparents’ house. Nathan knew the road well. We talked about all sorts of things, and finally landed on the subject of marriage. We talked about it in general terms, referencing the marriages of family and friends. Finally Nathan made a statement regarding us being married and I replied with, “So this is it, huh?” with a smile on my face. It seemed surreal.
We also took a trip down to the river in New Braunfels with a guy Nathan knew from United and some of his friends. The only person I knew was Nathan and the only people he knew were me and his friend, Jason. Therefore, Nathan and I spent most of that trip hanging out together and talking, mostly about our future together.
Nathan had to be in Montgomery, Alabama on June 24th. Our last night together would be June 22nd because Nathan had to leave very early on the 23rd. So Nathan spent most of the 22nd spending time with his family and we planned to hang out that night. I spent my time apart from him picking out a card, writing him a letter, getting a picture framed of us, and buying an Air Force themed Bible. When I returned from WalMart to the parking garage at my apartment, I sat in the car for just a few minutes and was praying for Nathan and I. Then I heard God whisper, “I created you for him.” That was when I knew for sure, without a doubt, Nathan was The One. I could finally tell him I loved him. I was so glad I could tell him those words before he left for three months. The card I had bought was a singing, recordable one. The song was “I’m So Glad You Came Into My Life” and I recorded the message to say “I love you, babe!” When Nathan picked me up that night, I brought my gifts for him. He took me out to the gazebo and we talked for a while there. I gave him his gifts and the card. When he opened the card, the message played that I had recorded for him. At first, he didn’t realize it was my voice. It played again. He stopped, looked up at me and asked if I had recorded it. I nodded yes and he seemed ecstatic. It felt so nice to finally be able to say “I love you, too” to him instead of just smiling after he said “I love you” to me. And in the Bible I had marked Genesis 2:18 and the love passage in 1 Corinthians. They were, and have remained, significant to our relationship.
The next morning before he left, Nathan set up a Bose speaker for my iPod that he bought for me. To make sure it worked, he put in his iPhone and played “Sparks” by Coldplay. We danced and I cried. After getting his tire fixed at WalMart and saying his last goodbyes to his family, we both drove to Java City and had a few minutes to drink a little coffee. Then it was my turn to say goodbye. I cried. He cried. I cried a whole lot more. Then we finally drove away from each other, he headed to Alabama and I to my apartment. I felt like I didn’t know who I was anymore. Like a zombie. I slept a lot of that day away and cried quite a bit more.
The next few months were spent talking on the phone with Nathan late at night and writing emails almost every day, sometime two or three times a day. We grew a lot in that time, as individuals and as a couple. We had a very serious conversation about when we would get married only a couple of weeks into Nathan’s time at OTS--next Spring or Summer. Again, it was so surreal. I had not expected to meet a guy, love him, and discuss marriage within a matter of months. Especially not at the time that it happened. I was supposed to stay single until that August. It was late June/early July and I was already in love with a man and we were planning on getting married. Sometimes it still floors me. We decided to start our marriage counseling while Nathan was at OTS because most of the places he could get assigned to after OTS were so far away that we wouldn’t be able to meet with our counselors to discuss it. I was a little nervous about marriage counseling and Nathan was pretty hesitant about it as well. Not very many people have good things to say about it. But we thoroughly enjoyed it! It was a great way to bring us so close while we were talking over the phone, hundreds of miles away from each other.
Three weeks before Nathan’s graduation from OTS, he flew me to Montgomery to spend the weekend with him. I was so excited, but at the same time so completely nervous. We hadn’t seen each other in over two months and I didn’t know what to expect when we were together again. But it was one of the best weekends. I was finally able to talk in person with the man I knew I loved but had only had a phone relationship with for a good amount of time. That was also when Nathan revealed to me where he, and eventually we, would be stationed after he completed OTS--Shreveport, Louisiana. Neither of us was thrilled about the city itself, but we were highly pleased with its close proximity to Texas. It meant that we could see each other much more often than if he had been stationed in Alaska or Germany. It was really hard to leave on the plane at the end of those few days. But I knew I would be coming back for his graduation soon.
I rode with Nathan’s parents and grandparents to Montgomery for Nathan’s graduation from OTS. It was so wonderful to know he was done with being away for so long. Afterwards, Nathan and I drove to San Antonio and spent a couple of days with my family and then went to Abilene and spent a couple of days with his family. The night before he had told me had to leave to go to Shreveport, he told me he had a surprise for me--it was him! I was somewhat confused. He then explained that he had called in a few days of leave so he could stay until the weekend. It was the best surprise considering our time apart had been much longer than our time together.
The following months were full of short visits, phone calls, and emails. We were able to spend Thanksgiving together with my family, and I drove up to Abilene to spend Christmas Day and a few days following with Nathan and his family.
We had discussed getting engaged in the late Fall or early Winter so that we could get married in the late Spring or early Summer. So I was anticipating our engagement for a while before it happened. Nathan was leaving for WOC in Mississippi at the beginning of February and would be there for two months. I expected it to happen before he left, and there were only so many weekends before then that we were going to see each other. On January 23rd, Nathan drove in from Shreveport and we made plans to go out that night. I thought it might be that night. He seemed a little weird on the phone. But then when he came to pick me up, he was only wearing a t-shirt and jeans. I wasn’t so sure anymore. He told me he wanted to catch the sunset so we had to hurry. I wanted to know where we were going, but Nathan said it was a surprise. After driving toward south Abilene, I knew we were going to the gazebo. I was sure we were getting engaged then. We sat on the dock, and even though we had missed almost all of the sunset, the sky was still really pretty. We talked about our history together and Nathan surprised me (again) by playing “Sparks” for me on his guitar. I cried. I was sure we were getting engaged. Then he set his guitar back in the case and we talked a little more. Maybe not… Then he asked me to dance. I found out later that was just to get me to stand up so he could kneel. He ended up talking just a little more instead of dancing and then he got down on one knee. I asked him, “What are you doing?” He smiled and told me to hang on. Then he said a lot of things that I can’t remember, things like how much he loved me and wanted to be a good man for me. Tears were streaming down my face. Then he pulled out the ring box and asked me to marry him. I said yes and we hugged and kissed. It was so dark by then that I couldn’t even see the ring. He put it on my finger and then we headed straight to the car so we could go eat dinner. When I could finally see it in the car, I loved it! It was so perfect, but it was a size and a half too big. Our first stop as an engaged couple was a convenience store for some tape that I could wrap around the back so it wouldn’t fall off my finger. Nathan then suggested we eat at Chick-Fil-A, an absolute favorite of ours, but I requested Lytle, the steakhouse where we had our first official date. I called and texted friends and family about our engagement while we waited at dinner. Everyone had been waiting for our announcement and were excited to receive it.
After our engagement, Nathan left for two months in Mississippi. We fell back into our familiar routine of phone calls and emails. I was able to spend a week with him during that time that we were both so grateful for.
On May 9th, our families finally met at Nathan’s parents’ house in Abilene. We ate lunch together and everyone had a good time. It was such a relief because we had both been a little nervous about it. Our families are a little different and we wanted so much for them to get along.
Two years ago, I never would have guessed that this is what God would have had for me. He has truly blessed me with Nathan. I never thought I could have what Nathan and I have. I used to think that people who got engaged or married very soon (less than a year) after dating were doomed to fail in marriage and were not making very wise decisions. I am one of those people. But I now know that it isn’t about the amount of time two people spend dating, even though that can be a factor in their marriage. It is so much more about knowing without a doubt that God meant you for each other and how strong your commitment to each other really is. Nathan and I have had our fair share of arguments, some very significant and some a little on the petty side. But we know that we are going to be together through thick and thin, and that is what causes us to grow as individuals and as a couple. We strive to understand marriage the way God intended it to be. We strive to understand the roles God created for us as male and female, as well as the strengths and weaknesses we have as a man and as a woman. We want to have fun together, to understand each other, and to support each other in our individual and joint purposes in life.

Engagement picture at Starbucks, where we had our first technical date
Engagement picture at the gazebo, where we got engaged

Oh! P.S: The Bachelor last night was great. Michelle is still on; we are all dismayed. A girl got sent home for having an "inappropriate relationship" with one of the crew members. And she didn't even seem to be upset or feel bad about it. We filled out ballots for the top three girls. Mine are 1: Ali, 2: Elizabeth, 3: Kathryn. Can't wait 'til next week!

"Let me 'splain... No, there is too much. Let me sum up." The Princess Bride

I usually count the weekend as Friday night through Sunday night. But this weekend started on Friday during work hours. I didn't have a whole lot to finish up and was able to help and/or hang out with Allison and Erica. It's always a good time with them! We went to Newk's (for the second day in a row...) and laughed about all sorts of things that will remain confidential. Then, on Friday night, Nathan and I grabbed dinner out and watched Citizen Kane. Well, he watched Citizen Kane and I fell asleep half way through. Nathan said it was a pretty good movie and I liked the part that I saw. We have a movie list of all the movies we want to watch together. A lot are old movies that I have never seen, like The Princess Bride. (Get over it. I know every girl who has ever lived since 1980 has seen that movie but I guess my parents weren't huge movie junkies amd therefore left me oblivious to movies such as The Breakfast Club and Dirty Dancing, both of which I saw in the last few years.) So a few weeks ago we were on a "top movies" website, adding movies to our list, and it had Citizen Kane as number one. It sounded interesting but I was very skeptical. Nathan put it on the list. And so, when we went to Blockbuster on Friday night, that was one of the movies we got. The other was The Princess Bride, which we watched on Saturday afternoon between sleeping in late and taking a nap. I liked it. I probably would have like it more if it had been part of my childhood like Grease was. But it was cute and entertaining. After our afternoon nap we went out with Steve and Amanda. Steve is a weather officer with Nathan and he and Amanda just got engaged! We ate dinner at Superior Grill. Delicious!! The tacos I had were amazing and the margaritas were the best Nathan and I have ever had. We got stuck at a table right next to the really loud band so it was a little hard to hear/understand each other and our waiter, which made ordering very difficult, but the food more than made up for it. We ended the night at The Noble Savage with a few drinks and some pool. Oh, and wedding talk : ) It is so hard when you make good friends because you know they and/or you will be leaving soon. But it is very likely that we will see them again at some other base down the road. Thank goodness for facebook, too. Because we were out so late, we completely slept through church, which I so hate. Nathan watched Real Madrid play and then we ran up to Target to get a curtain rod for our bedroom. I bought one last week but it was just two inches too short. I didn't measure our window before I left because I thought it would be easy enough to guess. Too bad I forgot that I'm a horrible estimator. But we got a replacement and put the curtains up and it really made a different in our bedroom. Then, after some laundry, I went to see Leap Year with Alex, John, Jacklyn, and Allison. Some more of my favorite people! Nathan went to play hockey and was relieved that he didn't have to take me to see it. It was cute and the ending was not predictable. The ultimate outcome, definitely predicatble. But not the way it happened. And we saw quite a few previews for some upcoming chick flicks that we are excited about.
Tonight is The Bachelor. Or as Allison likes to call it, our Bachelor party. Nathan doesn't like that I have written about The Bachelor but not about him. So I think my next post will be "Our Story." And just so we are clear. Nathan is one million times more handsome, funny, and charming than The Bachelor. I wouldn't trade him for the world.

The Bachelor

My Monday nights now consist of watching The Bachelor with a group of girls (mostly ones I work with.) Yay for girls' night! Especially since it coincides with Nathan's hockey practice : ) Let me stop for one second and explain that while I am entertained by the antics on this show, I hate the whole scenario of a guy dating an entire group of girls at one time. And the whole while claiming he wants to find true love. That just doesn't seem like true love. More like he is content to find the next best thing--usually an extremely desperate and manipulative, albeit beautiful, girl. Evidence: only one couple in the entire Bachelor/Bachelorette world has worked out. But back to the antics. The preview to the season showed a whole lotta drama and we can't wait to see what will happen! Jake is cute (always nice when they don't get an old, smarmy one), from Texas (obviously a winner), and seems a little goofy/awkward (makes for some interesting moments). Jacklyn (the hostess) came up with the great idea for each of us to choose who we think will win. Whoever gets the closest gets a prize : ) I have a few I like, but I'm not sure exactly who I am going to vote for. There is one girl we all can't stand and thought for sure wouldn't get a rose at the end of the first episode. She is extremely serious, to the point of being creepy, and very emotional. She is going to be eaten alive by the girls in the house. I would say there is no way she will get a rose next week, but I that's what I thought last time and was wrong. Don't worry. I'll keep ya updated!

First

Post. Blog as a married woman. Day of the New Year.

I have been holding out on starting a blog since Nathan and I got married. It felt way too darn typical. But I finally gave in because I don't want the years to pass and not be able to remember what happened and what I thought about things. It's mostly for me (and Nathan, though he doesn't yet know I have started this...) but I'm sure {hoping} family and friends will want to read it too.