It's been 7 days since he gave me the ring and asked me officially to be his bride. It's been 11 days since we sat down with my parents and told them what we were wanting to do with our lives. It's been 17 days since we first had dinner with Monty and Karen, our beloved mentors, and asked for their wisdom in the desire to be married. What seemed like a blur is now taking shape as we plan a wedding. It still seems slightly surreal. Every time I tell a new person the news I can't help but say, "it's crazy!" This was a guy that at one point I thought would never want to date me. I thought that he was so far out of my league that I shouldn't even flirt with the idea. When I would talk about him with friends and they wanted to know more about David, I would simply state, "he's the kind of guy that I would want to marry." Little did I know that it would happen. See why I keep saying "it's crazy?" I know it seems straight out of a really silly novel, like the ones they sell for a dollar at Wal-Mart, but it's true. Soft-focus lens and all, he's the one.When we finally began talking about a life together, the only thing I could say is "let's go talk to Monty and Karen." They have helped us so much in the past and have been there with us from the beginning, I almost felt like I needed their permission more than my own family! So we went to Carrabba's with them (try the mezzaluna, it's fantastic) and spent most of the time talking about other things waiting for the right moment to bring it up. Luckily, Monty did it for us. So David said the word "marriage" and Karen began applauding and Monty gave us this great, cheesy thumbs up, like David had just received an "A" on a paper. Needless to say, the conversation went well. I decided to go home that following weekend, and David made the trek to Gainesville on Sunday to talk to the parents. I'll spare the sour conversations we had through that week because we simply didn't know what we were getting ourselves into. We sat with my parents and chatted as I bit my nails to the quick. I think I was more nervous than David. They shared great advice as well as praise for the way we were wanting to share our lives together. I'm so thankful for them and how they have provided such a great example to us about marriage and sacrifice. Comic relief was soon to follow as my older brother stormed in the office with a puzzled look as to why the four of us were in there. Hilarious. We found the ring....excuse me...THE RING, at a jewelery store there in town, and four days later, it was on my finger. Fantastic!
I have a book that helps me guide my planing so I don't go bald before the big day. We have chosen December 30, 2006, as our day. The reception is booked, the wedding party selected, and the caterer chosen. That's it. I guess I should stop typing and get to work. To be continued....
