Tag: love and marriage

Spring Break, Where Did You Go?

Dear friends,

Hello, how is everyone doing today? I’m great, thank you. The internet is still not working at the house I’m staying at, so I’m writing from school. Today I have a test, a quiz, a presentation, and a paper due. I’ll be glad when it’s all over.

Since I haven’t been able to be in touch, I’m going to let you in on what has been going on with me. I guess I’m somewhat stressed out with all the stuff going on in my life, because lately I’ve just been crying at random times, over something that seems trivial. But I haven’t cried in the past two days, so things are looking up!

I finally found the perfect place to have my wedding, which is a huge relief. It’s called House Plantation, and it’s a home built in the 1890’s which was remodeled to hold events. It’s old but not run-down, antique but not gaudy. It’s beautiful, can accommodate all our guests, and the owners are flexible with letting us bring in any services from the outside that we want. Having this place makes me excited about planning the wedding again. Also, this means we finally have a date set – October 3 – which makes the whole thing seem more real.

So back to the whole crying/stressed-out thing. I think part of that had to do with the fact that I really needed a spring break and I didn’t get one. Yesterday I was supposed to work a clinical shift (I have 3 more to do), but then I realized that I hadn’t studied for my test, I needed to finish preparing for my presentation, and I was on the verge of a breakdown. So I decided to do the unthinkable for me – give myself a day off.

I didn’t leave the house yesterday, and it was great. Even though I slept horribly because three dogs all wanted to be in the bed with me, I got all my studying done, ordered pizza and watched a movie with David, had some time to relax, and got to bed early. And it turns out that Friday, which I was planning to work, is an office holiday. A forced day off! So David and I are going fishing in what is supposed to be perfect weather. This week is so much more of a spring break than last week, even if I do have all the school stuff due.

Well, my presentation is coming up, so I’d better get going. I’ll try to be in touch again soon!

Love,
Kathleen

March 19, 2008
Busy Bee
Since I wrote last I:
- Hosted a Pampered Chef party and scored over $200 of free products
- Went to the doctor and got a physical, a blood test, a TB skin test, and a tetanus booster (I’ve pretty much conquered my fear of needles)
- Visited 4 possible ceremony/reception venues and ruled out 3 of them
- Tried on some wedding dresses and decided that I definitely need to tone up my arms
- Finished the book The Friday Night Knitting Club – it was alright
- Watched the Academy Awards on fast forward and stayed up too late doing so
Now I need to get myself to bed ASAP…another 12-hour shift coming up!
February 25, 2008
My Most Prized Possession…
…used to be my computer. Now it’s this:

Every year the youth group at my church puts on a “Sweetheart Banquet” as a fundraiser for the summer mission trip. Last year David and I attended together and even though we had been dating for a few weeks beforehand, it was the first night that I realized I was truly interested in a relationship with him as a potentially serious thing.

David and I spent the entire day together Saturday at his house doing schoolwork. In the evening as we were getting ready for the Sweetheart Banquet his dad called to ask if we would swing by their house on our way to the church to let out their dog, Niko. They live only a minute from the church, and they had been gone awhile because they work with the youth group. So we went over, and when we got there both doors were locked. (This was not part of the plan.) We had to drive to the church, get a key, and then go back. On the way David told me that he had to go to the bathroom and asked me to get Niko.

I walked into the room where Niko was in his crate, and I went straight to let him out. I didn’t even notice at first that there was a little table set up not two feet away with roses, candles, flower petals, and Hershey Kisses on it. I didn’t see it until I heard David come in the room behind me and I turned around to face him. When I did, he got down on his knee and asked me to marry him. I said, “Of course!” It was perfect timing because then we got to go up to the church and tell my family and all of our church friends at once.

My dad’s reaction to our engagement:
- Asked David’s mom, Alice, how much French blood David has in him (my dad was born in England, and Alice’s mother is French. He had to come to terms with the fact that his grandchildren will be 1/8 French).
- Ordered us not to schedule the wedding on a Saturday afternoon because it’ll be college football season.
- Announced that he wants three kids minimum out of us.
Cleo was also excited for me when I told her. She’s going to gain a daddy and two new sisters, Eddy and Sydney!

I let her try on my ring:

I think it fits me a little better.
February 11, 2008
One Year

Yesterday David and I, as a couple, turned one. It was the anniversary of our first date. We had decided not to spend much money on gifts, because we just had Christmas, both of our birthdays are around this time, and Valentine’s Day is coming up as well. But when I first saw him at church, he had these for me, along with a really sweet card:

(There are twelve of them.) We spent the afternoon together doing some romantic things that I loved and may talk about at a later date. But for now I will just say that we decided that our next dog will be an English Bulldog named Cobbler. :)

In the evening we went back to the restaurant where we had our first date, The Melting Pot. It’s a delicious fondue place. Really comfortable, private, romantic, and fun. When we got to our table there were more roses waiting for me, and they took our picture and framed it for us:

Then I gave him the gift I made for him, which was a mix CD of all the songs that really remind me of him for one reason or another. I made a case for it, and a booklet to go inside. In the booklet I wrote down excerpts from my journal of when we first were getting together, through our first kiss, and the first time we said “I love you.” He loved it, and I was glad because I actually spent a lot of hours on it!

What can I say, I love him!

January 28, 2008
Back To School Encounter

It was back to school today, my last first day of school. We had a really good lecture about cellular anoxia and hemodynamic monitoring, but I will spare you the details of that. Instead, let’s review the following conversation that I had with one of my classmates.

***

E: So did you get anything really great for Christmas, did you get engaged or anything?

Me: Not yet.

E: Sucks, doesn’t it? I was sooo disappointed.

Me: Oh, were you expecting it?

E: Yes, and he gave me a ring, too! In front of his whole family. I was so excited, all ready to say yes, and when I opened the box it was this ugly ring, and it was missing something called a diamond. I was so mad I wanted to cry. His family probably thought I was so rude. And then later I went into the other room and I did cry. I mean we’ve been together forever, and I don’t want to just keep dating and then have him dump me for some 20-year-old, because that’s what will happen!

Me: Wow, that’s not fun.

E: So I keep dropping all these hints. I found the exact ring that I want, and I keep leaving the catalogue lying around where he’ll see it, open to that page. The other day I asked him if he were to buy an engagement ring, which one would it be? When he showed me I told him it was the ugliest thing I had seen, and I would return it if he gave it to me.

***

And this was after she showed me all these pictures of her and him making out in front of the Mormon temple in Salt Lake City, where she says she wants to get married (even though she’s not a member of the church). My thoughts? I’m so glad Boyfriend David and I are on the same page with our desires and plans for our relationship.

January 9, 2008