Sunday, May 27, 2012

If Happy-Ever-After's Did Exist..

As soon as you get engaged people rush to congratulate you and tell you what a happy and romantic time "engagement" is--let me tell you, that is not true.  Maybe if you have a year and a half engagement period and plenty of time to sit around it might be a bit less stressful, but overall engagement is hard.  Trying to please everyone with your decisions, trying to have the wedding that you actually want, trying to stay out of debt and still have a beautiful day, on top of all the legalism involved in maintaining your current "dating" relationship, it's just not very fun.  But there is a silver lining.

On another level, being engaged is like having something small and wonderful happen to you every single day.  I can't speak for everyone else, but for me it usually hits just before I fall asleep, or sometimes first thing when I wake up.  That one tingling little moment where I remember that in x amount of days I will be married to my best friend, forever, in our own little place, free to do whatever we want, (and away from the evils of wedding planning).  That is the moment that makes all the stress worth it!
"Jenny and me was like peas and carrots"

This past Sunday was James and my official 1-year anniversary, despite any of our other milestones in between.  This is actually pretty startling to most people's ears, but that's when we can tell our real friends from our judgmental friends.  It boils my blood every time I hear people imposing their own opinions on what is an acceptable period of time to be together before getting married.  Especially from our "Christian" peers.  Every day I have customers telling me that we need to just live together for a year before we decide if this is what's right for us, or that we are just too young to know what we want.  Don't even get me started on that bit!  But if I may, I would like to clarify that we have known since day 10 that we wanted to get married, and we have been dating "in light of" that the entire time.  We have been extremely careful with our physical and emotional boundaries, we have always been planning and budgeting for our future, and we have been staying in the Word and trusting God to confirm our timing, as opposed to those around us.

[diary snippet from last year]


While I get the pleasure of being James' first girlfriend, many people know I have had other relationships in the past.  If there's anything to be gained from them, it's knowing what I want and don't want, but more importantly knowing what I deserve.  James is the most amazing guy I have ever met, and he is perfect to me.  It's so crazy when you find that one person in life that fits you like a glove; who isn't your twin but who compliments your personality and meets you on your own "level."  I know so many of my friends who could have never dated James, but for me he's exactly what I needed.  We have some of the funniest, most honest conversations I think I've ever had, we are naturally inclined to such similar thought processes (to the extent that he has become my personal mind-sperlunker), we have the same goals and direction for our future, and we seriously love every minute we have together.  In the past I've always noticed that too much time together eventually makes you snippy and irritable, but I don't think we've ever experienced that.  We would tell you it's because of our foundation in the Word and our commitment to being renewed by it, but I also think we are just two peas in a pod.


So Sunday was spent doing things we wanted to do and needed to do--mostly, rest.  We went to church, had lunch with a group of our friends, then headed to downtown Disney to take in the beautiful afternoon and leave with a cute build-a-bear we conveniently named Jaycub (like Jacob, but bear style).    We had a delicious date night to Kobe's Japanese Steakhouse (if you haven't been, it's a really cool restaurant much like Benihana's where they cook your food right in front of you) and then loaded up on sweets and snacks before catching the solar eclipse and watching Avatar in-home-movie-theater style.  Nothing too fancy, but no regrets here.





I really really love my best friend.  I'm sad when I see other couples who aren't as lucky as us, or when people take each other for granted.  I'm so glad that life took us both on our own journey to get us to this place where we are now, together.  We're blessed, to say the least..



Saturday, May 26, 2012

-out of office notice-

These little beauts are the reason I haven't been able to blog much lately...
oh, and the fact that I'm in the middle of moving!  Be back soon!

Friday, May 18, 2012

done!

school is done :]

hello summer!


Thursday, May 17, 2012

Broken


Sometimes I forget that I can't always be strong.  Sometimes I forget that I can't really be a stellar multi-tasker 24/7 and expect to feel rested, happy, financially stable, wedding-ready, and prepared for finals and moving all at the same time.  I'm currently sitting here in some random Starbucks in Garden Grove, crying over news that I didn't want to hear from my doctor, and I feel so weak.  Maybe it's just coincidental timing and I'm at a point in my week where I was already exhausted and at the end of my rope, and maybe it has to do with the two essays that I'm currently putting off, despite their eminent due date, but this week is just draining me entirely. OH, how I wish I could just put everything and everyone on hold for a while, so I could catch up on life and keep my head above water.  Get well soon, self...

Monday, May 14, 2012

Finding a Place to Call Home

Well, finals are winding down, and in an hour and a half I'll be able to say I only have 1 left, which is on Friday at 8am (yuck).  This past week has probably been my busiest yet (that I can remember) and this present week doesn't look too promising, but there is so much on the bright side that I am actually still surviving.  Lots of growth, lots of grace.

My favorite part is that we got our apartment (our first "home!") on Friday, which is awesome.  We looked at probably 20 different apartments, but ultimately decided on the first one that we looked at.  It's being remodeled right now (new carpet and appliances, anyone?) and our move-in day is June 1st.  Of course, only I will be moving in on June 1st (along with some of James' possessions) but it will be cool to know that we have a home and he will be with me in August.  Three things that I am extremely stoked about: 1. Dishwasher and having water included in the rent payment (When you wash dishes all day at work, you don't want to come home and wash more.) 2. A pool, but also air-conditioning, so we can beat the heat. 3. A garage (no more street sweeping tickets!).  I'm sure I'll be writing much more about our home as it comes together, but this news has been sufficient for us for now.  I can hardly concentrate on anything else once I get going thinking about how to decorate and such.  17 days!! (Not that I'm counting..)

I have so much to look forward to these next few months, this has hands-down got to be the best time of my life.  Don't get me wrong, there are hardships galore, but we have so much in store and above else we have an eternal hope.  I mean, it doesn't get much better.  As of Friday I'll be done with school until late August, and just having that responsibility off my plate will be wonderful.  I suppose most guys don't feel the same way, but the thought of furnishing and spending time in my apartment the next few months, "nesting," is so alluring and I can't wait.  And apart from that, I will have a place of my own to study and cook and do as I please, without bothering anyone else.  Okay, I'll stop now.

On a side note, I'm glad to say that our wedding has been able to help so many people in Draw Something.

  




Until next time...

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

100 days!

Not much to say, other than we are down to the 100-day mark! After today we are into the double-digits! It's exciting when you put it like that, but we still wonder if the day is ever going to get here.  God has been very good to us in this season of our lives, and I can say with 100% certainty that it is our focus on him and his Word that has brought us much peace in regards to the typical wedding tumult that consumes most brides.  Life has been so busy, what with me wrapping up at CSULB and with our schedules being otherwise pretty full, but we are keeping our priorities set and things are still falling into place.

A few weeks ago we got to do our entree tasting and I just felt like sharing pictures from the evening.  We came to this super sketchy looking warehouse where we were told to go, and after waiting in an office cubicle for about 20 minutes they finally led us into the back of the warehouse where they revealed a huge table they had prepared for our feast.  The food was amazing and the presentation was impressive, and now we just have to choose what we want from their huge menu.




Two weekends ago we got to go to Bakersfield to visit James' grandparents, and while it was consequently one of the hottest weekends of the spring so far, it was still a nice time to rest and hangout with family.  James' grandpa is suffering from cancer, which is always hard to watch, but even harder for me to watch their family go through it.  If you could keep him and them in your prayers I'm sure they would appreciate it.
 

On the way home we made a pitstop at World Market and James bought me an apron and a set of stackable mugs... once we're married we plan to host many people, so these will definitely be coming in handy.  (And, they are super cute.)

Last weekend I got to get away with my mom and sister (Kayla) to the Murrieta Hot Springs for a women's retreat with my church form San Diego.  I didn't let myself bring any homework with me, and I enjoyed having a distraction-free time to be in the Word and spending time with my family.  We came home only to go right into my niece Julianna's first communion.

School is over in just two weeks and I couldn't be happier about that.  Tuition has nearly tripled in the time I have been here, and that alone gives me cause to escape.  I'm excited to dictate my summer time the way that I want to, without projects and essays looming.  It will be interesting to see whether summer passes slow or flies by, but either way, by the end of it all I will be the happiest ever, with a wonderful husband and a new name. :]
 
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