Engaged!!! The story....

Yep that's right! Engaged!!! Woohoo!! God is so good.

April 14th - Saturday in the Octave of Easter.

Okay so I can't say I was completely suprized, but it was still a surprize. Let's just say Jon's been really secretive, but I like to speculate. We were planning out what to do for the weekend and Jon seemed unusually insistent that we go to adoration in the morning rather than in the afternoon when it worked better. So I said, okay we can go to daily mass and then adoration afterwards on Saturday morning. (at this point I was a tad suspicious).

We went to daily mass, then we thought that the sanctuary would empty out a bit so we could say the rosary in front of the tabernacle, but there was a whole bunch of old ladies in the church that started the rosary so we stayed and prayed with them, then we prayed the Divine Mercy Chaplet.

After that we left the church. While we were walking towards the car I thought, "Oh well, I guess it won't be today." Because I thought he would propose in the sanctuary. So we got to the car and he opened the door for me and on the seat was a teddy bear with the words "Marry Me" on the stomach. I believe I said something like "How did that get there? That wasn't there before we left for mass." Then I turned around and Jon got down on one knee and said something like... "It's become apparent to me that I want to spend the rest of my life with you and that you are the one with whom I want to walk to Christ. Val will you marry me?" And...no I did not cry. But I was really really excited, and of course I said, "Yes!!"

As it turns out, my mom was in on the whole thing. He gave my mom a key to his car and she brought the teddy bear while we were inside at Mass. She also had all my aunts and uncles and Joy and Peter come over for lunch as a surprise to all of them. Joy and Peter's reactions were great! And ladies, here's the picture of the ring. Jon did a good job :)
Jon and I and the "Marry Me" bear.



Yay!! Engaged!!! This is so surreal.

I miss....

I just read the bio for my friend Tyler's band "SaidtheWhale". Absolute genius. My friend Hamish wrote it. It brought back my fondest memories of Evans Lake. Laying on the field watching stars and the northern lights listening to Pink Floyd's "Dark side of the Moon". Going on midnight excursions around the lake to the muskrat rock. I really feel like I've been smacked in the face by nostaligia. Missing so many things and people. Evans Lake, high school, Bellingham, Friends. Oh to return..
I wonder if when we get to heaven and are outside of time with our Lord we'll be allowed to experience the joy which he graced upon us in those exsquisite moments of our lives. I suppose being in the presence of God can be the most exquisite experience inside and outside of time.

Bouncing from grace to grace

abandoning everything for heaven

for every taste of heaven on this earth

Longing for the one exquisite

moment of eternity

with my God

Jesus Christ

Lover of the world.

It's been a pretty cool lent. Very different in character than last year, with different trials, but thankfully still fruitful. Last year seemed to be a struggle to get the spiritual car started whereas this year putting on the brakes was incredibly difficult. I definately got some great chunks of scripture that hit me at just the right angle on some days like Philippians 3:12-14

Some wonderful opportunities for spiritual direction, a few bites of lectio divina, incredible experiences serving and teaching my teens, learning the hard way, patience building.

Dei gratias.

Have a blessed Holy Week.