THE PROPOSAL :)

The first thing people ask when they know I got engaged, seems to be "How did it happen? What did he do?"...  So, here's the story, from my perspective, of this beautiful event!!

At the beginning of the summer, Jason and I had planned for him to come up to JMU to visit!  I've been taking Grad classes since May 12, and literally I've traveled every weekend since I started, so I was so excited to have a weekend up there to hang out!  I also know that my two roommates, (Brooke & Christine) who had just finished Maymester classes, had decided to stay for the weekend.   And it gets better... I also found out that three other Loveboat ladies (Kerri, Margaret & Megan) were coming up for the weekend!  I was so excited to have a weekend with the girls and Jason!  Believe it or not, I was not at all suspicious they were all going to be here the same weekend because they all told me a variety of reasons why they were coming & I just love how coincidences work out like that! :)

So before Jason comes up, he tells me he's doing a new video for his church on the Love passage (1 Cor 13:4-8) and he wants us to make it together!  He tells me his plans and ideas, and I'm gladly going along with this new, fun activity we are going to do together.  When he came up Friday, we made posters for the video, and he shared his "vision" - and also nicely reminded me that HE was in charge and just kindly asked me to cooperate and go along with his "vision," so I did.  :)  We had also planned to have a picnic after doing the video, just to enjoy the beautiful day in the arboretum!  So, on a gorgeous Saturday morning (June 9) we head out with video cameras, posters, & lunch to the Arboretum at JMU!  Little did I know what was actually about to happen.... After our last shot, Jason said he forgot to get a shot with us reading the passage in the Bible together.  Still just going along with the project, I go along with it, and we walked back to this bench to get that shot.  I sit down, he fixes the cameras, and I still had NO idea.  He gets the Bible out, turns the pages slowly, and opens up to a page with the most perfect, sparkling engagement ring sitting on a cushion IN the Bible!!  I was literally speechless and COMPLETELY surprised!
My heart was overjoyed and tears flowed down as I realized what was happening.  I composed myself enough to listen to him ask me to marry him and make myself say YES! And I sat there just trying to comprehend the fact that he just PROPOSED and we are ENGAGED! As I processed, I ask if we still were actually making a video, and he nods, but says it is for us. :)  Now that I feel completely clueless, I ask if the picnic is still real, and it is!  We sit and talk and I ask if the girls or my family knows, and he says NO.  THEN, I'm kind of excited because I thought I was going to get to surprise them all :) We finish the picnic, pack up and head back to the apartment.  I was still SO clueless.  As I open the door to my apartment, I see my family, his mom & sisters, all the roommates coming that weekend, and several amazing friends from home ALL THERE,  screaming at me and running towards me!  EVERYONE KNEW!!  Again I was speechless, overwhelmed, crying, and so thrilled that these incredible friends and family were there to support us!! :) They continued to tell me that they had known for a few weeks, and were sworn to secrecy -- I'm so impressed everyone kept a secret from me for that long!  We had the best time celebrating with everyone; I could not have imagined it any other way.  Honestly, Jason and everyone planned everything perfectly, and God just blessed us so much that day with the love and support of so many wonderful people! 


Hopefully that explains the overall feelings and how it happened.  I am still trying to stop staring at the ring and process everything!

THANK YOU so much for all of the encouragement, love and support throughout our relationship and in this exciting time! :)

NEW BLOG!  Because of the events that recently occurred and those to come, I have decided it is time to start a blog to reflect and to share what's happening!

This summer has already been a whirlwind!  Starting May 5, I graduated from JMU after four years, with a degree in Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies (IDLS) -- basically Elementary Education.  This time was extremely bittersweet.  It was amazing to celebrate and recognize the accomplishments, but incredibly hard to see this season come to an end.  In a super short summary, college has been an incredible journey for me.  Coming to JMU was literally the best decision, and I praise God for each and every experience.  My freshman year, God took me completely out of my comfort zone, and I was able to truly surrender my heart to the Lord, recognizing Jesus as my Lord and Savior.  I have grown up as a "Christian" my whole life, but living my faith out daily was not something I had experienced.  Here, I've been involved in Campus Crusade for Christ (CRU), where I learned how to have daily quiet times reading His word and listening to God's voice.  I could go on and on about the wonderful ways God spoke through this ministry and the people involved, but I will just say He is amazing! Through this organization, I met my closest friends (and roommates!) who became my support system at JMU.  These girls are kind, compassionate, adventurous, forgiving, understanding, and the most fun-loving Christian women I have ever known!!  We were all involved in a small group Bible study, starting freshman year, and it has been amazing to grow together and to see one another surrender to the Lord.  I praise God daily for them in my life, and I know that this community and friendship is deeper and more beautiful than anything I could have ever imagined.

Graduation was bittersweet because this time and community that we had come to know and love is now changing again.  These girls have truly become my family and support system here, and we know that this is extremely valuable and unique.  While it was an emotional roller coaster and still hard to process, we each have so much to look forward to.  It's a process of surrendering our plans and securities, and trusting God to take us into the unknown once again and show us where the next step might be.


After graduation, I knew that my summer it was going to be different than I had ever experienced before.  I was unable to coach swim team :( because I had to start classes for Graduate school from May 12- June 22.   Between two Grad classes, attending a bridal shower, attending and being part of a wedding, my brother graduating & all of those festivities, I already knew that things would be BUSY through June!! THEN (it only gets better!) -- in July, my mom and I are going on a mission trip to GUATEMALA :) and then taking a family vacation to CALIFORNIA!! TRAVEL SEASON!! As I looked at the events about to unfold, I knew I really had to seek God as my source of love, joy and hope because all other things were going to be constantly changing.  So far, He has blessed me in ways I cannot explain and I already LOVE all of the experiences and adventures!!  I am continually reminded that I cannot do all things on my own, but He strengthens me and fills me up, and I love serving Him!

Just recently, someone else threw a little curveball in my crazy little life -- my boyfriend, Jason, came up to visit JMU this past weekend and TOTALLY SURPRISED me by PROPOSING!! It was so beautiful & absolutely perfect for me :)  He is such an incredibly thoughtful, loving, understanding, passionate man of God, and I cannot wait to start a life together (and to share with everyone what happened!)