2 Years In Portland, 2 Weeks Until Marriage!

Ok, so as is common for me, i haven't updated my blog in forever, this time was about 3 months! All i can say is that a ridiculous amount has happened in the past 3 months. Shoot, my entire engagement process is just over 4 months so I have barely even posted anything about it. You know the story, how we met, how we got engaged, etc. But now we are almost a married couple! Before we go further into that, lets start with the 2 year mark in Portland.

So I believe it was april 1oth, 2008 that I officially made it up to Tigard, Oregon... my new home. I got up here with no idea of what life would be like, what the church would look like and how I would acclimate to the north west. Well now I am 2 years in, have seen 2 full changes of the seasons and am really getting an understanding of Portland. I have to say, I still love it up here! It honestly doesn't matter what the weather brings, there is a new outlook and a breath of fresh air every day. Today for instance was a gorgeous spring day, flowers blooming, 70 degrees out, sun shinning, enjoying wonderful friendships. I am so blessed with what the Lord has provided for me up here and can't believe all the dramatic change that has happened. I came up here and for the first year, struggled with some loneliness and just the desire to find my wife, which by moving up here was one of my ways of giving that desire up to the Lord and trusting in His provision and plan. For the first 3/4 part of the first year, I didn't even see relationship potential and just figured that marriage wasn't going to be something in my near future, but other things were in store. So we get to the beginning of the 3rd week of April last year and Kristen (my now fiance and very soon to be wife) moved up here to join my church body. By may 28th, 2009 we were officially dating. 7 months in, I proposed to here (which, i must admit felt crazy to me. I NEVER thought that I would get engaged so soon or be ready to get married like that. But seeing how she pursues the Lord and how we are going to be able to serve well together here in Oregon and/or wherever the Lord takes us, I knew it was the right decision.

Well there is probably so much i could tell you about the last few months. Spending many days wedding planning, on the phone most days with both of our mothers, or "wedding leazons" if you prefer such a title. There have been up times, there have been down times, stressful times. And as I sit here now, in "my" bedroom, which in 2 weeks will be Our bedroom, i begin to realize the weight and reality of where we are. I'm a few months away from 26 years old, about to be a married man and changing my life in so many ways. It is exciting and scary at the same time. To not only be unified with someone for life, but to give your heart completly, knowing that it will be hurt from time to time but trusting in restoration and our ability to persevere. I find myself trying to balance the load of realizing how HEAVY the actuality of marriage is but also just going into it not being worrisome but realizing the beauty in God's design of marriage. I wish I could say that I have everything figured out and that I know our marriage will be easy and always fun, but I feel I am preparing myself to serve and build up my wife even when things get rough. Engagement can show glimpses of our selfishness, but I think I need to prepare myself to see how selfish I really am and how I am going to daily need to humble myself before the Lord and my wife. I'm excited and i think the thing that scares me the most is the fact that everything is so surreal right now and the fact that I am going to be married in less than 2 weeks really hasn't set in. My buddy eric told me about this book he was reading a while back; i forget the title, but the gist of it was something like "What if marriage wasn't designed for happiness but for holiness". Taking a look at the idea that through marriage, we are able to see our failures so much more and are able to if pursuing the Lord and trying, draw nearer to Him through marriage. This, though not easy and potentially painful at times, will allow us to pursue God better and to commit ourselves more. 2 weeks away: I've still got lots to learn, I don't think I will ever be fully prepared but I am excited to see what God does in our commitment.

I hear the wedding bells ringing

So, I know it has been a while, AS ALWAYS, since i have updated my blog but as would be expected, I have been quite busy planning my wedding. Kristen and I are getting married in 93 days, so things are just flying by and planning takes quite a bit of work. Here is a list of just a few things we have planned/done for the wedding over the last month:

1. Bought a wedding dress
2. Decided on the wedding bands
3. Planned a honeymoon
4. Found the bridesmaids dresses
5. Bought suits for the groomsmen
6. Booked a location
7. Took our own engagement photos
8. Made and sent out save the dates

And there is probably a lot more, but we have kept quite busy with all that and still have much more to go. Here are a few of the engagement photos, hopefully you enjoy.

Life can be quite busy when you have all of this stuff, but it is good. I am very excited for the big day and just honored to be able to marry such a great woman.