This makes me eternally blissful

The Old Church

Here are some pictures of the church where we are getting married! I am so excited that this was available on the date we wanted. I have wanted to be married in this church for many many years!

When you come in the doors, this a look towards the front of the church and the altar. 

 These are the front doors to the church. There are stairs up the front of the building and then a few more after the main doors. I love the stain glass here!

 A look up at the choir balcony.

 This is from the front of the church looking to the back.

 Looking down from the choir balcony:

 Scary staircase down from the choir balcony!! Yikes!!

 Here is the church, here is the steeple...

 A little bit about the church. I think I am most excited that the  church was built out of rocks from what we now call 'A Mountain'.

 This is what you see when you come out the front doors of the church. ASU is literally across the street.

 A look at the backside of the church.

Doing Things the Catholic Way

Today I drove down Mill Ave for probably the thousandth time in my life. I have been driving down Mill since I was in high school when it was cool to 'cruise' Mill on the weekend. But today, Mill Ave was different. Today, I was driving down Mill on my way to me and Jason's first marriage prep class with the All Saints Newman Center at ASU! I couldn't help but burst into tears as I was driving. I am so happy it's almost silly how nostalgic I am finding the most mundane things. How many times have I turned onto Mill off of Washington without even thinking? How many times had I sat at the stoplight on 7th and Mill without even blinking an eye? But today? Today I turned on 7th st to go to my first marriage prep meeting!! I was simply elated!

I know that for the most part, Jason is only going through the Catholic Marriage Preparation because he knows how important to me to be married in the Church. With that being said, I think it is a testament to what a great guy he is- that he is willing to endure so much to make me happy.

The meeting lasted nearly two hours. When it was all said and done, though, I think we have a good grasp on everything we are going to have to do to get married in the church. It seems like there are a lot of hoops to jump through, some of them seemingly useless, but I understand the importance of the process and all it entails. I can't express how happy I am Jason is willing to do all this with me. The idea of seeing him at the end of the aisle when I come in through the doors of the Old Church is almost too much for my emotions to handle!

The Newman Center is currently undergoing construction, so the Parish offices have been moved to 7th and Forest. This is the view of the Old Church from the temporary offices:

Here is Jason arriving for the meeting. Love the view of A Mountain in the background!!

We're here! I am actually going through this door to meet a marriage coordinator!! Gahh!!!

Spreading the News

Jason had asked my father for my hand only an hour or so before he actually proposed, so my parents knew it was coming. The first people we called after the actual proposal were Jason’s parents in MN. Both were thrilled to hear of the engagement. His father was so funny when I talked to him. He yelled, “Yes! Yes! Finally!” After we talked to his parents, we drove to my mom and dads. On the way, I stopped and bought a Brides Magazine. My first bit of planning!

 The drive to Las Sendas was the longest of my life. When we finally arrived, I walked in the door holding the brides magazine with my left hand so my beautiful ring was showing. I stood in the entry way to the kitchen for a second waiting for my mom to figure things out. She looked at me, looked at the magazine, looked at my hand and then looked back up at me. Then she looked at Jason, looked at me, looked at my hand, and then finally she burst into tears. It was such a perfect reaction. My dad could tell by my mom’s reaction what was going on, and we all began to embrace and laugh and I got to show off my ring for the very first time. It was so perfect!

The rest of the day was amazing. One by one my family arrived at my parents house and I got to tell each of them individually. When my sister-in-law Megan and my brother Tim came, I scratched my face with my left hand and when Megan realized why, she started screaming. We both screamed and jumped up and down in the entry way while Helen just looked at us like we were crazy. When my brother Geoff and sister-in-law Laura came, I tried the same trick, but they were much more interested in me actually telling them I was engaged. The neat thing about telling Geoff and Laura was that they immediately asked Jason and I to be their daughter Aniela’s godparents. We, of course, accepted.

Hat day we also got to see Dave and Liz, Megan’s parents, and my grandma. We also got to try and explain it to Gabe, Helen, and Luke, but I’m not sure they understood exactly what we were all talking about. Unfortunately Isabel was with her mom that day, but I got to tell her the next weekend when the family was in California for Tim’s graduation from USC. It has been fun to watch her soak everything in, especially when I asked her to be my Maid of Honor.

Finally, after everyone we needed to tell in person or on the phone had been told, we put it up on Facebook. We changed our relationship statuses from ‘In a relationship’ to ‘engaged’ and the comments of well wishes and congratulations came pouring in.

It was simply the single most exciting day for me thus far in my life. J

How He Asked

How He Asked-

On May 8^th, 2011, Jason asked me to be his wife. I had gone over that moment a thousand times in my head before. How would he do it? Where would we be? What would I be wearing? In the end, none of those things mattered. I was standing in our bedroom sorting laundry. I had just begun to change my clothes to go to my parents house. I was standing in a pair of jean shorts and a bra and when I turned around to ask Jason a question, he was down on one knee. I was so surprised! I wasn’t expecting it at that moment at all. I had always imagined we would be out to dinner or on a trip somewhere, not standing half dressed in the bedroom. Despite all my previous imaginings, it was perfect. Just me and him in our home. No flash or flare. No big event. Just us. Just how it is supposed to be. 

We spent the next few minutes just hugging and kissing. He finally had to remind me to put the ring on. In the commotion of me saying yes, he had set the mahogany ring box down on the bathroom counter. I pulled the ring, containing a two carat center stone, out of the box and slid it onto my finger. Since that moment I have not been able to look at my hand without my heart skipping a beat.

Our Engagement Story

The best reactions: Finally! It's About Time! Are your wedding colors going to be maroon and gold?

Our Song