Yes, I used the word 'Freakin'

Wedding plans are coming along.

We had the church already booked before we even got engaged.

The reception hall has been reserved and the hotel rooms blocked.

We decided on a photographer.

We have pretty much decided on a DJ.

We are tasting one more cake before we decide on that.

My dress is ordered and is very beautiful.  (I look pretty amazing in it too.)

Bridesmaid dresses are getting ordered Saturday.

Let's see what else....Oh yeah!

I'M FREAKIN ENGAGED!!!! And I Love the man I am going to marry!

The Story

So I know some of you are just dying to know the story.  We actually got engaged March 14th.  Just about a year after we officially started dating. 

The story actually started on the Monday before.  We had gone ring shopping months before and picked one out.  So this time we were going into actually purchase the rings (even though I said I didn't want to be there when he bought them).  Anyway, they sized me and told him to come back in two days on Wednesday to pick it up.  I could not go with him him then so I was satisfied. 

I call him up Wednesday to ask and remind him about the rings.  He told me that he had just gotten home from work and didn't get out there that day.  I was thinking that was okay one or two days late on the pick up wouldn't matter much.  Then when I actually saw him, he asks me if it was all right if he didn't pick up the ring for about a month or two.  Especially since he wasn't planning on proposing until summer time.  I was really upset and mad about this and asked him why.  He made up some excuse that he really didn't have the money right now and just wanted to wait.  I still wasn't happy, but I truly believed that he hadn't gotton the ring and he wasn't going to anytime soon. 

I was still upset about it the next day.  So much so that he even took me out to dinner.  Later that night he mentioned that his mom needed some help in Fort Wayne and asked if it would be okay if we went down there for the weekend.  I agreed.  I never mind going to FW because we tend not to spend money when we are around his mom (or my parents for that matter).  We leave Friday and have dinner with her that night.  The next morning I'm up before Matt and so I spend the morning talking with her about different things.  She's asking me general questions about our future wedding plans, because she knows that we were planning on getting married that year.  She also knows that Matt is proposing to me this weekend.  She plays it off very well, because there was nothing for me to suspect.  After Matt gets up, he and I go out to the garage and fix the door that I guess hasn't been working.  Then he gets out the Corvette.  I really like it when he drives.  It's something that he enjoys and it something I enjoy doing with him. 

We take the vette out and he starts driving around.  I have no idea where he wanted to go or even if we were going anywhere.  We end up going to the cemetary that his dad is buried at.  It's beautiful there even though it's a cemetary.  We end up walking around for about 40 minutes (mainly he was waiting for people to leave).  We end our walk at his father's grave.  As we are standing there Matt starts talking to me about different things.  I'm not going to go into details, but I had no idea what was coming.  He had made me believe that he did not have the ring for one and two he told me he was going to propose in the summertime.  He caught me completely by surprise as he ends his little talk by getting down on one knee and asks me to marry him.  By this point it has hit me like a full steam ahead locomotive, and I am crying. 

But of course I say yes.

Confessions of a Cashier

For those of you who don't know yet I have found a job. (Yay!)  I have been hired on with the City of Elkhart as an Office Services position in the Water Billing office. 

My main duties are to help customers as they come into the office as well as process all the mailed in and dropped off payments (mainly a glorified cashier).  On top of these main duties are whatever they want to throw at me and teach me around the office.  So far it has been great and is a wonderful step into the working world.  The people I work with are great and are very helpful when I'm learning something new. 

Mainly I am happy that I found a job that is steady and I don't dread going into everyday.  Not to say there haven't been stressful moments, such as my drawer being short $25 or an upset customer that is mad and swearing that the problem with their plumbing is somehow our fault.  But over all it has been a positive in my life. 

I'm not saying that this will be the job that I retire in, but it certainately a great step into the working world and I can see myself there for some time now. 

My Wonderful Boyfriend

For those of you that still read this and haven't seen me in awhile I did start dating this wonderful man by the name of Matt.  No body is perfect mind you, but he in my book is the best.  I love him dearly for what he does for me.  He makes me feel adored and cared for and includes me in a lot with his life.  He also pushes me and supports me into being the woman that I want to be. 

These past two weeks though I have been truly blessed to have him.  For those of you that know him you know he is really into cars which in my mind is a big plus.  When it's cold out I tend to now want anything to do with my car except for it to get me places.  When something happens to it to the point I can't drive it, I get pretty stressed.

Now for the story.  So last week when it was icy out I skidded a couple of times.  No biggie, but when I got home I heard a loud hissing sound, and found out one of my tires had a hole in it.  So I emailed Matt letting him know and wondering if he could help me when he got off work.  He took an early lunch and came and helped me get the tire fixed.  Basically he did all the manual labor and driving around.  Then he took me out to lunch.  But that is not the end, oh no, there is more.  So this week, I drive my car to work and the car drove kind of funny (plus there was a guy honking at me and pointing to my trunk, but I thought my brake light was out for him to do that).  I got to work to discover that my other back tire had gone flat.  Go figure with in a week of each other my tires going flat.  Anyway, again Matt skipped out of work to my rescue.  This week though it was a bit more involved, since I had time constraints on me.  He never complained once about missing work even though I know he has lots to do this week.  I feel so horrible when I call him at work for something, but I appreciate everything he has ever done for me. 

I love him for the man he is and can't wait to see what out future holds.

Dying Fish

You know your not normal when you sit with your brother and stare at a dying fish.  Seriously...this is what we did.

My brother being the good dad went out and got some fish for the fish tank with the kids.  I came home from church just in time to see Jason putting the fish in their new home.  Nothing really surprising there.

Well here we are sitting and watching the fish swim around getting used to the tank and this one fish just stops swimming.  It sinks to the bottom and just lays there on it's side.  My brother notices and makes a comment about how it seemed to be dying when the fish perks up and does a lap around the tank.  Then again it just stops swimming and sinks to the bottom.  While we intently are watching this fish now, he does it an additional three more times before I make my comment. 

"Okay...plaayy dead.  Good!"  My brother and I just crack up laughing. 

These are the moments I get to share with my brother.  Aren't they great!

In Christ,

Rachel