Day 31: 100 Moments of Joy (Married One Month)

Today marks one month from the day John and I got married. To celebrate I smashed his toe with a chair. Okay…it wasn’t to celebrate…it was an accident. Oh life!

Today had been a really great day. I had a good day at work. I fit in some exercise time in the evening. Iowa was ranked number four in college football. We had grand plans to deliver goodies to a few friends whom we are grateful for. And then as we sat down for dinner, I scooted my chair closer to the table and smashed his toe. Oh boy. He’s been sitting with ice on it for about the last hour and a half.

I am grateful for life and the joy it brings, smashed toes and all 🙂

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John and I with my parents one month ago.

A New Journey Begins

About a year ago, my sister jokingly sent me a text saying she had found my future husband. My sister and I attend the same church congregation, and on a Sunday when I was out of town, a guy, who had recently moved into our congregation, gave a talk during the service. After hearing his talk and knowing he was from Iowa (I love Iowa), my sister sent me “the text.” Little did she or I know how fortuitous that text would be.

I had previously met this guy (John) a few weeks prior to my sister’s text. I recognized he seemed like a great guy but our social interactions were very limited outside of church. At the beginning of 2015, we started interacting with each other a bit more. Shortly after the start of the year, we took a road trip to Kirtland, Ohio with a group of friends. We rode together and spent seven hours there and seven hours back just talking about all sorts of topics. It’s amazing what you can learn about someone in 14 hours in a car!

Shortly after returning home from Kirtland, we went on our first date. Things progressed from there, and on the 4th of July, John and I got engaged. We’re getting married October 24 in the Washington DC LDS Temple.

It’s funny because John and I both remember meeting each other a little over a year ago. I thought he seemed like a cool guy and he thought I was very “bubbly.” Honestly, I know that neither of us had any clue during that initial meeting how drastically our lives would change as a result.

I made him take a selfie with me after he proposed.
I made him take a selfie with me after he proposed.
The ring :)
The ring 🙂

On the day of my first date with John, I went to a Chinese restaurant with my coworkers. The fortune inside of the fortune cookie I received at lunch that day said, “Your dearest wish will come true.” My dearest wish has always been to be a wife and a mother. What a fun coincidence receiving this fortune cookie was 😉

In the days since John proposed, I’ve been so overwhelmed by all the kind well-wishes I’ve received. From friends sending links to helpful websites in the wedding planning process to a book of wedding wishes, the response has been so touching.

I am very grateful I can marry John, and I am very grateful to friends and family who have celebrated with me since hearing the news. People are seriously so thoughtful and kind. I am excited for this new journey and grateful I get to embark on it with John.

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