I'm getting married!

And this is who I'm getting married to! Isn't he cute?!

This is us on one of our easier hikes the day we got engaged.

This is the view from another easy hike we did that day. The view is amazing!

And here's the view from the top of Angel's Landing. I took this shortly after Chad proposed. This view is absolutely breathtaking.

This is the view I was looking out on when Chad said my name and I turned around to see him on his knee!

It was really really windy up there!

This is the last part of the hike--we were on the far side of the peak when he proposed. I'm so brave!

The last week and a half has been packed with wedding plans. We already have the temple booked, the places for the reception and luncheon booked, a photographer hired, a date set to take our engagement pictures, our registry list completed at two different stores, and I've made some good progress in wedding dress shopping. And Chad's address list for invitations is almost complete! We've met with someone about food, cake, flowers, and decorations at the reception place. And we are making a lot of progress when it comes to bridesmaids dresses. Not to mention I already have my ring! :)

In the midst of all this planning, I have felt tempted to stress over the little things. Over how things will look, how things will turn out, all there is to be done! I have to continually remind myself that these things are not what is important, and that Heavenly Father will help everything important fall into place. Because some things will inevitably go wrong during the wedding celebrations, but if we stay close to the Lord, nothing eternally significant will go wrong.

Tonight I especially felt the need to stop and ponder about why I'm doing all this. Why all the fuss over this wedding? What is the purpose behind all of it--the flowers, the dresses, the cake? As I did, my thoughts turned to marriage, and the transcendent beauty of it. All this planning is to celebrate the coming together of two individuals, the coming together of two families, the creation of a new family. It is not a show. It is simply a celebration. And stress really spoils the purpose of celebration, so I'm going to try really hard to not stress! I'm going to try to enjoy it and carry the spirit of excitement and delight inherent in such a happy time.

As I was thinking about marriage, and about how excited I am to be married to Chad, I decided to jot my feelings out into a poem, and I thought I'd share it with you.

Into Forever

I’m marrying a lifetime of new music
Music that I can dance to, worship with, and listen to in the backdrop of my dreams.
And there will also be forlorn music, music that I will cry to, but grow by as well.
Glorious music I’ve never heard before.

I’m marrying a lifetime of security.
Security in a beautiful home with a trustworthy husband.
And we’ll grow a garden in the backyard and make bread in the kitchen.
And at the end of the day, we’ll have someone to come home to who cares.

I’m marrying a lifetime of risk.
Untold adventures to places I’ve never been before.
Like the Grand Canyon, South America, maybe even Asia!
And someday…parenthood.

I’m marrying a lifetime of lessons.
Lessons on who I am, and who God intends me to be.
I’ll learn more about how the world works, and what the human experience is about.
And hopefully I will learn well the lessons on how I can enrich both.

I’m marrying a boundless family.
A family that is eternal in size and time and scope.
A family that stretches out in all directions
And influences the destiny of the universe.

I’m marrying a man.
But not just the man I see today, but the man he will be in the eternities.
He will be my friend, my lover, my partner, my confidant, my to-have-and-to-hold
Into forever.

I share this with you as a declaration of the purpose behind all these wedding plans. Hopefully by sharing this I will be more empowered to live it! Wish me luck!