Taking a step

Writing a blog is one of those things that I always thought I would "Get around to one day". I'm the first to admit that I sucked at writing diaries as a child. I tried a few times and ultimately failed. I think the times I honestly tried were the trips I took out of the country with my family to Rarotonga, and then to Fiji. Both times I didn't even make it through the week

This time will be different, because you see, I'm detailing a process, not just "Today we went to a waterfall. There were lots of sandflies"... (excerpt from Rarotonga diary, age 7)

No, this time I'll be better.

 - Enter "The Wedding Planner Files" - 

When I first started going out with my other half, all the way back in May, we didn't start our relationship as most other people would...

According to a number of people from around our church life, it was obvious that this was where it was headed. The thought of a relationship with him hadn't even entered my mind, until one Sunday night a friend pulled me aside and asked if there was anything going on. I think my reaction was something long the lines of "Us? Seriously? *laughs* No."

That conversation started me thinking though.

And at some point, and I don't even know how anymore,  I decided I definitely liked him.

Everybody saw it before us. 

His mum dropped hints, suggested  I go up to Christchurch to visit one of my best friends the weekend he was driving up there (because incidentally, his brother is married to this best friend).

The wife of one of the youth pastors at church told us the other day that about a year ago he had made some comment along the lines of "what about those two?" and told her to "watch this space".

A few other people threw comments around over the first few months of this year.

Months later (the 24th of May), We sat down and had a conversation about where our friendship was heading, and what we should do about it.

We decided that we were going out.

In that first little while, we also decided that a relationship could go three ways:

 - A messy break-up

 - An amicable break-up

 - A marriage

Neither of us could stand the thought of a messy break-up. To be honest I don't think it would have gone down well with either of our families, much less the close friend group I have, or any of the people that know both of us rather well through church. So, we then and there decided that there was a 50/50 chance of this relationship ending in marriage.

Now it's the beginning of November, I'm sitting on the couch in the living room of my student flat in Scarfieville, with a ring on my left hand, and large pile of engagement cards sitting on the seat next to me waiting to have thank-you letters allocated (and instead I'm writing this blog).

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?!?!

Neither of us knows. We just know it's right, and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else at this point in my life.

I was never the girl who planned out her "perfect wedding".

My vague idea was that I would get married when I was "23 or something".

I guess God had a different plan for my life!

[At this point, I wonder if everyone's first post tries to fit everything in like mine seems to be doing...]

So the next step to write about seem to me to be "How I Got That Ring"