my favorite love story...

It all started over two years ago; I was dragged to a birthday party for my roommate's friend that I had only met a few times... admittedly, I thought he was very cute those few times, but still- I barely knew him. Luckily, I'm a good sport and went to the party. Thank heavens I did.

I spent most of the evening talking to that cute birthday boy, and found myself completely captivated by how charismatic and charming he was. And that smile!! Too much. Little did I know, it was the start of the most wonderful part of my life.

 The birthday boy and I :) May 21, 2011.

He and I spent a lot of time together that summer, although we weren't actually "dating." I had just ended a pretty serious relationship, and I was stubbornly refusing to be in a new one so fast. He wore me down though, and on August 2nd he and I finally made our relationship official. Little did he know, being in a relationship with me required certain approvals (of the DAD kind), and so I took him to Lava to meet my parents only a few weeks later. I would have been in love with him either way, but my parents had strongly disapproved of a relationship I had in the past, and I decided I just didn't want that stress in my life again. Luckily, there was no need to worry! They loved him. 

Since that summer, we've had so many amazing times together, I really don't even know how to recap them all! There's so much to love about him. He's kind, he's caring, generous, and amazingly selfless. I have yet to see him see someone in line or any crowded place without striking up a conversation with them. He loves animals (which makes it great when I bring home that stray kitten or we see that big mutt at the animal shelter that I have to have), and he is amazing with babies and kids (which makes me want to start our family, like, NOW). He has that smile that just lights up a room, and he can make any of my bad days better. Most importantly, he makes it abundantly clear to me every single day that I and our relationship are always his very top priority. He has the sweetest romantic side, and is constantly doing hundreds of little things that he knows will make me happy.

What I'm sure will always be one of my very favorite memories of ever was that beautiful summer's night last July. I had taken him to Michigan with me, and we were spending the night at my family's cottage on Patterson Lake (incidentally, my favorite place in the whole entire world). I'll never forget that perfect, beautiful moment between us as we were dancing on the front porch at sunset, and he got down on one knee and simply asked me to spend my forever with him. I'm still not entirely sure if I said yes or if I just cried and kissed him... either way, I think he knew what I meant ;)

 July 31, 2012. BEST DAY EVER.

I absolutely cannot wait to make good on the promise I made (or at least implied) to him that night, and marry the crap out of that guy! I knew it was going to be trying at times when we originally decided on such a long engagement, but the first year has really flown by. Knowing we're over halfway to our wedding day is so exciting! I can't wait to walk down that aisle and vow our love and lives to each other in front of all of our friends and family. Here's to hoping that the next year (352 days, but who's counting?) goes by as amazingly as this last one has!

healthy! ...and okay with it

"I hate skinny girls; why the obsession? What's wrong with being healthy and happy?" -Adele

*disclaimer: This post is about a very big point of most of my insecurities. I'm very sorry in advance for any ranting. Also, I absolutely do not mean any of this in a hurtful way. They're my feelings.*

Don't get me wrong here, I love Adele's music. (I have two ears and double X chromosomes, don't I?) However, this quote bothers me so much. Just because someone is skinny does not mean they're obsessed with being that way. And since when can skinny not also be healthy? I just have never been able to understand why it's okay for someone to be rude to a skinny girl based solely on her body, but if you're rude to a heavier girl because of her body you are automatically heartless, shallow, and essentially the worst person in the world. I don't understand how no one seems to realize that hurtful comments are hurtful to everyone, even if you try to disguise it as a compliment (like so many "skinny" slams are).
Ok, calm down Abi. Where's all this coming from? The main thing that really set me off was my coworkers. The hotel were I work has a very small staff (with only 8 of us on my immediate staff), and between the others on my immediate team there are 2 who are post-gastric bypass surgery, 1 with Type 2 diabetes, and 2 who are (nicest way to say it) morbidly obese. Quite honestly, I never even gave any of it a second thought. That's just not how I think of people; if I think poorly of someone, it's because we have personality differences, not because of body type. That is, I never gave it a thought until this past week.

We were having our monthly team meeting, and briefly addressed our uniforms. My manager was just going around the group, making sure everyone had received the new uniform, and just briefly acknowledged that the ones he ordered for me were on backorder. "Surprise, they only stock real person sizes, not any extra smalls." The sneered comment came from a coworker. (I'm not oversensitive. Read it in the meanest voice possible and you might get how she said it...) I'm not sure why it hurt so much, but the way it was said seriously felt like a slap in the face. Of course, I tried to play it off "Oh ha-ha, very funny, whatever," but inside I suddenly felt so excluded and unwanted there. (that part makes me really sad, because we are such a small staff, and we're normally all pretty close). Unfortunately, it only got worse from there. We moved on from uniforms (to something or other about numbers and scores and blah blah blah no one cares about that part) to our upcoming staff party at Roaring Springs, a water park here in Boise. This time, everyone felt compelled to join in with their own comments. "Can we make Abi wear a mu-mu the whole time?" "I'd be looking forward to it more if it was just us curvy girls." "Can you at least not wear a two-piece? If we wanted to see ribs we'd just go to a barbecue place instead." You get the gist. I don't remember another time when I felt so humiliated and self-conscious. 

I think this all hurt so bad because I have to be aware of my health. Not in the gym-every-night, health-food-crazed way; I just simply recognize that our bodies are the only thing that are truly ours while we're on this Earth, and I don't want to take that for granted. This body is mine and mine alone, and I want to take care of it. So I do. I don't go on crazy diets, and I don't need to. But, people see me turn down a lot of foods and automatically assume that I'm starving myself to be skinny. Or I mention that I just got back from a walk or a swim and they assume I'm obsessed with being fit. Both wrong. I'm not (by any means) starving; there's just a lot of foods that I can't eat, and exercising helps me with some of the health issues I have. I've struggled for years and years with the circulation in my legs. Everything from about mid-thigh down balloons up like a 10-months-pregnant woman's in the middle of July, and aches like you would not believe. After years of countless doctor's appointments, tests, and 3 surgeries on the veins in my legs, I finally had to crack down and figure it out for myself. Here's what I've found to help me:

• Mainly, I don't eat salt. No, it's not some new fad diet. No, it's not some weird form of vegan-ism.  When I was about to finish my senior year of high school, I finally pinpointed 3 main triggers: 1.Standing for long periods of time = bad. 2.Heat = bad. 3.Salt = SO SO BAD. Hence: I don't eat salt. The heat and standing are a lot more manageable if I haven't had any salt, so I avoid it at absolutely all costs. Not just table salt, but anything with over about 75mg of sodium: canned, prepackaged, made-for-convenience foods (think: Hot Pockets, pre-made dough, chips, boxed rices/Mac n Cheese, pretty much all seasonings, etc.) It's just simply not worth the hours and hours of discomfort that follow. So, I make basically all of my meals from scratch, fresh fruits and veggies, and unprocessed/unpackaged meats (which means deer and elk, killed in the great outdoors and not pumped full of chemicals to make them "taste better"). It's what works for me.
• I exercise. (Note: I hate the gym. I hate running. I'm horribly inflexible. But you know what? I find ways that I like for me to exercise). I take Percy on walks every single day, and I make him swim at least 300 meters with me on my days off, because those are what I like to do. I love walking in the evenings and listening to the crickets starting to come out (although if they come anywhere near me, I am OUT. Crickets are a mini version of grasshoppers and grasshoppers are how Satan presents himself to the mortal world). I've always felt way more comfortable in water than I have anywhere on land, so of course I absolutely love to swim for exercise. (BONUS: Swimming is one of the very best exercises possible; no pressure on your joints and it works every muscle group in your body!) For me personally, the exercising helps (definitely doesn't fix, but helps) my circulation. So I exercise!

That's it. I do it for me, so I feel good and can actually bear to be on my feet for longer than 20 minutes at a time. I don't see why others jump to conclusions about it when I'm simply doing what I feel is right for me and my body, especially when not one of them has ever asked to find out why I don't eat those certain foods or why I make sure to get some exercise every day. They just assume it's all to lose weight. It's not, and it never has been. 

So you know what? I'm done feeling self conscious and judged for my diet and my lifestyle. If no one cares to ask, I don't feel a need to explain myself or apologize to anyone for it. I'm going to that staff party. I'm probably not going to eat the over-processed, greasy, salty pizza with them, and I'm not going to feel the need to explain why. I'm going to wear whatever bathing suit I want. And I'm going to enjoy myself.

This amazing woman had some great words about the crazy, weight-obsessed world we live in:

Mr. Cash

Anyone that knows me knows that I've had baby fever for at least the last 5 or 6 years. Granted, it's been varying degrees of wanting a baby and just wanting to love on other peoples' babies, but baby fever nonetheless. (My wedding drawing nearer and nearer is not helping either!)

Luckily, my dear friend Cadee was kind enough to give me a regular baby fix since April 16th, when she had her sweet baby boy Cash Ray. He is such a doll! (She always thinks I'm doing her such a huge favor by babysitting- as if I'm not dying to take him every day!) 

He was so tiny when he was first born! Barely over 5 lbs :)

Little dude is getting so big (FAT) now though! My favorites are all the little facial expressions he's starting to make, and his little babbling stories!

BLESSED to have friends that let me occasionally steal their offspring and get my baby fix...

Percival Roy Kinghorn

One long night studying and finishing final projects for school. Realizing it was 5:30 am, and it's probably pointless to go to bed now. Go to 7:00 am class together. Find ourselves completely unable to concentrate. Surf web to stay awake. Somehow find ourselves looking at local animal shelter's website. Decide to swing by after class, just to see.

....and end up with this:

Percival Roy Kinghorn.

(Percy, to his friends.)

He was transferred in to the Boise shelter from another Humane Society from outside the city a few days before we got him, so we don't know any of the details on why he was put there (he was definitely trained before, and absolutely got enough to eat...), how long he was there, or even exactly how old he is (one vet said 2, another said 3 or 4). We just knew that we had to have him. 

This big guy has had such an amazing impact on our lives since that day! I didn't even realize what our little family was missing until I met PercyBear, and then it became abundantly clear. We needed him way more than he needed us! 

He was pretty overweight when we adopted him (89.6 lbs!!), but he has so far lost about 15 lbs thanks to lots of walks, swims, and a much better diet! He always has the sweetest doggy smile on his face, and he's been such a great companion to me when I would otherwise be home alone while Ty's working such long hours. Unfortunately for Ty, he's definitely turned into a huge Mama's Boy :) Now that we have him, I can't imagine us ever having a home without him in it! He's absolutely wonderful with babies and little kids (who love that he's the perfect height for them to get horsey rides), and I can't wait for my babies to grow up with such a wonderful family pet! 

In case you're wondering: Yes, he is wearing floaties for swimming in the top left picture above. He's still too fat for his stubby little legs to be able to keep his head above water for very long. (Please don't laugh at him, he gets plenty of that at home already...)

summer summer time!

Wow. Oops. Here I was, in the middle of April, thinking about how I should really keep up on my blog this time, but I just had to get through finals first before I could think of anything else. Annnnnd now it's mid-July. OOPS. 

This summer has been crazy so far. Silly me, I still get stuck on the idea that once summer hits, I'll get less busy. Wrong. My hours at work nearly tripled, so I've been working almost constantly. I'm also taking a summer class for school, so that's another 3 hours a day, 3 days a week. On top of all this, Ty got a new job. Luckily, he loves the job (he's back in a kitchen, which he likes so much better than Jimmy John's). He doubled up and did both jobs for the first 2 months or so, but he recently quit Jimmy John's for good so he can be exclusively at the restaurant. The only (huge) downside to his new job is that his shift is always 3pm until at least 11 or midnight; my shifts are always 7am until 3pm, so when we're both working (which is at least 5 or 6 days a week), I literally never see him. I try to stay positive and remind myself how lucky and blessed we are to both have steady jobs, but there are definitely days where I have to sit and really concentrate to remember when the last time I saw Ty when we were both awake. Again, it's been crazy! 

Luckily, there have been a few weeks where we both had the same two days off, so we've been able to take a few camping trips, as well as a great trip a few weeks ago down to Salt Lake. It's been so fun!           

Gratitude Challenge

Lately, I keep finding myself complaining. Not about anything actually important, but just stupid little stuff. We moved out of house I love into one that I really don't, but we're making it work. However, every single day I find myself either thinking or saying, "I hate this freaking setup!"(doing laundry- the washer is shoved in a tiny closet under the stairs and the dryer is out in a storage shed that I'm fairly positive has been used in a few horror movies), or "What kind of a house doesn't even have a dishwasher?" and so on. Dumb, superficial complaints. Yes, of course I miss my old house (with the perfect washer/dryer hookups and the shiny new dishwasher... *sigh*), but this is our home now and I need to just learn to focus on the positives. At least we have a home, I don't have to go to a laundromat, doing dishes together is a great time to catch up on each others' days, and if someone really did shoot a horror movie in our storage shed then I guess we have a famous shed, and that's pretty cool.

While reminding myself for the umpteenth time today that it's not that bad, I remembered a gratitude challenge from a while back that my dear friend Tami posted on her blog (read her blog, she's AMAZING!). The challenge was to write 100 things you are grateful for (no complaining, Abi.), and to make it a little easier they had it broken down into 10 categories. I think it's a great way to remind ourselves of all the blessings in our everyday lives, and it'll hopefully get my head in a better place. 

Here goes:

1. Write 10 physical abilities you are grateful for.

- Walking/running, grabbing (with my fabulously helpful thumbs), talking, hugging, writing, smiling, typing, bending/kneeling, climbing (especially stairs!), and all of my fine motor skills for the small stuff

2. Write 10 material possessions you are grateful for.

- Our house, our cars, my kitty (is he considered a material possession?? Sure.), my washer and dryer, our phones, computers, comfy bed, longboards and bikes (hello money savers!), all my books, and our TV

3. Write 10 living people you are grateful for.

Just 10? Okay:

- TY. I don't even have the space to explain. He's amazing, I love him with everything I have, I can't even imagine my life without him.

- My mom and dad: they gave me life, so...

- Kellie and Bill: Ty's amazing parents, they have completely crushed all the stories you hear about horrible in-laws, they're the best I could have asked for 

- Titus: Oh Titus. My dear brother. Crazy Titus. Of all people though, I know he'd be the first to help me in any situation, no questions asked.

- Our grandparents: Yes, I'm lumping them all into one so I have more room. SO WHAT.

- Megan: That crazy girl has been by my side since I moved to Lava in the third grade, I don't know what I would have done in so many different situations if I hadn't had her. Sure, in some of those situations I probably would have gotten in a lot less trouble, but that's beside the point. 

- Tami: My dearest Tamira! She helps me more than she knows. I don't talk to her nearly as much as I'd like, but she's just one of those friends that inspires me to be the best person I can be. How often do you find someone like that?? 

- Cass: Crazy Cassidy. I love him for being such an amazing friend to Ty, and for being that person that is constantly reminding me to not take myself so seriously, everything always works out the way it's supposed to anyway, so what's the point in worrying about it?

- Alora: One of the closest friends I've made here in Boise, someone was truly on my side the day I was assigned to the same dorm room as her almost 3 years ago.

And SO MANY others!! I've really been blessed with some amazing people in my life.

4. Write 10 deceased people you are grateful for.

- My Bucia: She was the epitome of endless love, especially to her grandbabies. I miss her every single day, but I know that every time I think about her she's right here next to me. It's been years, and I still honestly cannot believe that she's gone. Some days I still get horribly sad about it (those days that I really just need a Bucia hug), but I have an amazing family, and we all kind of keep each other strong. 

- Mrs. Avery: Trish, although I can't think of one single time I actually called her that. It was always Mrs. Avery. I honestly think she may have taught me more about what kind of a mother I want to be than my mom did. I know that sounds horrible, but truths are truths. She was so incredible, so devoted to her family and her faith, I hope I can turn out to be at least half the woman she was.

- Grandma Gerrie: Ty's grandmother. Although she was already pretty taken by the Alzheimer's the only time I got to meet her, the family she left behind is one of the best I've ever met. I'm lucky enough to have been welcomed into that family, and I know I have her to thank for a lot of that.

- Jesus: It's His salvation that is exactly what I need right now, and I'm so grateful to be finding it again.

- All the apostles and saints: I know this throws my list way over 10, but they're the true workings of God

5. Write 10 things about nature you are grateful for.

- That wonderful after-rain smell, springtime, flowers, animals, SHARKS (I love them. Love them.), summer nights, living somewhere with seasons (even though I do complain constantly about the cold, at least I can tell it's not summer), oceans, sunshine, and those wonderful breezes on hot summer days

   

6. Write 10 things about today you are grateful for.

- I got to spend almost the entire day with my amazing fiance, we played Life (one of the best board games ever), we watched a great movie, I got to talk to my mom for a little bit, my cat loves to snuggle and is doing so right now, it was gorgeous outside, we enjoyed the beautiful spring air with an evening longboard ride, Ty is a very patient person, our house is mostly unpacked, and I get to spend the evening with the love of my life.

7. Write 10 places on earth you are grateful for.

- My parents' house, our house (despite all my complaining! I really am thankful for it), the cottage (the most wonderful place on earth), St. John's Cathedral (have I mentioned I CAN'T WAIT to be married there??), the ocean, inside Ty's hug :), that perfect quiet spot on the river outside of Lava where I used to take Bob swimming, my work, Ty's work, and (weirdly) airports. Don't ask why, I just love them for some reason.

8. Write 10 modern inventions you are grateful for.

- Washers, dryers (even when they're shoved in tiny closets and creepy sheds), phones, cars, the internet, computers, microwaves, electricity, TVs, and indoor plumbing.

  

9. Write 10 foods you are grateful for.

- Rice, pancake mix, milk, strawberries, grapefruit, bagels, bread, cheese, chocolate, and yogurt. 

10. Write 10 things about the gospel you are grateful for.

- Ok, this one is actually near impossible for me. I honestly don't know if I can name 10 things about it. It's not that I'm not grateful, it's just that I either haven't learned (yet!) or I don't remember from my childhood. Seriously, one of my friends (who is now on an LDS mission) made a joke once about "Kevin and the Lions," and I completely bought it. Not a proud day for me.But, I promise to keep you updated as I learn and relearn all the great teachings of the gospel!

Fresh Start

Why is this so hard to get started?

I'm not sure what it is lately, but I just feel... incomplete, I guess. Like I need to be going somewhere, or doing something. It doesn't really make any sense, because Ty and I just moved (fresh new place, where do I need to be going??), and I'm right in the middle of a 15-credit semester while working full time (I have plenty to be doing!). So what is missing?

Ok, it sounds terrible that this is what I turned to, but... I consulted my dear friend Pinterest. Oh yes. Sounds crazy, but just bear with me here. While clicking around aimlessly on Pinterest (is there really any other way?), I felt that empty, needy, pulling feeling inside of my chest again. I think I was in the "Humor" category, but I found myself staring at this picture of Pope John Paul II, with the quote, “People are made for happiness. Rightly, then, you thirst for happiness. Christ has the answer to this desire of yours. But he asks you to trust him. True joy is a victory, something which cannot be obtained without a long and difficult struggle. Christ holds the secret of this victory.” I honestly started weeping. It was like the floodgates had opened, whatever that thing was inside my chest broke, and I knew what was wrong, what had been missing. 

I tried to remember the last time I was in church. I think the last time I attended church was 2 Christmases ago, Christmas 2011. My mother undoubtedly guilted me into going. However, I couldn't honestly remember the last time I was really there, felt the spirit, really listened to the readings and the priest's homily, thought about what the sacraments meant, all of it. I felt so sad and so guilty all at once, I didn't even know where to begin. So, I did what made the most sense to me right then: I continued on Pinterest.

This time, however, it wasn't aimless at all. I found as many websites as I could, and read some of the most inspiring articles and blogs. The next day, when Ty told me his mom had invited us out for an Easter/birthday dinner that Sunday; I told him I would absolutely love to go, but I was also going to church.

I'll never forget his reaction: he simply looked at me and said, "Okay, what time are we going?"

WE.

I know it won't seem like a big deal to some people, but it really was to me. Ty was raised LDS while I was raised Catholic, but neither of us had ever felt very connected to our church. We'd had a lot of conversations on the ways that the self-righteous churchgoers, the corruption that unfortunately takes place, and the importance of money in the eyes of some churches had eventually just outweighed all the good that came from attending. As soon as both of us were old enough, we just simply stopped going. So, his quick, unquestioning agreement to go with me (even though I never even asked him, I just told him I was going) meant the world to me, and really reminded me how lucky I really am to have him.

I know this post is really starting to drag on, but I need to get this all out there.

Easter Mass was amazing. The Mass itself really wasn't much different from all the others I've been to in my lifetime, but at the same time it was entirely new to me. The amazing feeling of peace I had being there, praying together with my fiance, I knew that I had found my answer. I knew this is where I needed to be, this is what's been missing in my life.

Before Mass started, Ty and I were just sitting there taking in the beauty of this incredible cathedral (St. John's Cathedral in Boise, visit it if you ever have the chance! It's truly breathtaking). I just had this feeling all of a sudden, "What if we got married here?" I turned to Ty, and all he said was "Would it be big enough?"

(The Cathedral seats almost 1,000 people all together. We should be fine.)

That night, I was like an internet madwoman. I knew there were certain restrictions on who could get married in the Catholic Church, and what we would have to do to prepare for it, and I wanted as much information as possible before we got our hearts set on a wedding there. 

As it turns out, the church was all sorts of prepared for us already! I found so much helpful information on the Cathedral's website. The guidelines were mostly that at least one of us needs to be a practicing Catholic (which, 2 weeks ago, I would have absolutely not considered myself to be. However, thanks to whatever grace led me to that Pinterest page, I am now on the right path back!), and we will need to complete our marriage preparation process. Basically, the church offers classes (and a weekend retreat!) designed to bring us closer as a couple, and to encourage and enable us to build a strong foundation for a beautiful marriage, not just a beautiful wedding.

I simply cannot wait to share the whole wonderful experience!!

I'm not sure what it is lately, but I just feel... incomplete, I guess. Like I need to be going somewhere, or doing something. It doesn't really make any sense, because Ty and I just moved (fresh new place, where do I need to be going??), and I'm right in the middle of a 15-credit semester while working full time (I have plenty to be doing!). So what is missing?

Ok, it sounds terrible that this is what I turned to, but... I consulted my dear friend Pinterest. Oh yes. Sounds crazy, but just bear with me here. While clicking around aimlessly on Pinterest (is there really any other way?), I felt that empty, needy, pulling feeling inside of my chest again. I think I was in the "Humor" category, but I found myself staring at this picture of Pope John Paul II, with the quote, “People are made for happiness. Rightly, then, you thirst for happiness. Christ has the answer to this desire of yours. But he asks you to trust him. True joy is a victory, something which cannot be obtained without a long and difficult struggle. Christ holds the secret of this victory.” I honestly started weeping. It was like the floodgates had opened, whatever that thing was inside my chest broke, and I knew what was wrong, what had been missing. 
I tried to remember the last time I was in church. I think the last time I attended church was 2 Christmases ago, Christmas 2011. My mother undoubtedly guilted me into going. However, I couldn't honestly remember the last time I was really there, felt the spirit, really listened to the readings and the priest's homily, thought about what the sacraments meant, all of it. I felt so sad and so guilty all at once, I didn't even know where to begin. So, I did what made the most sense to me right then: I continued on Pinterest.

This time, however, it wasn't aimless at all. I found as many websites as I could, and read some of the most inspiring articles and blogs. The next day, when Ty told me his mom had invited us out for an Easter/birthday dinner that Sunday; I told him I would absolutely love to go, but I was also going to church.

I'll never forget his reaction: he simply looked at me and said, "Okay, what time are we going?"

WE.

I know it won't seem like a big deal to some people, but it really was to me. Ty was raised LDS while I was raised Catholic, but neither of us had ever felt very connected to our church. We'd had a lot of conversations on the ways that the self-righteous churchgoers, the corruption that unfortunately takes place, and the importance of money in the eyes of some churches had eventually just outweighed all the good that came from attending. As soon as both of us were old enough, we just simply stopped going. So, his quick, unquestioning agreement to go with me (even though I never even asked him, I just told him I was going) meant the world to me, and really reminded me how lucky I really am to have him.

I know this post is really starting to drag on, but I need to get this all out there.

Easter Mass was amazing. The Mass itself really wasn't much different from all the others I've been to in my lifetime, but at the same time it was entirely new to me. The amazing feeling of peace I had being there, praying together with my fiance, I knew that I had found my answer. I knew this is where I needed to be, this is what's been missing in my life.
Before Mass started, Ty and I were just sitting there taking in the beauty of this incredible cathedral (St. John's Cathedral in Boise, visit it if you ever have the chance! It's truly breathtaking). I just had this feeling all of a sudden, "What if we got married here?" I turned to Ty, and all he said was "Would it be big enough?"
(The Cathedral seats almost 1,000 people all together. We should be fine.)

That night, I was like an internet madwoman. I knew there were certain restrictions on who could get married in the Catholic Church, and what we would have to do to prepare for it, and I wanted as much information as possible before we got our hearts set on a wedding there. 

As it turns out, the church was all sorts of prepared for us already! I found so much helpful information on the Cathedral's website. The guidelines were mostly that at least one of us needs to be a practicing Catholic (which, 2 weeks ago, I would have absolutely not considered myself to be. However, thanks to whatever grace led me to that Pinterest page, I am now on the right path back!), and we will need to complete our marriage preparation process. Basically, the church offers classes (and a weekend retreat!) designed to bring us closer as a couple, and to encourage and enable us to build a strong foundation for a beautiful marriage, not just a beautiful wedding.

I simply cannot wait to share the whole wonderful experience!!