Romance is the glamour which turns the dust of everyday life into a golden haze.

God must've known I needed romantic inspiration this afternoon...

Ever after wistfully reading Lizzi's post about rain and dancing in the rain with her Josh I've been longing for a good shower of loveliness myself. Ahhh.

I longingly stared out the window this morning and sighed over the fact the sun was shining too brightly. Brightly enough for the neighbor guy to come over and mow the lawn. Blah.

Five minutes ago, however, the most wonderful grey shadow filled the room and what is that I hear?

RAAAAAIN!!!

*sighs dreamily*

I thought this would be fun to do...

1. Reply with your name and I'll respond with something random about you (hopefully).
2. I'll tell you what song/movie reminds me of you.
3. I'll pick a color for you.
4. I'll say something that only makes sense to you and me.
5. I'll tell you my first memory of you.
6. I'll tell you what animal you remind me of.
7. I'll ask you something that I've always wondered about you.

The dresses have been made, the tuxedos are fresh from the rental store, the silver has been pulled from it's dark hideaways, the canopy is lit.

Today I feel a hush all around me. The big day is approaching and yet everything around me feels perfectly normal.

I feel like I should be bawling my eyes out, but the tears won't come. Yet.

Nerves are stretched taut. Giggles and smiles bounce around the room.

I'm longing to feel strong arms around me.


whispers:

"...six days"

*shrieks of excitement*

Amanda just sent pictures of my wedding gown and I'm about to die of excitement!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's absolutely GORGEOUS!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I can't believe it... I'm going to wear my dream gown as a bride in eight days!!! *sighs with giddiness!!* It's so beautiful, I can NOT believe it. Amanda I love you over and over again!!

*Bounces with extreme enthusiasm*

Joel is going to love it!

Hello world!!

As of today, Charity is now an officially licensed driver for the state of Arkansas!

WOoooooooohoooooo yeaaa!

(It was a ridiculously simple test. All I had to do was drive around the post office, stop at a few stop signs, flip my blinkers on while turning, and park in the parking lot. Ha! Everybody scared of driving tests should move here. :P That's what you get for living in a dinky town.)

The Five Love Languages

I have multiple love languages!

Quality Time:	8
Words of Affirmation:	8
Physical Touch:	8
Receiving Gifts:	4
Acts of Service:	2

Take the Quiz!
Check out the Book

(I don't really know how accurate the scores are on this... but I know for a fact that physical touch, quality time, and words of affirmation have always been the top three for me! I think, though, that I would generally place them in the order of quality time -> physical touch -> words of affirmation instead.)

I tag Joel thebiblicalway, Johanna livingmemorials, and Abby jerxrok2.

I want to chatter, and Facebook isn't so great for chattering, so I thought I'd mosey on over to my faithful old journal and tap a few keys over here to get some things off my chest.

Dear friends,

After much deliberation and conversation with parents, Joel and I have decided to set Sunday, March 2nd for our wedding date. Orginally, as many of you were aware (I know I've discussed hopeful wedding ideas with many of you directly!), we planned to have a larger celebration here in Arkansas on May 25th. However, after much thought and regretful sighs we decided to cut those plans last month because of the many obstacles we ran into while sorting through the complications of a larger wedding.

Joel and I have instead settled for a small (no fuss), intimate ceremony in my grandparent's living room with just family and a few friends who will be directly participating in/helping out with the wedding ceremony... much like Summer had her wedding last year (for those of you who remember).

Because we do not want to miss out on seeing all of our friends and celebrating our marriage with you (!!!), we are planning a large wedding reception for the month of May - probably around Memorial Day weekend as intended before. This reception will be held in Dallas/Ft Worth which should make traveling easier for those of you who will be flying in. We are making arrangements for a video showing of our ceremony; Fellowship, food, and entertainment will abound! We VERY MUCH HOPE you can come and celebrate with us!

Love,
Joel and Charity

For those of you who don't know already... I have the most amazing man ever!!!

=P

Okay. I just had to say that.

Bye!

 I wish I could give my two sisters in TN some serious boa hugs right now... *long sigh*

Well, I got up late today - bad me.  I guess that's what happens when mom heads for a doctor appointment four hours away and kids have the house to themselves. *mehehe* ;-) I think I needed the extra sleep anyway. Yesterday I was seriously PMSing and in need of sleep, feeling irritable and throbbing with a headache - I felt like such a female, which is what I am... BUT, a woman really feels female when she's experiencing symptoms for no good reason except for the fact she's hormonally imbalanced. =P At least it's a good excuse to spoil yourself with chocolate. :D

Joel woke me up earlier this morning cooing "I love you" to me over the phone. =) Wow. I have the most amazing sap for a betrothed husband. He's the kind you just want to snuggle with for hours and whisper sweet nothings to. I love him so much. I can't wait until we're married. It's getting exciting - watching our house come together. We're in the midst of shopping for bedroom furniture.... Joel already purchased our mattress set and it's HUGE. I told him the bigger he could find (within a reasonable price) the better. I've always dreamed of having a tall bed. They seem very throne-like to me, a world-above-the-world! *grins* The mattress set he found nearly comes up to his hips without a frame, so um... we're definitely going to have a tall bed. Lol! For the amusement of my sisters: When I get pregnant he might just have to give me a boost up. *smirky--laughing*

*randomly "yays!" and bounces*

Does anybody know of a place online where you can order photo prints for really cheap? I'm working on trying to find a picture to go with our invitation cards...

This morning I rummaged through our refrigerator to find something for breakfast and I found a great big, juicy grapefruit. Yum-ness. I've had this great craving for grapefruit of late. The only problem with this one is that it wasn't quite as sweet as the others I ate from the bag. =/ Oh well...

~ I like randomness... I'm very much a spontaneous kind of person. Planning everything ahead of time drives me nuts. =P

~ Some people hate bubblegum voices, but I can't help but like them a little bit - at least if it's a woman's voice. Gotta have a little huskiness and sweetness combined...

~ I've been so cold today. My little toes feel frozen even after pulling cute socks onto them and covering my feet with blankets. What can I say? I've always been a little bit cold-blooded. =P I guess cold weather is well on it's way in. Yay for sweaters, soaking in warm water, and drinking hot tea!

~ Last night Joel and discussed what kind of bed we want for our master bedroom... He's been sleeping on the floor at our house. =P I started looking on the web to see pictures of headboards and I found some pretty interesting designs. I thought this bed looked elvish... The tall posts are kinda interesting. This one reminded me of something Suzi might salivate over. Hehe. The celtic flare is beautiful.  And finally, this bed and this bed were probably two of my top favorite designs. I love the elegant swirls in a none-too-busy style. =P

~  I wish I could figure out what's up with my temperatures. They are doing crazy things, and following very little pattern. Hmph. Charting is feeling like a pointless adventure. =/

~ It's fun to dance... Hehe. A few days ago I turned on some music in my room and goofed off for a couple hours. ;-)

~ Learning to trust is one of the most difficult things to do. Leaving insecurity behind and giving everything to the Lord is the only way to find complete peace and joy.  It's been a struggle for me to remain consistent in surrendering all of my doubts and uneasy feelings to Him. *sigh* Please pray for me. I know God is stretching me, and I know I have a lot more stretching ahead... for which I am thankful, even though I know it will be hard. =)

Something encouraged me while I was reading in Isaiah the other day. The Lord brought to my mind, once again, that I must live by His Word alone -- not by my feelings or what other people expect of me. That gentle rebuke hit me rather solidly as I realized how easy it's been for me to judge my level of success by the standards of this world of late. Really, though, only living by the power of the Word will carry me through every single trial or mishap I face, bringing me the greatest success there is to be had - finding happiness and contentment in my Saviour!

~ Autumn received a most wonderful package in the mail today... *dramatic pause* It was fun to shriek over each little tissue-wrapped gift Joanna sent her. ;-)  We've already decided I shall have to give her a french manicure with the nail polish she pulled out of the bottom of the box. I can hardly believe my littlest sister will be twelve years old on Monday! (I told her today she feels more like fourteen, but still! It's amazing to think that she's so grown up and yet still my amazing baby sister). Yesterday I gave her a neck/scalp/face massage. I enjoyed pouring out my affection on her while watching her sit there in bliss, shivering with the delight of tingling sensations. Hehe.

~  Today I visited a local shopping mart to purchase a load of organic, all natural chicken for Mom. I wonder if the cashier thought I was a little strange, putting 7+ hunks of meat in their packages upon the belt for her to scan. *smiles affectedly*

~ You want to listen to a great song? Try "Someday" by Nicole Nordeman. It would be a perfect song to drive down the road with...

Now I'm off to spend some time with my family... =) I hope you all are having a wonderful evening like I am.

Yay yay!

I'm happy to announce that I now have a slip of paper in my hands - permitting me to drive with another licensed driver! The test was a piece of cake. I missed one question in twenty-five and sailed right through. Happiness!

Now: Just to hit the road! I'm eager for it!

You can't fully appreciate the beauty of a diamond until you've seen it sparkle in the moonlight.



--

I spent some time underneath the stars and the lonely, cool moon yesterday. I figured that if I carry out two blankets with me - one to lie on and one to cover myself with, the bugs won't get me. So far it's worked two days in a row. I've missed solitude... spending time alone, reflecting on my thoughts and relaxing. Yesterday was special. Once again, I find that spending time under the trees proves to be good therapy for a weary soul.

After sunset  -- watching the sky turn into darker and darker shades of blue until little pin-pokes of star-light  peaked through the night heavens fascinated me.  I think I shall have to treat myself again sometime soon.

I visited Joel... it was our first year anniversary -- October 5th.

Last October this time, I was freaking out over a letter Joel had sent to Dad proposing courtship. Last October 5th is when everything started.

 What a whammy to remember these things now. So much has changed. It's funny to look back... especially when I remember the perception I had of Joel last fall. *chuckles*  I thought of him as cool in his affections, strict, extremely honorable, and especially conservative (as in, severely bound to tradition or fad-like "ideals" that run around in many Christian circles of what/which method is the best way to do things). In my mind he was a tad bit stuffy... but I think a great deal of those feelings stemmed from the fact that I feared he looked upon my spontaneity and freely expressive extroverted behavior as though it were foolishness... 

But wow. Now I know my expectations were way off base. Joel is not stuffy. He is the furthest from being cool in his affections. He IS  extremely honorable -- much more than I ever imagined before, and although he is certainly a man of free-thinking convictions - he has never shown himself to be bound by the extra-biblical methods or supposed ideal ways of doing things that many people create for themselves and others...

I tried to surprise him with the visit... but HA! Michael accidentally spilled the beans unknowingly -- just hours before we arrived in Dallas/Ft.Worth. Oh well. Sad -- I know -- but one can't have everything. ;) I'll just have to save that surprise for something else. Just getting to envelop myself in a big, delicious hug was enough to satisfy me. Having a long distance relationship right about now stinks, lemme tell you. We call it our blessing and curse, but distance certainly makes you treasure the moments you do have all that much more.

My trip was mainly for business purposes... getting wedding plans together and searching for a house with Joel. We found the little place we're going to be living in... yay! It's three bedroom/two bath... with trees in the back yard and a quiet neighborhood. I'm happy with it. Although the rent is quite a bit more than what we were hoping for... we are contented. God has provided.

Friday night... the night we arrived, I cooked up my signature stuffed potatoes meal with Harmony and Autumn's help. It tasted a little different than normal this time around, but Joel said he liked it and that's all that mattered to me.

We visited two different churches... the first church was nearly two hours away, and not really what we were looking for. The fellowship was small... and too far away, but the people were friendly and we enjoyed the Sunday meal with them. The following Sunday we visited another church closer to where we'll be living, and both of us really loved it. The teaching reminded me of John Piper, and the people we visited with were very encouraging. The service was a little bit too liturgical for my tastes, but I guess I'm just spoiled. Not every church is going to be like Hartsville, I know. =/

Joel and I worked through new things together... like we always do whenever we're together in person. Each time it always feel as though our love roots itself into deeper, sweeter levels.

Our week's activities involved shopping for fabrics, visiting the Texas State Fair, trying on wedding gowns at David's Bridal, spending time with the family, eating out a few times, visiting the local botanical gardens, working on our registry at Bed Bath and Beyond, among many other things...

In many ways the activities felt like de-ja vu to me from last year when it was Joanna, Nesa, Mel and Victoria and I tromping around the weeks before guests started to arrive for Mel's wedding. Like I was re-living the past, but this time it was with a new perspective -- with a man walking alongside me, holding my hand. Funny how things change. :D

...I think I'm done writing now.

La! How confusion messes with my brain. You know, it's funny to see how without fail, every time I start to be convinced I have everything figured out, something unexpected happens and suddenly my inner brain structures of thought and reason collapse and I have nothing to stand upon -- for the millionth time. 

Why do people feel like they have to know things? Why can't we just be content knowing that we'll never know everything? At the very best we should be able to settle ourselves with the idea that our "knowing" will always be somewhat warped and tainted by our inner inhibitions and biases, right?

Now I'm beginning to sound like I believe people have an excuse for living life as though truth is relative... *looks disturbed* No no. It's not that. It's just that my brain is overwhelmed and muddled. =/

*sighs*