5 months engaged

Hello! Welcome to fall. The summer honestly came and went so much faster than I had expected. This past month has been full of many more twists and turns, as I wouldn’t expect anything less from life. Nathan and I made two big decisions this past month: the first was to postpone a wedding reception to a celebration of our 1 year anniversary in January 2022. Our hope is that by then, the virus will be much more under control and that we will be able to invite everyone we would want without fear of breaking ordinances or putting people at risk. This decision was surprisingly a light one, as I am growing much more excited about our future together and less about the logistics of “when” for a reception. The second decision was similar, we are opting for a road trip around Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana in lieu of a bigger, more expensive honeymoon that involves flying and rental cars. Our hope, again, is to plan for a larger trip to Europe either for our 1 year anniversary in January or that summer of 2022. Both of these decisions have alleviated a lot of stress and uncertainty and are giving me two amazing events to look forward to in a year, year and half from now.

Another big effort of this past month has been Nathan’s job search. The most recent news is that he interviewed for an electrician apprentice position the other day, and I am praying that his job might be the answer to many hopes and dreams of a start to a stable career path. Even if this position doesn’t end up working out, Nathan has been continuing to apply to apprentice positions and has been working hard to finish up his Residential Electrician program through Green River to receive his course certification of completion and I am very proud of all his hard work.

This month, we have been focusing a lot on tightening up our budget and beginning to live more simply. We have cut down on eating out and in its place, Nathan and I have begun preparing more food at our homes. I boxed up clothing and shoes I no longer wear and old items around the house that have only been collecting dust. Reducing “things” and spending less money has truly helped me to feel more at peace and reliant on my faith and those around me then on material things.

Some exciting wedding events we have to look forward to this month are engagement photos next weekend and a virtual weekend engaged couples retreat the weekend after that. We are working out smaller details like flower arrangements and bachelor/ette parties and beginning to think about our registry and invitations. What has truly helped me to find joy and hope during this season of our lives despite so much opposition in the world around us has been a book my mother recommend to me called “Searching for and Maintaining Peace: A Small Treatise on Peace of Heart” by Father Jacques Philippe. He writes about how one can begin to acquire unshakable peace within one’s heart regardless of exterior circumstances and of a total trust in Jesus’ peace for our lives. The lessons in this book have been helping me so much during these times and I can truly say I am feeling more optimistic and calm than I have in these past few months.

Thank you for your prayers and for taking the time to read these monthly entries. I hold all of you in my prayers. May you be blessed with peace despite the challenges you are facing.