Project #8 Engagement

26 Years

In only 16 days I'm going to be married.  26 years of wondering what she looks like, 26 years of trying to develop myself into the man of her dreams, 26 looong years of celibacy and self restraint, 26 years of self discovery and deep reflections on my own weaknesses and trying to make them strengths...26 years, 9,525 days, 228,617 hours or 13,717037 minutes I have lived a single man, but not any more. Now it's time to turn this one-man show into a team. 

I have talked about being engaged and shared a few things about my most wonderful fiancé but have yet to show a picture or talk about her in any way (rude I know).  Well, this blog is dedicated to that girl, the girl who will share my last name in this life, the girl who makes me smile more crazy than anything else I've ever loved in my life, a girl who makes everyday feel like my birthday, Christmas and graduation combined into one grand and glorious day.  This blog, however, isn't dedicated to the girl of my dreams- because honestly- there is no way any girl in my dreams could ever be as great and wonderful as my Sarah bear.  

Meet My Sarah

Sarah isn't your average Sarah.  Her favorite color isn't pink, her favorite activity isn't shopping or discussing the party last weekend.  She didn't dress up as a princess as a little girl but spent time catching lizards in the canal in her backyard. You won't find any shellack or finger nail polish on her nails, but you may find some dirt under them.  Her hands wouldn't win any awards for being the most soft, but those same hands bring the softest stroke with each tender touch.  Her most beautiful look is accomplished in about 10 minutes: a quick shower followed by drying her hair out by holding it out the car window, finishing it off by glazing those most succulent lips with a touch of chap stick.  Her laugh sounds like the babbling mountain brook and her voice turns even the most melodious birds mute.  Her kind and tender heart are the most forgiving and understanding I've known out side my own mother's.  Yes, Sarah is definitely not your average Sara, she's so much more.  

So how did I end up tricking this girl into becoming my bride?  Great question- and I give all the credit to Roger and Hemmerstein. If it hadn't been for the musical Seven Brides for Seven Brothers I'm sure that I would be out in the dark and dreary world, forever searching, never finding.  After spending 7 kiss-less but equally fun and adventurous weeks rock climbing, reading, dancing and cooking up various concoctions, Sarah and I took a trip to St. George to enjoy the heat of the sun before my last semester of school.  The trip went perfectly, literally in every sense.  My parent's loved her more than I did at the time, my little sister took her in as her own sister, we climbed, we explored, we watched Seven Brides for Seven Brothers AND we kissed.  Yes we surely did and oh what a kiss it was.  I would later find out that she had given up on the idea of me kissing her because we had gone 7 fruitless weeks without more than a hug.  But there must have been something in that movie that really got the mood right and the emotions running because when we kissed...a whole avalanche of emotions came right along with it.  

Four Months Later

We decided that we would date for four months.  Actually, we didn't ever intend on dating at all, but we figured that we liked spending time more with each other than with anyone else, so we dated for four months before making the best decision ever- get married.  I'm sure that she knew before I knew, but I wanted to make sure that she was positive about her decision before I asked ... yeah right!  I had played around with her plenty of times, dropping my keys onto the ground and 'kneeling down' to pick them up while calling out so she would see me bending down as if I was going to propose.  These jokes never stopped playing a funny note, so naturally I kept doing them while building up the actual courage to do it the right way.  It happened while on the moon light chair lift ride at the Sundance Ski Resort.  The air was warm and filled with the music of Michael Buble, Frank Sinatra, Taylor Swift and even Bobby Knight.  Classic way to set the tone for a classic night.  I brought some snacks and snapped a glow stick or two to add to the general ambience for this mid summer night's dream.  I gave her a journal, detailing my love and adoration for her and then let her see the small hole I had punched into the journal (the perfect place for a ring), only to discover that there wasn't a ring in it, but just a drawing of a sarcastic winking face.  She then looked up with that look of "funny Taylor...reeeeally funny ya dork" only to see me holding a ring and breathlessly asking her if she would be my wife.  Words weren't needed to know her answer, it was written all over that beautiful smile on her beautiful face.  "Of course" was all she could say and of course that was all I needed to hear.  

Four Months Even Later

16 days is all that's left until that blessed day of marriage.  16 days until my best friend and I get to move in with each other and start a lifetime of making the best and most hilarious memories with each other.  Speed bumps will surely attempt to slow us down, and they might, but that doesn't mean they will stop us.  No way, this team is too determined and too stubborn to allow that to happen.  16 days and all the 26 years of preparation and patience will pay off.  16 more days until the rest of eternity gets to finally start.- Hallelujah.  

Even though our wedding is in just 16 days, I still don't feel like it's real.  A part of me feels like it's pretend; fake invitations, fake engagement, fake wedding plans and fake conversation, but the feelings of love for my Sarah?  Yeah, those are for real.  They are more real and true now than they were four months ago when I asked her to be my wife.  They are definitely more real than the time when I asked her to go rock climbing and have share some dinner.  The feelings for love are more real than the first time I saw her, nearly two years ago when she didn't even know I was human sharing the same oxygen with her at church.  Those feelings for love, for a desire to care for her, feeling of concern and respect have never felt so deep in our entire career and the good thing is, they will only get deeper as time goes on.  Truly, Sarah plus Taylor equals happiness.  

16 days is all that's left

Until she becomes my wife,

16 days two hearts bereft

But soon will start a new life.

16 days will count on down

Until those days become one, 

And hand in hand we'll gaily bound

And off into the sunset we'll run. 

I love you my Sarah Bear!