It's not about the Shoe

Do you like her?

Is she wedding material?

Because this is what I'll be wearing the big day!

I'm pretty much in love with them.

Good purchase, if I do say so myself.

Thomas picked them out...be sure to tell him good job. 

But, this post is not about shoes.

It's not about the wedding.

It's about my Thomas.

And our life...the past, the present, and a bit of the future...

It kinda hit me today that it's October.

That means our wedding is two months away.

Two. Months.

I can't even believe it myself.

And as it hit me today, and I sat fantasizing about it, I thought about our life.

And the pile of stuff we've overcome.

And the blissful future that lies ahead.

It's hard to believe I found the love of my of life at only 17 years old.

I never, in a million years, saw my life taking the direction it has.

Thomas and I met in high school, through some mutual friends.

Sure, his super sexy British accent and gorgeous dimples caught my attention right away, but I never thought twice about ever becoming "a thing" with him.

But, eventually, we became best friends.

And long story short, he asked me to be his girlfriend on April 14, 2006.

From that moment on, things moved so fast.

Thomas and I fell in love so hard, so fast.

It was just two weeks upon becoming "official" that we told each other we loved each other.

At about six months, we were talking about a future together.

The months, and eventually years, that followed were amazing.

They were full of special days, like birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays.

And they full of normal days, like cuddling on the couch, laying at the beach, and parties with friends. 

Our relationship blossomed.

We had many highs, and also many lows.

We built unforgettable memories,

And created memories we wish we could forget.

But we stuck through everything together.

Eventually, I started investigating the Mormon church.

Thomas, as you know, was Mormon. 

I had absolutely no intention of ever becoming Mormon - I simply wanted to learn more about it as a way to learn more about the man I loved. 

If I was going to spend forever with him, shouldn't I understand the most important part of his life?

The more I learned about the church, the more I loved it. 

Eventually, I decided I wanted to be baptized into the Mormon church.

This decision was met with a lot of tribulations.

I lost friends, and for a while, my family.

But Thomas was with me the whole time.
Thomas spent countless nights holding me while I cried, and cheering me up.

He encouraged me, lifted me, and brought light to my life.

About two years down the road, Thomas told me he wanted to serve a mission for church.

A mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is two years.

During those two years, the missionaries literally drop everything and dedicate their entire lives to the service of the Lord.

They go around the world teaching people about the Gospel.

They can only email once a week, write regular snail-mail, and call home twice a year: on Christmas and Mother's Day.

For two years.

Twenty-four months.

104 weeks.

730 days.

My heart broke when he told me his decision.

But I promised to support him through those two years and that I'd be here waiting for him when he returned...

Those two years were the longest, hardest years of my life.

But I am so grateful to have experienced them.

I learned so much about myself and Thomas and I as a couple.

My entire faith was tested: my faith in Christ, my faith in Thomas and I, and my faith in myself.

I had some dark times, made some poor decisions, hit my lowest lows, and walked through hell and back.

But I also had some of my highest highs, learned some valuable life lessons, and found the person I want to be in life. 

I cried more tears than I have ever cried in my entire life.

But I laughed more laughs and smiled more smiles than ever before as well.

Our relationship grew infinitely through that experience.

We developed an even deeper, stronger, and more intimate love for one another.

We grew to appreciate the little things in our relationship a million times more, and we realized, through the absence of one another, how much we truly wanted to spend the rest of forever with each other.

We discovered what {real} love is.

Then, on June 8, 2011, after two long years, my Thomas came home.

I will never ever forget the feelings of that day.

The rush of emotion as I ran into his arms after two long years apart.

The way his lips felt against mine again.

The way his fingers fit between mine again.

The feel of his breath on my neck as he whispered "I love you so much" in my ear.

The evening we were reunited, although a blur, will forever be engraved in my memory.

And now, here we are.

Engaged and more in love than ever before.

Thomas is my soul mate.

I never believed in soul mates before I met him.

But I truly believe Thomas was brought into my life for a reason: to be my husband. To grow old with. To be my love for time and all eternity.

He is my better half.

I swear he knows me better than I know myself.

Over five years down the road, and he still treats me like a princess.

He still always opens doors for me.

He calls me {beautiful} and {gorgeous} 800 times a day.

He puts up with my [many] mood swings.

He bears my puppy obsession and baby fever.

He understands sometimes I just need to yell.

He also understands sometimes I'll choose reading a book over him...

He doesn't complain {too much} about the fact that I play Christmas music from September to February.

He at least tries to understand my shoe obsession.

He knows if something's bothering me without me needing to say anything.

And when I'm sad, he knows the perfect balance of letting me cry and making me laugh.

There's been countless breakfasts in bed.

Dozens of bouquets of flowers.

A handful of surprises.

Pounds upon pounds of chocolate.

Hundreds, yes hundreds, of trips to Taco Bell.

Probably thousands of kisses at red lights.

Countless midnight walks under the stars.

Endless wishes at 11:11...and 2:22, 3:33, 4:44, 5:55...

He showers with me with love every single day.

And now, we {finally} get to become one.

We {finally} get to become husband and wife.

We {finally} get to start a family.

We've been through every curveball life could throw us.

We've climbed every mountain that's been in our way, and reached the top stronger and deeper in love every time.

There is nothing in this life we can't make it through.

I can't wait for what the future holds for us.

I can't wait to grow old together.

I found my prince charming.

It's time to start my happily ever after.