I'm Getting Married!!!!

"My cup runneth over....!"

I'm sure most of you already know through facebook, but....I AM ENGAGED TO BE MARRIED!!!!

On October 15th, Jerald Jay Stratton, III, aka "JJ" or to me "Jay", took me star-gazing at a nearby lake.  He brought a blanket and candles and treats (including my fav extra dark Lindt truffles ;). We slow-danced as jazzy Ella Fitzgerald played on his laptop, and he began to tell me what I meant to him.  I felt him reach into his pocket and shuffle something behind my back before he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.  I said, "Yes! Yes! Yes!" ;)  He proposed with a family heirloom ring, which I learned minutes later when we called my parents was in fact my grandmother's engagement ring!  I bawled.  It was beautiful, and such a blessing!  All my grandparents have been gone for many years, so it is so special to have my maternal grandmother's ring.  It is also an extravagant blessing for us financially and much bigger than I ever expected.  Haha!  :)

We will be getting married in St. Louis on April 9th, 2011.  Pray for us as we plan for the wedding and more importantly our marriage and future life together!  The Lord is stirring our hearts and minds to certain avenues over these next 4-5 years which we are very excited about---but more specifics to come on that later!  In the meantime, we've enjoyed spending each weekend together in these past two months since he officially moved to Kansas City.  He still works four ten hour days all over southern Missouri during the week, mostly out of Rolla and Springfield.  I'm looking forward to when we will see each other every day...but this is a great improvement to every third weekend!  It has been great to attend Forerunner Christian Fellowship (with IHOP-KC) together and enjoy time in the prayer room.

Other highlights over these past two months have been seeing family and friends at several weddings in the St. Louis/Illinois area.  First we celebrated with my cousin Debbie as she wed a wonderful man from Kenya.  Then two weeks later my very good childhood friend Jonathan Block married at the family farm where I spent many hours adventuring during summers growing up.  Then two weeks after that, we visited Rolla and stayed with Martha and James Cameron and went up to St. Louis for Jay's company team building day at Dave and Buster's.  Beforehand we met my parents at a few reception sites, and were happy to find the least expensive option to be very beautiful (and be running a special for April!)

Now to Him who richly provides for all our needs according to His riches in glory be blessing and honor and praise!  :)