Wordless Wednesday is not an option for me.

It's Hump Day. You know, the day in the middle of the week when you can almost breathe a little sigh knowing you're crossing over the halfway mark, but at the same time you're like, "Geez, it's ONLY Wednesday?" I feel like life has been insanely busy this past week or so, and even when I've had some time to sit and think about blogging, I just don't feel like it, or I can't think clearly enough to come up with anything great or witty or amazing to write. So, how about a general life update? (*Yawwwnnn* right?) Well...that's what you're gonna get. So deal with it.

First of all, I figure it's about time I explain this whole situation with Joe and me buying my dress and stuff. We've had a lot of people thoroughly confused by it all, and well, it's kind of confusing. But it's going really well, and I feel totally blessed with how everything is working out. Anyway, here's the breakdown of where we're at and how we got here.

Joe and I had already talked about marriage and decided we were pretty sure it was heading that direction, so we began the brainstorming phases months ago. Joe was originally planning on going into the Naval Reserve, and if he was accepted in December, he'd have been leaving around April of 2009, returning in October. With that in mind, we knew we wanted to (and would need to) take the pre-married class at Joe's home church, and we figured if we waited until after he came back from training stuff, the very earliest we could even think about getting married was like, early- to mid-2010. (Can I get a "boooo"?) So we found out that the next class was beginning in January of this year, and we could finish the class before Joe left for the Navy. Then, when we found out he didn't get in (he'll most likely re-apply in a couple years), we figured it couldn't hurt to go ahead and start the classes anyway. We made sure both his and my parents were okay with it, and we talked with each other about the potential weirdness of doing a "pre-married" class before we were even engaged. Ultimately, the class is going to be (and has already been) hugely beneficial to us. Plus, since we've only known each other since last May, it's a relief to my parents (Mom especially) that we're taking the time to do the classes and get a good sense of what married life with each other could be like -- and make sure we're sure it's what we want. We're halfway through the twelve weeks of classes now, and we're both pretty dang sure. But alas, the engagement isn't going to happen until after the classes are finished, because a) Joe told my dad we'd do the whole class first, and b) Joe has to ask my dad's permission/blessing IN PERSON. Kind of difficult, seeing as how my dad lives 3 1/2 hours away from us, and we're a little preoccupied every single weekend through March. So, to be perfectly honest, I have absolutely no idea when Joe is going to propose. He could be really sneaky and find a way to meet up with my dad sooner than I know. Maybe he already did it. But I'm trying not to overthink the possibilities, because I want Joe to be able to do it on his own terms, not because of me asking too many questions or putting extra pressure on him. Bottom line, we both know it's going to happen, and it's going to be relatively soon, because, um...we already set a date. And I bought a dress. And oh, this just in (as of yesterday): we've booked the venue.

So, there you have it. We're planning our wedding, and we're not engaged yet. Right now it's pretty much just a matter of getting things in order so that the proposal can happen. You know, stuff like getting Dad's permission, getting a ring, and making sure that week 12 of our class isn't going to reveal some crazy, deep dark secret like, "We're actually cousins. Oops!" (Wow...that would SUCK.)

We are continuing to pray and trust that God will work everything out according to his plan, even to the point that we've discussed the possibility of one of us deciding to back out and we've agreed that if we really weren't SURE anymore, even if it's all the way up to the moment we're standing there at the altar, we wouldn't follow through with it if we felt it wasn't right. Now, you might have just read that and thought, "You people are crazy, and clearly not as in love as you say, otherwise you'd know and get engaged already and yada yada yada..." But the point is, while neither of us can imagine being the one to get some big revelation that we don't want to do this, we know that, up until the "I do"s, the decision CAN be reversed. We're not planning for that to happen. We're just saying we don't want to start a marriage based on a feeling of obligation or anything other than 100% commitment and assurance that it's the right choice.

I could talk in circles for days, but I hope you see where I'm coming from.

So, to anyone reading this (namely people we know) who is like, "Holy crap, I didn't even know you were dating!" -- um...you've been living under a rock. Er, I mean, I'm sorry if this is overwhelming. But I hope it's helped to catch you up with our lives, since I know it's tough to keep in touch sometimes.

Aaaaanyway. Totally didn't mean for that part of the "life update" to be so lengthy. Whoops. Let's see, other news...

Ah. Well, I'm pregnant.





...Haha! Just kidding! Oh, that was mean. That was really mean. I'm not pregnant, nor have I ever been, and nor is there any possibility of pregnancy at ALL. If you get what I mean.

Okay. Enough of that. Can anyone (girls, especially those who've gotten married at some point in their lives) tell me: how important is it to pick "seasonal" colors for a wedding? Like, if I wanted my bridesmaids' dresses to be a dark purple (per se) for a summer wedding, is that totally unacceptable? Will I be shunned by the community of wedding-obsessed women forever? Basically I have no idea what I want to do as far as colors, flowers, etc., except that I like dark purple, and I keep hearing/reading that it's more for winter-time weddings. Can I just fart in the general direction of that concept? Is that allowed?

Nextly, I would like to say that Google Reader is going to be the death of me. I'm now following like 74,392 blogs (and still a major exaggerator), and it's overwhelming! But they're all so great, and I keep finding MORE great stuff by clicking through to related sites. It's really quite ridiculous. And, while I love reading people's stuff, I also feel a constant sting of jealousy because you people get anywhere from ten to a hundred comments on EVERY POST, and here I am feeling lucky if I get two. Is it too much to ask to be an instantly famous and widely popular blogger who can make a total living off of ad revenue alone? Jeez. That's all I ask.

Tee hee. I crack me up. I added AdSense just for kicks and giggles, and in like a month or so, I've earned all of 71 cents. I love it.

Anyway, lunch break's about over. My carpal tunnel is full-fledged right now, so you better feel grateful for this insanely long-winded post right here.

The End.