52 Down, 30 To Go!

Hi friends! I'm finally posting another update, and I am including pictures of one thing I've been working on to prove that I've actually been quite busy this summer. Enjoy :)

Cards for Curtis! A week before he left, I started imagining what I'd do for writing letters to him every night. I pictured fun little doodles and quotes on notecards. The day he left, I went and got a few art supplies - watercolors, colored pencils, and sharpies, then went crazy. Since then, I've made an original card for every day. That's 80ish cards...yeah, it's taken up a little time, but proven to be therapeutic and a great way to encourage both of us. I can't promise that I can do this every deployment, but for now, I still have plenty of ideas. :)

Not going to lie, a lot of ideas came from Pinterest, and I've tweaked some a little to make my own. It's been a long time since I've done so much artsy stuff, and it feels so good to get back into it!

Well, somehow we have made it almost 8 weeks through this time of separation! I am so excited for September to get here, but I have to say I feel guilty wishing for it. I've always loved summer, and while I love fall too it's always a little sad when school/obligations/routines kick back into gear. This year, seeing back to school things on the shelves and the words "pumpkin spice latte" appearing in ads is making me grossly excited. I'm all about relishing life and that each day is a gift, but there's nothing wrong with some eager anticipation for the next time I see my love. :)

By the way, I've never even had anything pumpkin spice. Last year, Curtis and I went out to get BOGO pumpkin spice lattes, and ended up falling in love with a puppy. Who we brought home 2 days later. That "cheap date" idea ended up to be our most expensive. Love ya, Charlotte. ;)

Last I wrote was on our anniversary. The day was as good as any day could be while we're apart. We talked on the phone the day before, we emailed back and forth all day, I received letters in the mail, and I saw pictures of him posted online! All these things have been my favorite things to look forward to this summer! Then I also had my family keeping me company and showering me with love, my grandparents stopped by for a visit, and received many happy wishes from friends. It was a great day, and I felt strengthened and refreshed and ready to take on the next 6 weeks.

Reaching the halfway point was both a relief, yet the end still felt (and feels) so far away. I compare it to swimming across the ocean. When you reach the halfway point, you can celebrate all you want, but I realize we still have to go through the same amount of time that we already endured, and you have to keep swimming. Just keep swimming, just keep swimming... The only time that having 6 weeks left so much less was when we had no idea where we'd be living at the end of them. We weren't even sure which state we'd be in. That feeling was stressful for someone like me who likes to have life planned out, yet I kept reminding myself at least we'll be together!! And I knew that's all that matters.

But last week, we finally got the exciting news of where we go next...Drum roll please! We're going back to Arizona for a few more months! We are SO excited about it! Last May when we left, we were both thinking and kind of hoping that they would move us right along to the next thing after training. We just wanted to keep going and knock it all out, one thing at a time. But after being apart, we both realized that every week we had in between is a week we get to spend together, and it delays the next inevitable time of separation. We will have about 4 months in between now, and we both think that's a perfect amount of time to relax, get caught up, and have some more adventures before moving and beginning the next thing. So come this December, we get to make another cross country move, from one warm and gorgeous climate to another! Until then, we'll be relishing another few months in a state we love and know so well. :)

I'm very thankful for all the ways we've grown together through this time. There have been bad days for both of us, ones where we just want to throw in the towel and be done with this, but God has given us both strength and hope to press on and live day-to-day. I have loved getting to know Curtis better through his written letters and emails. I love all the reflecting we've been able to do on our love and life together. I love how we've grown stronger in our faith and closer to God as we experience the trial, and continue to learn from each other's discoveries. Even though we aren't experiencing life side-by-side right now, we are both still very involved and invested in each other's lives. In distance, we are far apart, but in our hearts and minds, we've never been closer. We're still counting down the days when we can close the gap and be together again.

It's so hard to believe that at one time, my countdown said 82. I can't imagine or even remember how we managed that, but now that we're here, the excitement is building and it'll be so worth it the moment we see each other again! I know that there will be many other times through this that we'll have to be apart. This is kind of just the preparation for what is to come. I know that we'll face this a lot and we'll both learn how to function without having each other there all the time. I know one thing for sure though, is that I don't want to get used to it. I don't want this to ever be something that is normal or just happens - "oh yeah, my husband and I are separated half a year, no biggie!" I want it to be a big deal, and I want to miss him and think of him and long for him every day that he's gone. I believe it's normal and healthy and that all that comes from God. Every deployment will be a trial for us, and I pray that we will always see it as that and that we will "consider it pure joy" and learn something new from each one - learn something more in our faith, and in our marriage.

That's all for now! Ok, so I really do still enjoy writing little updates, but I have to say I'm REALLY looking forward to the ones I'll publish in a month. But that's just me. ;)

Today, I had another Military Wife milestone - I mailed my very first care package! Come back later next week for the details - Curtis is able to access my blog sometimes, so I can't give away any spoilers! (Love you babe. ;))

Thankful Thursday

So, what's been going on since our vacation?

Curtis has been gone at training for 1 ½ weeks. This is our first time being separated since May of 2013, when he came back from college for the summer and then married me and brought me back with him. Obviously, this is challenging for both of us, and I miss him like crazy. But I don't want to dwell on that right now. Today, I'm sharing all the things I'm thankful for, because despite this time of trial, God is still good, faithful, and sovereign, and with Him we're going to make it through this.

The day before he left - I tried to take pictures whenever I wasn't teary eyed.

I'm thankful for every second of our first 1 year and 10 months of marriage. We were incredibly blessed with so much time together. We made so many memories and grew closer together every day. 

Our last dinner together.

I'm thankful for all the people God has placed in our lives. Our families, our friends, our brothers and sisters in Christ, those who teach us the Word, and everyone who is supporting us and praying for us during this time. They've given us everything from loving support and advice, to great adventures with memories we'll cherish forever. 

We let Charlotte ride on his lap for her last car ride with him.

I'm thankful for Charlotte, our adorable puppy, and my companion for the summer. She is just the little blessing and distraction I need to get me through the summer. She's also been getting a little more mature as the weeks go by, while still keeping her adorable little personality. She is my sunshine. :)

One last family picture (We were at a red light!)

I am thankful that even while we're apart, we are joined by a bond in Christ, and though we can't cling to each other, we can cling to Him and He showers His love, joy, peace, and hope onto us every day. Great is His faithfulness, His mercies are new every morning!

Curtis says goodbye to Charlotte.

I am EXTREMELY thankful for my family opening up their home to me again. I don't know how I'd be able to get through this on my own. I am thankful I have this time to grow closer to them and get to know everyone better after being away for so long. They mean the world to me and I'm so glad I get to be a part of their lives again this summer. I'm also thankful for Curtis' family and their support. Julie (his mom) invited me to help her out with their church's Theater Camp, and it's been a great distraction and reason to get up every morning. Family is everything. :)

Airport goodbyes.

I'm thankful that I can write to him, and know that he'll be able to receive and read those letters. Our separation is only for a little while, and we will be reunited again someday. There is so much sadness and loss in the world that when I put this in perspective, we have nothing to complain about. 

I'm thankful for the military. They saw what great potential Curtis has and offered him a job that he wanted and hopefully will be a good fit, and definitely a good experience. We wouldn't have been able to have so many great adventures together without it. Even when it is difficult or seems unfair, it has provided us with a comfortable lifestyle, and I know we will grow stronger because of it. 

I'm thankful that God's plan is sovereign and He planned this from the beginning of time. All things work together for the good of those who love Him, including this trial. I can cling to that truth and know that we are in this situation for a purpose, and even if I don't know what that is I can continue to pursue Him and worship Him through it all.

Thank you to you for reading - please be in prayer for both of us as we work through this. Through Christ we can do all things!

And a side note - I am back in the Midwest, so if you want to do anything, from get together to go on a great adventure with me, let me know! I have a little time on my hands that I'm trying to make go by fast. ;)

Curtis and Jessica : 2014 in Review

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

From our family to yours!

click to enlarge!

Our year began with us back in Iowa with our families, celebrating Christmas in 7 different homes, traveling with Curtis' family to Michigan to see family, traveling with my family to Missouri to some basketball tournaments, and surviving the -30 wind chills that came across the Midwest. That last part made having to leave family just a bit easier when it came time to return to sunny Arizona! I heard that Tucson had the "warmest winter on record" this year, and I can truly say that we relished every moment of it. Every weekend found us outdoors and going new places, as well as small hikes during the week with our letterboxing friends, Mitch, Kathy, and Alex. Curtis was also taking 17 credits that semester, finishing out his junior year.

On our first weekend home after the holidays, we went on our very first peak hike together with Curtis' hiking buddies. It was undoubtedly the hardest thing I've ever done physically, and I didn't think that it could ever be something that I enjoyed. (To be fair, they did throw a 14 mile hike at me to begin with!) Curtis was very understanding though, and after that we cut back on long hikes and focused on taking short letterboxing trips. We went to places around us like Southern Phoenix, Madera Canyon, and Globe, AZ. During the week, we would go on short hikes with friends in Tucson Mountain Park, or on jogs in Sabino Canyon.

For our first Spring Break, we planned a week long adventure that took us to many sites in Northern Arizona and Southern Utah. My brother Grant was able to join us, and together we visited places like the London Bridge, Hoover Dam, Zion National Park, Buckskin Gulch, Escalante, Gooseneck State Park, Monument Valley, and Payson, Arizona. We really caught the travel bug after this - we love planning such big and detailed vacations, all we need is to have more time to travel! To finish out the school year, we went to Flagstaff, Jerome, Cottonwood, Tombstone, Contention, and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument with friends. In May, I had a change of heart and decided to give hiking another chance. After hiking Mt. Wrightson with Curtis, I realized how fun it really was, and we began planning and training for more long hikes. 

In the last week of May, we traveled back to Iowa to spend a week with family. We made a spur of the moment decision to leave early and surprise them, and that ended up being a highlight of the year.  We spent a fun-filled week with them, taking short trips to Sperry, IA, Pike's Peak State Park, and Effigy Mounds National Monument. It was a blast being able to explore Iowa together, but it made the week go by so fast and before we knew it, we were back in Arizona and the temps were above 100 every day!

This summer, Curtis had a research position at the University. He would be there 4 days a week, then we would either be outside braving the heat or indoors putting together puzzles. We started hiking again right away, and we set our goals high - to Mt. Humphreys, the highest point in Arizona! We took a 4 day weekend toward the end of June, where we went North to Flagstaff to enjoy the cooler temps and every National Monument around the area. (Trust me, you need a long weekend - there's a lot up there!) And we were able to reach our goal - the peak of Mt. Humphrey's! In July, we found creative ways to stay cool and still have adventures - whether that meant being underground in a cave, or driving up to the top of a mountain, we were there! We also accomplished our goal of visiting and letterboxing in all 15 counties in Arizona.

July 27 was our first anniversary, and that called for another long weekend trip! This time, we headed West to Santa Barbara and Joshua Tree National Park. We learned that unless you're at the ocean, California is just as hot as Arizona, you're just paying way more for gas. Ha. We had a great weekend though, despite some car troubles, and are enjoying married life together more and more each day!

Curtis began his senior year at the University of Arizona in August. I'm so proud of all that he's accomplished there and how he's excelled. This fall, he only had 12 credits, and is set to graduate in May of 2015 with a double major and a minor. He's pretty amazing! Right now, all he has to do for the Navy is PRT every 6 months and keep his grades up. We still have some time together before our adventure with the Navy begins, and we're doing whatever we can to relish it! 

We'll never forget that one fateful Friday in September, when we went to the mall to get BOGO pumpkin spice lattes, and ended up falling in love with a puppy. We'd visited a local puppy store for the past year on a weekly basis, but never fell for any dog as much as we did for this basset hound. We went home, feeling completely torn about the whole situation. As an adult, we are blessed with the freedom to get all the puppies we want, but cursed with the knowledge of how much responsibility it would take. We spent a weekend thinking over it, and even when we decided to not get her, we couldn't stop talking about her. And so, 2 days later, we brought home our very first pet - Charlotte Antebellum, aka Charlie!

Charlotte has been both a source of immense happiness and extreme frustration as we learn to deal with having a toddler. As difficult as she might be some days, we really do appreciate the fact that she loves and is good at 2 of the things we do the most: hiking and road trips! She impressed everyone when at 13 weeks, she hiked all the way up to the top of the tallest peak in Tucson, walking about 6.5 miles that day. No matter what she gets herself into, she is our first child and we'll always love her. While we are appreciating how cute she is during this puppy stage, we're looking forward to when she's matured a bit more, and I know she'll be a great companion for me when Curtis is at sea.

This fall, we were so excited to finally have some of our family come see us in our home! Curtis' dad came to visit in September during the biggest monsoon, and we saw our first desert tortoise while hiking with him. Curtis' mom and sister came to visit in October, and on top of having some adventures in Cochise county, they were the first to meet Charlotte. And finally, my mom came down in November for a week and we enjoyed showing her around Tucson, and even fit in a weekend trip to Sedona. We don't know how much time we have left in Arizona, but there's still time for you to come visit! Book your vacation now! ;)

All of our hiking this fall was considered training for our big hiking trip over Thanksgiving weekend. We, along with our friend Mitch, hiked down the Grand Canyon to the Supai village, where we enjoyed the beautiful blue waterfalls of the Havasu Creek. We hiked a total of 44 miles over 3 days on a trail that was way out of our comfort zone at the time, but now makes for some great stories! When I look back at 2014, I will always remember it as the year I learned to love hiking. I went from miserably hating every step of my first hike to hiking 20 miles in a day, climbing down a muddy canyon wall, and loving it!

And now, here we are again - at the end of another year, looking back on how God blessed us and protected us over 2014. As I see His faithfulness toward us and our marriage, I know that every day we have together is truly a gift, and I am trying to be content and enjoy each moment as it comes. Right now, 2015 is a big uncertainty as we wait for orders to come from the Navy. We're not sure where we'll be living this time next year. But we know that God is sovereign, and He has everything planned out. All we can do for now is trust in Him!

I lift my eyes up to the hills,

Where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord,

The maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip,

He who watches over you will not slumber.

Indeed, He who watches over Israel

Will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over you,

He is the shade at your right hand.

The sun will not harm you by day,

Nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all harm,

He will watch over your life.

The Lord will watch over your coming and going

Both now, and forever more.

Psalm 121

One Year

July 27, 2014 ~ Our first anniversary!

 

And what a wonderful year it has been! Filled with adventures, change, happiness, silliness, learning new things, traveling new places, going beyond my comfort zone, and always having my best friend by my side to enjoy life with. We've been so blessed this year. We just celebrated with an extra long weekend adventure that I'll be writing about throughout the week. It included road trips, yummy food, lots of walking, tons of letterboxes, a giant statue, problems, prayers, relaxing, and enjoying married life - basically describing our year. Check back soon to read more! :)

Today was filled with memories of our wedding day. I thought about the butterflies in my stomach, and was thankful that I didn't have to go on stage in front of people like I did last year. I thought about our families and friends and how I missed them. I thought about seeing Curtis for the first time for our first look and being so unbelievably happy, then seeing him cry while I walked down the aisle and feeling even happier still. I remembered how in love I felt while I listened to him try to keep from crying while saying his vows, and even more so when he sang to me. I remembered the feeling of excitement and wondering what a life being married to him would look like. And now, I'm even more happy and in love with him than ever, and I'm loving how our marriage works. I can't wait to spend the next 110 years with him. ;)

Reflecting on our past year of marriage, here are our highlights from the past year, July 27 2013 to today.

July: Our wedding day; brunch with our families; leaving for our honeymoon; staying in a lighthouse B&B

August: Honeymoon continued - Minnesota, Canada, Michigan, & more; week with families; moving to Arizona; going as far North as Nipigon, Canada, to Nogales, AZ in the span of 2 weeks

September: feeling at home in our apartment; exploring Tucson; making new friends; a 5 mile hike; discovering Krispy Kremes was only 2 hours from us

October: the Albuquerque Balloon Festival; National Letterboxing Week; San Diego for my 21st; learning how to make fancy adult beverages

November: First letterboxing event together; touring Cochise county; 

Thanksgiving with family; discovering the puppy store near our home

December: Curtis passed first semester of Jr year even as a married man; getting awesome Christmas gifts for each other; going back to Iowa to spend Christmas with families (7 homes in 7 days!)

January: Going to Missouri & Illinois to watch my sister kick butt in basketball (not literally); buying our first hiking boots and doing a 14 mile hike that almost killed me (not literally); no snow and beautiful weather every day

February: Tucson Letterboxing Event; weekend trips to Rincon Mountains, Madera Canyon and Globe with friends; making my first ever homemade sushi rolls; 7 mile hike

March: visiting Patagonia Lake; planning our first spring break vacation; going on "Great Southwest Adventure" with my brother Grant all over the Northern half of Arizona; seeing Lydia & Jeff in Phoenix; discovering the best sushi EVER

April: Letterboxing event/weekend in Flagstaff/Jerome/Cottonwood with friends; Curtis finally turning 21, hiking 6 miles to visit ghost towns with friends; making my 2014 goal of finding 500 letterboxes

May: hiking 7 miles on Pontatoc trail then conquering Mt. Wrightson (10 miles); visiting Organ Pipe Cactus; learning to drive stick shift; driving 30 hours straight and surprising our families in Iowa; letterboxing event in Iowa; spending a full week with family!

June: Completing our goal of visiting all 15 Arizona counties; hiking Red Ridge Trail; mastering Mt. Humphreys and our tour of the greater Flagstaff area; visiting Kartchner Caverns; getting to experience some great AZ heat

July: finding ways to still have fun adventures with the heat; helping Jeff & Lydia move to Phoenix; discovering the greatest cheesecake recipe ever; gold panning and Kitt Peak; celebrating one awesome year together with an amazing vacation!

We are so blessed. Tonight I'm thanking God for this amazing year, and praying that with this coming year we'll grow even closer to Him and each other as we continue on with the adventures, change, and love!

Finding Our Church

Looking back over our first year of marriage, one of the biggest things that's helped us grow spiritually is the teachings at our church, Berean Bible Church. Today I'm sharing with you how and why we came to be attenders of this church.

Out of all the things to consider before getting married, the most important questions to ask is: do we share the same belief? For Curtis and I, this seemed simple. We are both Christians, and had attended the same church for 10 years. While this could be simplified to "do we share the same religion," I think it goes much deeper than that. You can say you're a Christian, but that in itself can have so many different meanings. There are many different denominations of churches, as well as versions and interpretations of the Bible. Then even deeper than that, how do you actively grow and live out what you believe in your daily life? I think that if the beliefs of a couple align, they will have a significantly better chance at making it together, because what you believe is the foundation for all your thoughts, world views, goals, interests, and more.

Growing up, Curtis and I had been tremendously blessed to be able to sit under the teachings of a mentor and good friend, Ken McElreath. Listening to one of his lessons is like drinking from a fire hydrant. Within the first 10 minutes of any lesson, I can learn so much, and already have a page of notes to study and consider. With Ken, it wasn't ever just a Bible lesson that we could sit through, and walk away from and be good for a week. Every Sunday, we were challenged to re-evaluate how we read our Bibles, what we believed, and how to live our daily lives. What we learned from him has changed the way we think and how we studied the Bible. I personally had attended his Sunday school class on-and-off since 3rd grade with the rest of my family, so I would say that his teaching has affected my spiritual walk almost as long as I've been a believer.

Ken McElreath, speaking at our wedding reception

Out of all of the prayers I said before and while in the process of moving to Tucson, the most important one was that God would bring us to the right church. Curtis and I knew we loved Ken's teaching, and decided that the teaching was the most important part about our decision. We wanted a pastor who would go deep into the Word, giving a good expository message, and would study the Bible verse-by-verse, using the rest of the Bible to determine what it says. If we could find a church where we agreed with its core beliefs and studied the Bible in this way, we could be content. The question was, did such a church exist, and would we be able to find it in this big city?

God is good, and answered our prayers quickly. In our second week of our church search, we came across one on the internet. "Berean Bible Church." This looked like a good sign, since the Bereans are mentioned in Acts 17:11, where it says that "they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." We found some messages online, liked what we heard and decided it was worth a visit.

Our first Sunday morning at Berean Bible Church was one of the most encouraging days. We entered the small church and were warmly greeted by many, as it is easy for new people to stand out in a smaller church. But the fact that we were new wasn't the only way we stood out… we noticed we were also possibly the youngest in the building. (Upon further investigation, we found this to be true!) We sat close to the back, and a woman came up to introduce herself - she was the Pastor's wife. The service then started with worship, and we were in for such a pleasant surprise to find that the worship team consisted of a piano (played by the pastor's wife) and a singer, and almost every song was straight from the hymnal. It was so simple and refreshing! I don't remember all the different elements, but there was worship, offering, announcements, more worship, and then the message. Oh, what a wonderful message! At this time, the church was going through the book of Ephesians. We weren't sure how long the sermon would go since this was a church service and normal services last an hour with a half-hour sermon. But after a deep, insightful lesson, I looked at the clock and was surprised to see that the sermon was nearly an hour long! I'm pretty sure we were sold at this point. We were invited to a snacks and fellowship time after the service, where we talked to the Pastor and an Elder, along with their wives, and several other attenders. I already knew then that I wanted to return to this church, but getting to know the Pastor & his wife better came with another blessing - they reminded me so much of Ken and his wife Marsha back at home. We had found the "Southwest Trekkers Bible Study"!!It was like God was saying "see? Nothing's impossible with Me. Welcome home!"

We continued attending Berean Bible Church, and are still loving it. We're challenged each week with a new sermon, and it's helped us to get better with reading the Bible together. We love being in our church, surrounded by older and more mature believers and couples. We really enjoy helping with their technology and working on the soundboard during service some Sundays. I know that throughout our time with the Navy, there will many churches we'll attend, and I hope that we can find a church like this, or like Ken's Bible study, everywhere we live.

To anyone who may be in a situation like we were, our advice is first off to pray that God would make it clear where you should be. Make a list of the most important things you're looking for. Focus on the most important thing, and you will find other things fall into place. For us, we thought teaching was most important, and though we preferred simpler worship times, we were willing to go with anything if the teaching was what we were looking for. When it's the right place, I believe God will make it work out. Make sure your core beliefs align with the pastor's, and the church's mission statement. Remember that church isn't supposed to make you feel comfortable - while fellowship and happy messages feel good, in order to grow spiritually, you need to be challenged and encouraged to pursue your own personal walk with God. Once you have found the church that is where you know God is leading you, commit to going as often as possible and get involved. Be assertive in finding ways that you can serve the church and give back. 

To anyone interested in listening to Ken McElreath's teachings, visit http://www.trekkersbiblestudy.org. If you're interested in Berean Bible Church, visit http://www.bereanbibletucson.org.

These pictures are all from 4 years ago today, coming home from our 3rd Mexico Missions trip together. We we just silly pair with an equally crazy group of friends. :)

Flowers from Rain, Beauty from Pain

I guess Arizona heard that I'm missing Iowa, and decided to give me a taste of what Iowa has gotten in the past week.

What our parking lot looks like after it's rained several days in a row. Thankfully our spot has been dry so far! 

Yes, Arizona does get rain - it just doesn't know what to do with it!

Curtis and I were going for a walk when we found this tree fallen over outside of our apartment complex. We had no idea the winds were that strong! If there ever was a tornado or straight line winds like what Iowa just had, I don't think they have sirens or a way of letting anyone know. It doesn't matter, we don't have basements anyway. :p

It's not fair, we only have like 1 tree for every 200 that Iowa has, and they don't even give much shade! Why do we have to lose our precious trees?!

Welp, I guess we're not going through that gate anytime soon!

Storm clouds - I see them a lot, but that doesn't mean we get rain every time. The first day that it rained, Curtis and I happened to be at the puppy store, and ended up walking home in a downpour. It was so much fun. :)

Rain likes to hover over mountains. That's Wasson peak on the right.

Beauty in the desert. Isaiah 43:18-19 come to mind. "Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." No matter were you are in life or what is going on, God is at work, creating beauty from pain, flowers growing after the rain. Don't spend your time thinking about the past and what once was, instead focus on the here and now and look for ways that God is working around you. 

I've stayed busy carving stamps this week. I'll post some pictures when I have more done. I was so nervous about getting started on these more challenging carves, but now that it's going so well I can't stop! Yesterday, I was able to go to school with Curtis for "take your wife to school day" and we had a fun lunch date. Today, he worked from home. We are so blessed with all this time together.

Picture by Julie Jorgensen, 2013 - from our winter engagement photo shoot, the week we got engaged. :)