Record Timing

March 10th was when Ava met with Pres. Little and he told us he had sent all the Temple clearance paperwork to Salt Lake the very next morning, the 11th. Tuesday, the 19th, I got a phone call from Pres. Little telling me that Salt Lake had called him concerning our application.

The additional paperwork they had requested I wasn't able to get to them until that following Friday morning, the 22nd. I asked Pres. Little his thoughts on all this - hearing from them so soon after the application was sent in, etc. He felt that it was definitely cool that the committee was looking at it so soon, but still sure it might take sometime to get a letter back, (due to General Conference coming up very soon and the fact that the First Presidency only look at the entires world's Temple clearances and cancellations once a week).

But to our GREAT suprise on Saturday, the 23rd, Ava's letter from the First Presidency was in the mailbox! It had been only 12 days since paperwork was sent it!

Let the *official* wedding planning begin!

One Step Closer

On March 10th Ava had his interview with President Little to finalize our part of the Temple clearance paperwork. Yay! We were told that this process, on average, take 6-8 weeks, but has, sometimes, taken longer and sometimes not very long at all. Ava and Pres. Little walked out of the office and reminded us of this then said, "But I have a feeling you'll hear something by mid- to late April. That'll put us right at the 5 week-ish mark.

So to have a missed call from Pres. Little this past Tuesday (as I was getting ready for class) that said that our application was being reviewed (and that there was one thing they wanted to check on before they sent it to the First Presidency). Wow! A week?! I happened to see Pres. Livingston, our Branch President, that Tuesday evening and he said, "See what making the right choices can do?"

Yes, yes I can!

One step closer!

* Hint into our first dance song

School, Work, Wedding Dresses, and Birth Control

This semester for me has been different due to the fact that two of my four classes are strictly online. Not that I'm complaining - I actually enjoy them the same (but on a different level) as my lecture classes. But...

...with "work" its been hard to find time to get them done. My Fundamentals of Fitness class is pretty routine. I read the chapter at some point during the week, go online and do about 100 (literally) flash card -type questions, most of the time do some sort of Lab (for instance, this past week I had to visit a health club place and find out costs, amenities, and equipment), then I take a test - all of which is due every Sunday night at midnight. Simple enough. Really...

Then I have my Geography class... F!U!N! Like, seriously! I LOVE that class... but that schedule is all cally-wompus! Luckily, I was able to get all the assignments done within the first two weeks of "class." The studying and reviews for the tests are kind of my biggest complaint. The first test was easy peasy, but there were 250-ish pages to reach in four weeks. There's less reading for each next test, but a lot more questions. Which is cool - but these last three tests are due within two weeks of each other. And with Grandpa (that'll be another blog) its be REALLT difficult to get going. I only seem to get homework done when I'm with Ava (a HUGE suprise for me)! He's my bringer-back-down-to-earther!

Thursday Ava went with me to Beaumont to have my dress fitted! I thought I loved the ivory-champagne version of my dress... the white version is GORGEOUS!! And the (totally straight) seamster that helped me Mormonize it was AMAZING!! David's Bridal in Beaumont - y'all ROCK!

Its going to be so beautiful! Can't wait until I can use it!

The topic of babies vs birth control has been on my mind lately - and still is, pretty heavily!

Ava wants a baby, but not until I'm done with school. That could be December 2015 or May 2016. It FEELS so long away, but is in less than three years. Really not that bad.

I'm feeling the feva' for a baby... and some of the comments he's made, he's thinking a baby is near in the future.

Anyway, Thursday I brought up the topic of me/us using birth control or just letting things happen when... they happen. At first he was all like, "You do what you want to do." I told him that if I did what I wanted to, I wouldn't get on birth control, quit school (for now) and have a baby. BUT... :\ if he was really serious and adament about not having a baby until I graduated, then I would be willing to wait.

So, we (kinda) both decided to use birth control until after I graduated with my Bachelor's, then we'd begin trying to have a baby.

Lame... Not the decision I really wanted, but one that is mature and makes a lot of sense. Lamer...

Whisperings?

Can I just be honest? Can I just vent for a moment?



I've been praying about asking Ava about his feelings about birth control. He continues to tell (encourage) me that we won't have a baby until I finish school. If he is really serious about not having a baby until then and we should be married in just a few short months, then I need to get to the OB/GYN, like, tomorrow and get that taken care of.

Like I said I had been praying and continue to pray about approaching Ava about this and planned to this past Tuesday and plan to this Tuesday. But what makes me feels like he's got himself talked into a baby sooner that he thinks or plans to:

1.) On the way home from getting the new-to-us truck he said, "I feel better now with the new truck. I glad we have something that is really dependable."

I didn't really think anything of it. Yes, I am thankful also at having a really dependable truck.

Then, recently, he and I were talking about the truck and he meantioned that when "we" get pregnant, we'll have a lot more room and something we can depend on in emergencies, etc.

2.) Then about a week ago -ish he said he really feels an urgency in getting the addition started and finished on the house. I reminded him that we have plenty of time before his kids get here for the summer. He agreed with that, but still feels like we should have more room soon. That when "our baby comes" we'll need more room.

So, if he's not worried about having enough room when his kids get here, which is in July, but he's worried about a baby that's supposed to be AFTER his kids come and go back home with their mother, then... why the rush?

Does he feel the same as I do, but doesn't want to share it with me? Does he feel the presence of our little baby close, the same way I do? Does he know that we will have a little one in our home?

I think so.

Happiness in the Making

Just less than a year ago I never would have guessed how very different my life would be now. For so long I had suffered.

Seeing others progress in areas that had been so focused in progressing in killed me. On the outside I was truly happy - truly! But on the inside I was in a dark, deep place. Thoughts ran threw my head that should never cross anyone's mind. Things that I would never wish to cross the mind's of my worst enemies!

My last Valentine's Day alone (2012) was so very tough. I was five months away from turning 29 and since my 20th birthday I had prayed to my Heavenly Father to atleast be married before my 30th birthday. Just that, atleast, and I would be happy.

Not a month later a sweet, sweet man came into my life. The greatest blessing I have ever received (so far)!



To be in that man's presence is awe-inspiring. The spirit he has is pure and raw and real. He is so close to the spirit, so intune. Ava is everything (like, literally) I have ever prayed for. Ava is a beautiful man. He is a good man. He is a great man. He is a righteous man.

Ava is the man I want to live my life with. Ava is the man I want to spend eternity with. Ava is the man I want to be the father of my children. I want Ava to be next to me in all my trials, in all my successes; in my ups and downs; in good moods and in my bad moods.

I want to be a part of his life. I want to be a part of his culture. I want to be a part of his family. I want to bury myself in his skin. I want to have his strong arms around me all the time. I want his sweet, gentle kisses on my forehead. I want to have his large and rough, yet gentle and tender hands holding mine.

I cannot wait until I am sealed to this great man of God for time and all eternity! I cannot wait until that great day in the Temple of the Lord when the Lord will allow me stay at that man's side and be all the help and support to him I can! I cannot wait for him to be the patriarch of our home! I cannot wait until the time when our first baby will come and to know that that sweet, sweet little spirit is a piece of him (and me, of course). But that our little blessing has a great chance of being an amazing person because of who his father is.

Ava, I love you so much. My Fatu - you are a great man! You may not be perfect (and I beg to differ), but you're perfect for me!

The Dress Is Here!

My dress is in Beaumont! My appointment to "Mormonize" it is on the 28th of this month!

Flers!

My bouquet my sweet little sister made for me!

Isn't it BEYOND gorgeous?! I LOVE it!! Preview into the reception colors... And the dress...