I'm Officially a College Graduate

Last Saturday I joined the ranks of college graduates! It was a pretty wild, long and trying 5 years but I am beyond relieved and proud of myself for pushing through and getting my diploma.  

Now that schoolwork, finals and graduation day are all behind me I'm ready to see what this new chapter of my life has in store for me! As for as the very near future that means working more, continuing to settle into my and Joe's new place and WEDDING PLANNING! We have our date secured at the church, a very near secured photographer and I made an appointment to visit a venue I LOVE for next week. June will bring wedding dress shopping, engagement pictures and hopefully getting my bridesmaids together all in one place (fingers crossed) so everyone can get acquainted and we can pick out dresses. I just hope everything starts falling into place!

1. Me with proof I graduated.
2. Momma and I before I went to line up for the main ceremony.
3. My friend Kate and I after becoming Ball State alumni!
4. Handsome brothers.
5. Me and my dad.
6. My mom and brothers.
7. My very happy grandparents.
8. I finally got a picture with the photographer at the end of the day!

6 Months

As of today, Joe and I have been engaged for 6 months. I can't believe how fast the time has gone! It seems like it was just a few weeks ago that he got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife, and now it's been an entire half of a year! I remember back during the summer when we set our wedding date and feeling like it was lightyears away - a year and 8 months really felt like forever. But now we are closing in on being just a year from the big day and I'm finally coming out of the "my wedding is so far away I'm not even excited" funk I've been in.

Soon we will be having real conversations about venues, the reception location, and decor. We will be making solid decisions on a photographer, a florist, and entertainment. Before I know it I will be trying on dresses and working with our bridal party about what they will be wearing. We have had these conversations before, but just brainstorming and dreaming, now they will be concrete! As the one year mark gets closer my excitement is really building.

Over the last six months I have seen and felt the love between Joe and myself strengthen and grow, and I hope it only keeps growing as the time before our wedding gets closer and closer. There is nothing like getting to marry your best friend. Not only are you anticipating your wedding to the person you care the most about, but you are also looking forward to a lifetime of conversations and fun with someone that has already been one of your biggest confidants and cheerleaders.

I am so thankful for friends and family on both sides that have shown excitement and support since we became engaged. While things haven't always been smooth sailing, engaged life has been an exciting new experience. I can only hope that as time gets closer and the planning really starts both of us can enjoy the process and not get too caught up in it and let what is important get away. We are in this together. I love Joseph with every fiber of my being and cannot wait to see what the next 14 months have in store for us, and am anxiously anticipating our married life together!

How We Met

Three years ago this past weekend Joseph and I met for the first time. I wish I could say we were high school sweethearts or that he found me at the library or something cute like that, but really we met at a party when I was 19 and he was 21. It was really after a weird series of missed connections. I was at his high school graduation, but dating another guy. When I worked as an administrative assistant I used to go to Panera at least 3 times a week for lunch, where he worked. Both of our families are avid Fort Wayne Komets fans and his aunt and uncle were even married at a game. We had mutual friends and had even been to the same parties, but always just missed one another.

 It was the Sunday night of Labor Day weekend 2009. A mutual friend of ours invited me to a party with him and some friends. I decided to go and within minutes of arriving I spotted Joe. I thought he was cute, but also a little goofy. After a few minutes of standing around our friend introduced us and Joe made some sly comment obviously meant to get my attention. At first I really had no intention to talk to him, but within minutes of starting an actual conversation he had me sucked in. I was drawn to his energy and his out there personality. If you know Joe, you know he definitely doesn't hold back.

We parked ourselves on a couch in the living room and spent the whole night just talking. We talked about everything from music, to school, to family life. We had such a great conversation going we hardly noticed when everyone started leaving. He was so charming and interested and cocky and wonderful all at once. Suddenly it was after 4 in the morning and we were still chatting away. After a little flirting before going home he asked me for my phone number. I took the hat off of his head and told him that if he wanted to get it back he would have to see me again. (I know you are jealous of my smooth moves!) After a little more talking we headed our separate ways. As I climbed into bed I received my first of many text messages from him, and we haven't stopped talking since.

Even though we hit it off immediately, it wasn't a cake walk, especially for Joseph. I was 19, out on my own for the first time, recently out of some interesting relationships, and really enjoying being single and talking to boys. Typical 19 year old girl stuff. So, poor Joe held on for dear life for over 2 months after we first met. He asked me to be his girlfriend multiple times, did so much to win me over, and was there for me as just a friend when I needed him. We spent almost every evening together. I would go over to his house after I got off of work and if he wasn't working and we would hang out.  He made me dinner, sent me flowers, invited me to star gaze, wrote me letters, really the list of sweet things could go on. Finally in the middle of November I decided to take the leap and told Joe I was ready to be in a serious relationship with him, the rest is history and neither one of us have looked back.

Now 3 years later we're planning a wedding. It's kind of crazy to think about when I think back to our time of just talking and hanging out. When I first met him I couldn't even fathom dating, let alone see him as being the person I will spend the rest of my life with.

On Marrying Young and Wanting A Little R E S P E C T

Ever since Joe and I became engaged there has been no shortage of advice, cautionary tales, and questions about our decision to marry young. We are currently 22 and 23 and will be 24 and 25 when we get married. While we are not the youngest people I know that are taking steps into married life, we are young and will be young when we walk down the aisle. While I see no real issue in this as one of my very best friends is married, many people I went to high school with are getting engaged and married, and my parents and grandparents were younger than me when they took the leap, I can understand and see where others concern is coming from.

I realize that some see marrying young as a mistake of sorts. I've heard people my own age say things like "marrying before you're 25 is a lot like leaving the party early". I've heard stories from people about: higher divorce rates, not having all of life's experiences, not being financially secure and established in life, problems coming up from not being "mature" enough, not knowing who you really are yet, and so on... While I appreciate people's concern and opinions, and I usually meet them with head nods and uncomfortable laughter, I welcome all of these challenges with open arms.

My parents married very young. My mom was 22 and my dad was 19. They are divorced. People like to point this out to me when the quip of marrying young = divorce comes about. Every relationship is different. Can Joe or I predict whether our own marriage will end in divorce? No, I don't think anyone can or wants to predict something like that (and if you are I would highly suggest you don't get married). But, we are both from divorced families. I think this gives us an advantage of sorts as we know what it's like to go through a divorce, how awful and ugly it can be. I know plenty of people who were young marrieds who are still happily married today. A great example I have in my life is my grandparent's. They were married when my grandma was 18 and just celebrated their 48th wedding anniversary.

As for the people who say "You're so young! Kiss a few more guys! Finish school and get a good job! Experience life a little more and grow! Get out and live your dreams! Set yourself up in the real world and find yourself before you settle down!"; I have a few thoughts of my own. I was lucky that I found the person I want to settle down with when I was 19. Even though I was still a teenager I experienced plenty of love and heartache (usually more heartache and anger than lovey dovey feelings). I am so lucky that I was able to find someone who understands me, who makes me laugh, who encourages me in every aspect of my life, who is just as willing to be there for me when I'm mad as he is when I'm happy. I lucked out in finding someone who never lets us go to bed angry at each other, who wipes away my tears, who doesn't make me feel bad about myself, and who I can call my best friend. We didn't plan it.

As for letting myself grow, living my dreams, and getting set up in the "real world" before taking the next big step; I can't wait to do these things with Joe by my side. I really hope that I never stop growing and changing as a person. I would hope that just because I settle down and become a married girl and decide to start a family someday that I don't reach some stopping point. That would be boring and make for a very dull life, and a very dull Katie. I hope that we can have the life we envision in our minds. I hope that we can grow together and be there for each other through each new twist and turn in this adventure called life.

Just because being engaged now, getting married as I reach my mid-twenties, or the person I'm choosing to marry isn't what some people may want, it's what I want. Just because some people may think Joe or I haven't seen or done enough, or that we should wait and live a little more; I don't think that. I am very confident in our decision and I am so unbelievably happy. I don't want to date around and go back to dating liars and cheaters and creepers and guys that just don't quite fill my heart. I don't want to navigate the world alone again, it's so much more fun with someone by your side who is just excited about your combined future as you are. Marriage is not something to take lightly. We've been together for almost three years. We have talked about where we see ourselves in life and about marriage many times.

Being young, engaged, and on the way toward married life is not for everyone, I get that. But, it is for me and Joe. We lucked out. While not everyone can understand that, and I don't expect everyone to, I do think that we deserve some respect. I really don't want to seem like I am ungrateful for people sharing their thoughts, opinions, and stories with me. I really do appreciate it and know that it is all just coming from a place of concern and love.

I would just like for people to trust my judgement, trust Joe's judgement, and know that this is exactly what feels right in my heart and what makes me happy. I want people to respect our decision and respect us as a couple. Just because some may not understand, or think that it's wrong, it doesn't make it wrong. We may be young, but we're ready for this next step and look forward to navigating everything life throws at us together.

(And this in no way is meant to sound like we have no support, we have a great support system. We are very lucky to have great friends and loving families who are happy and excited for us. These are just my thoughts from a few conversations and things I have seen and heard.)