Lots To Say...

Do you ever have so much to say that you don't know where to start... I could sum it all up in a few concise sentences, but y'all know me better then that. If it can be said in a few sentences I will make paragraphs for ya... I'm all about the details... It's why you love me... (Ok... maybe you don't, but heck, if you are still reading this and haven't clicked away it's on you!)

First of all, to cover Sparky... Yes, she has a boyfriend. They know each other from church and school and have for over a year. This summer they spent a lot of time flirting getting to know each other and last week he asked our permission to "date" Sparky. I posted about a week ago about our thoughts on dating... If you missed it you can click HERE to get caught up. Anyhow, he didn't just spend the summer getting to know Sparky, but getting to know the whole family and we really like him. (Or else Paul would have said no... I hope!) He is a great kid and I'm sure y'all will get plenty of chances to hear about him seeing as he is going to be best man at Cate & The Boy's wedding....

Do you like how I just dropped that juicy nugget in there... Did you have to re-read that one?

First of all, a public service announcement: If you know us in real life, not just the bloggy realm (you know who you are...) and especially if you are local, please let them tell you and others!

But yes... The Boy (I really need a new name for him) asked Cate to marry him and she said yes! (After he asked her father then sought out both of our blessing.) I should be freaking out... My 19 year old daughter plans to marry soon after her 20th birthday next year, and she plans to marry the boy she has been dating only two months, but I'm not... It is so clear that this is right... They have been on this path since they met... They are amazing together and they both truly love the LORD. I am truly happy for them.

So, are you sitting down... There is more news...

They quit college... And we are happy about it...

No, we are not nuts... If they hadn't made this decision together Paul planned to go down and remove Cate. You see, it wasn't at all what they advertised it to be. We knew it was a small school, but we were misled as to exactly how small. We were told they never accept more then 20 student to each class in order to keep classes intimate... How many people does that lead you to believe go to school there? Well, Cate and the Boy were 2/3 of the entire student body! Yes, there were only 3 students in the entire school. Also, (possibly due to the size) the classes were a joke... Cate said the home school co-op we belonged to in TN was more organized and the classes more thought out... Here is the problem with that... We were paying for her to go to school there. $4000 a semester... $800 a class... One class was called "personal leadership"... It was a daily devotions class. The book they used was a devotional book... Like one you might order to do in a small group, but not pay $800 for. But that was only one aspect... The other problem was in their doctrine. We knew the church that "sponsors" the college has somewhat different doctrine then we as a family subscribe to. We spoke to them at length about this, but apparently to no avail. They seemed open to accepting students from different backgrounds, or we thought so... It turns out they have some beliefs that we can only describe as unbiblical and they seemed very intent on forcing Cate and the Boy into these beliefs. I don't want to go into detail here, but it was a bad fit. There were many other reasons this decision was made, (like their two week window to withdraw was closing) but again I don't want to bash anyone... They plan to figure out where the LORD wants them school wise and pursue it next fall... As a couple.

Which brings me back to the engagement... Yes, we are fully supportive. These two are deeply bonded in a way only the LORD could do. Their relationship has been a time that could only be described as a "pressing" and it seems to have bonded them to each other and the LORD. If you remember, soon after they started officially "dating" his brother died a horrible and untimely death... And they were both in the room to witness it. They had to deal with that, and all the subsequent things that resulted from it. They also had a good mutual friend spiral out of control this summer and try to take anyone not deep rooted in their faith with her. (Our youth group is still reeling and rebuilding.) Then there was the short lived, but extremely stressful school experience... One of the (many) reasons they left was that the leadership there did not support their dating. In fact, they were open with us that it was their goal to force them apart. It was their personal view that they are too young to be seriously dating anyone, and they made it their mission to do us a "favor" and help them to see that... Instead of breaking up they both dug in deeper to the word both together and as individuals... If it was their goal at the school to divide them they failed... They are firmly cemented, and anyone who knows them can see they truly do belong together. His parents are just as supportive.

Would we have preferred they wait... Maybe, but not anymore...

So, that's what is going on here... Does my life make yours feel sane? I'm off to plan a wedding...


Thanks for listening,


PS... I've decided to call The Boy "Jackson"... Because it's his middle name and thats as creative as I can be... Since it looks like he is sticking around I guess he needs a name other then The Boy, so there you go.