Our engagement story

Quentin and I are engaged! =D
I'm still trying to let it sink in. Looking at the ring on my finger, I feel like I'm dreaming. It's hard to stop smiling. Here's the story:

On Sunday evening after work, we went for a walk at Latta Plantation. Part way down a trail in the woods, we came to a small table and two chairs. Quentin told me it was for our dinner.

When we finished eating, Quentin started taking M&M's out of a bowl and putting them on my plate. One said Em&Em's and another had a picture of us on it. Then he showed me one that said I Love You.
At that point, I began to suspect what might be coming. We had agreed earlier in our relationship to not say "I love you" unless we became engaged.

Quentin asked, "Do you remember when we said that we could tell each other that?" I said yes.
Then he got down on one knee and said, "I love you Emily. Will you marry me?" And he pulled out a ring box. I said, "Yes. Because I love you, too." Then we hugged each other for a long time.

Quentin worked hard to make the evening special for me, and I definitely felt/feel very loved. He is such a kind and generous man who showers me with gifts and blessings that I don't deserve. I am so very excited to begin planning our wedding together, and greatly look forward to the day when I get to marry the man who captured my heart.

I love you, Quentin Whitaker!

I have decided

This hymn is very true for me right now:

"I have decided to follow Jesus
I have decided to follow Jesus
I have decided to follow Jesus
No turning back
No turning back"

After recent conversations I've had about God/religion, I had some doubts about Christianity. So, I did some really deep thinking about my beliefs and whether or not they are completely true. I've come to the exciting conclusion that God is real, the Bible is true and trustworthy, and Jesus is my Savior. The reason this conclusion is so exciting (apart from the fact that I have a relationship with my Creator) is that I came to it on my own. No one told me that this is what is true, I became convinced of these things myself, based on what I've experienced and seen others experience and based on what I've read in Scripture.

So, I can really sing the above hymn with my whole heart. /I/ have decided (no one decided for me) to follow Jesus! :) I am so thankful to God that He helped me truly own my faith.

It's hard to believe that it's been a whole year since I moved into the rental house with other girls. I just signed to renew my lease a few days ago. Most definitely the past year has been a year of growing and maturing for me. I won't go into detail, but I'll just say that I learned more about adulthood & responsibilities, and claiming my beliefs as my own. I do miss living with my family, but I get to see them once a week which is a blessing.

Also, this past Wednesday Quentin and I celebrated 6 months of being 'together'. Crazy how time flies! I often wish time would slow down or stop when I'm hanging out with Quentin. He's such a good friend, as well as a good boyfriend. :) Wouldn't trade him for anything.

  

5 months and fireworks

Quentin and I have been dating for 5 months now. Hard to believe how much has happened in 5 months. As expected, there have been ups and downs in our relationship. But the ups have definitely outwayed the downs, which is an undeserved blessing. I've learned a lot about giving, serving, and loving, as a result of dating. Most of what I've learned is a result of how Quentin has treated me. He is extremely kind, gentle, respectful, and thoughtful. He treats me like a princess. I truly don't deserve such an amazing guy as my boyfriend. I thank God for Quentin every day. He is the best.

Last Thursday (July 3rd), Quentin and I went to South Mountain State Park. It was fun hiking to the waterfall and back, eating lunch while sitting on a rock in the river, singing in the car, and just enjoying nature together. Here are some photos.

For Independence Day (aka July 4th), I went to the National Whitewater Center with some friends to watch fireworks and play games. I had a lot of fun. :) Here are some photos of the fireworks.

the passing of time

Five months ago today, Quentin took me out to lunch for the first time. It's hard to believe that I've known him for so short a time. I feel like I've known him for years, probably 'cause we spend a lot of time together. Yet, it also feels like time has flown by. Seems like just last week that he asked me to be his girlfriend, but on Friday it will be 4 months. Well one thing's for sure, the past 5 months have been quite amazing. :)

Here are some photos from Memorial Day. Quentin and I had a picnic in the park, and spent the entire day together. It was lovely.

 

I am so blessed to have known this amazing good-looking man for 5 months. He is an encouragement to me, and is one of my best friends. I hope to have many more fun times with Quentin.

life is amazing

I'm sitting in my bedroom with my windows open, listening to the birds chirping and the wind blowing the leaves in the trees, thinking about random things that make my life so amazing.

Like, I think it's amazing that God made me with senses, and created the world to touch those senses. He could have just made me as an existing blob, eeking out an existence in formless surroundings. But instead He gave me: eyes to see dazzling sunsets, brilliant flowers, and every unique human being; ears to hear birds singing, fire crackling, and people's voices; skin to feel soft breezes, furry animals, and grass beneath my feet; a mouth to taste fresh veggies, spicy tacos, and sweet cookies; a nose to smell buttery popcorn, the freshness of post-rain weather, and wood smoke.

Something so simple can be so amazing when I really think about it!

Another thing that makes my life amazing is the people God has placed in my life. If I had the time, I would write an entire post about each of my wonderful family members and friends. They are all such a blessing to me. God could have easily put me in the "real world" (aka the world outside of my immediate family) and lead me to people who pretend to be friends but don't really care about anyone. But, by His grace He blessed me with friends who genuinely care and want to walk through life with me. If you are my friend, know that I appreciate you very much! :)

And I can't forget about the amazing fact that Jesus is my Savior, God is my Father, and the Holy Spirit is my Helper. I get to have a relationship with the Creator of the universe, and He wants to use me to share Him and His love with others. He could have saved me, forgiven my sins, then left me to figure everything else out on my own. But instead He chose to live in me, guide me, and work in me to change me for His glory. I could write page after page of all the things God has done for me since He saved me. I would be completely lost if it weren't for Jesus. He is awesome!

Isn't life amazing?

...

One week ago today, I said goodbye to one of my best friends, Thomasson. I won't get to see her until September. Why? Because she's working with A Christian Ministry In The National Parks, in Wyoming, specifically in the Grand Tetons. She will be reaching out to people in the park and sharing Christ with them. It's such an exciting opportunity for her! :)

I already miss her very much. We lived in the same house for 8 months, and during that time we became like sisters to each other. She is an amazing young woman, and I am so glad I got to know her. Here are some of the things I most enjoyed doing with Thomasson, and that I miss the most.

• cooking and eating dinner together
• going for walks in our bare feet
• sharing gluten-free goodies
• brushing our teeth and making faces in the mirror before bed
• making green smoothies in the morning
• staying up late talking

 I love you, sweet friend, and I look forward to hearing all that God does in and through you in Wyoming! :)

New Season of Life

Wow, I need to post more often!

I've been wanting to write this for a while (almost an entire month!), but I haven't had a picture to go with it. Now I do, so here it is.

I have a boyfriend. :)

His name is Quentin. He is truly a gift from God. He spoils me so much, and cares for me in a way that is completely selfless and kind. For example, the other day when I was sick, he dropped what he was doing to come spend time with me. He is very sweet, and I always have trouble leaving whenever we have to say goodbye. I never thought I'd enjoy being with one person (like, just being with them, not necessarily doing anything) so much as I enjoy being with Quentin. God has definitely blessed me far beyond what I deserve. I am extremely thankful that God brought us together, no matter what happens in our relationship. Quentin is an amazing young man. And I'm excited to see what the future will bring. 

month in (brief) review

The month of January was certainly full of random shenanigans!

At the beginning of the month, I sliced my finger open on a broken bottle in our recycling bin. Totally my fault - shouldn't have reached in to rearrange stuff with my bare hands.

Anyway, two of my roommates took me to urgent care. They were both so kind and took great care of me, without panicking, which was very much appreciated. And I had to get stitches.

 Yep. Five. Count 'em. Five stitches. I had to take several days off from work in order for it to start healing. But, my finger is back to normal now. All that's left is a scar.

Isn't it amazing how the human body heals? I've enjoyed watching my skin grow back together. Just so fascinating! It's ok, you can laugh at how weird I am.

At the end of the month, we had our first ice/snow storm of the year. We invented a new winter sport: knee-boarding on ice!

And here are a few more snow pictures.

The only bad thing was that our road turned into a giant ice skating rink. We could literally slide down the hill in our boots. Good thing we didn't have to drive anywhere that day! 

The middle of the month consisted of hanging out with friends and family, staying up later than we should, puzzles, and lots of baking and cooking. All in all, January proved to be quite a good month. Bring it on, February.

New Year

Well, 2014 is off to a crazy start! I stayed up until almost 3am on New Year's Eve/Day, went ice skating with Thomasson on New Year's Day, had breakfast for dinner at 9pm, and got stitches for the first time.

Here are pictures from ice skating on Wednesday:

As to my new year's resolution(s), here they are:
To control my thought life better, have more positive thoughts than negative, don't let my mind dwell too long on the past, and be less judgmental.

Hope everyone's year is going well so far!