STATUS: Engaged.

It's been a big month at our house. Lots of big decisions were pondered, lots of big plans were made, and LOTS of sparkly rings were added to Etsy carts.

Let me back it up a little bit.

Daniel and I have been together for almost 6 years now, and from the very beginning, we knew we would get married some day.

I don't know how to explain it to people without feeling like I'm bragging, but we have a relationship unlike anyone's I've ever seen. We never went through a "dating" phase. We never went through an "uncertainty" phase. We never questioned where the relationship was going, or how the other person felt. From the very beginning, we just knew. It took him less than two weeks to say "I love you" and it took me about two weeks after that. (Although I knew much earlier.) We spent every spare moment of time together because it was agony being apart. But more than just love for one another, we developed a friendship unlike any other. I want him to know every detail of my life, just because I love sharing it with him. I value his opinion above anyone else's, because I know that his every decision is based on my happiness. But even when there's nothing left to say, I still desire his company. A great deal of our time together is spent in simple silence. Him watching Sports Center, me reading on the Kindle app, just close enough to reach out and touch, but still in our own worlds. Just being alone, together.

I had never been in love before I met Daniel, and I didn't know what to expect. Because of this I pushed him away for a while. This wasn't how it was suppose to be. No one finds their soul mate this young. He is absolutely too good to be true.

But he wasn't.

And after I accepted that, I embarked on the most amazing love story I could ever imagine. I love every inch of him. I love him wholly. I like to tell him "I would follow you off of a cliff." Because it's true. I adore him. I respect him. And most importantly, I trust him. With my heart, with my life, and with my future.

So in 2009 when Daniel told me that he was seriously considering enlisting in the Air Force, I without hesitation told him, "I'm in." Whatever he did, wherever he went, I was in.

That conversation turned to the possibility of school, and how much he wanted a college degree. He was in school for close to 3 years before we met, but never quite found his niche. He switched degrees many times (even after being accepted into some of the most exclusive programs on campus) but couldn't find anything that excited him. He was terrified of graduating with a degree that didn't interest him, and working the rest of his life at a windowless 9-5. It's just not who he is. So we talked about it, and talked about it, and talked some more. And eventually we landed on Engineering. It was a great program with great career possibilities, but there was a downside. Hardly any of his credits would transfer to this curriculum. But that was ok. This is what he wanted to do, and it would be worth it in the end. He enrolled, and started the long 4 year treck towards a new degree. The classes were a breeze. He never took notes yet absorbed material like a sponge. He was accepted into the Honors Society within a year, and we were ectatic about this new future we had designed for ourselves.

But then the bills rolled in. The student loans covered the tuition, and just enough to live on for a few months, but then it ran out. At the time, I was working at the mall, making barely enough to support myself, let alone support the both of us. So he took a semester off and went back to work for a while. We saved up, and he started back to class. But once again, the money ran out. This time he took two semesters off. We scrimped and saved and put every penny possible in the bank, but once again, it ran out. This continued for 4 years, until he had finally had enough. He was in the last year of classes, we were nearing $25,000 in debt, and it was time again for him to take a semester off for work. This semester was his breaking point. He had some of the worst professors I've ever witnessed in my life, along with some of the most unfair grading you could imagine. They had tenure, and didn't need their class to succeed. And they made sure the students knew it. Making it through Senior level Mechanical Engineering classes is hard enough, but having to teach yourself Senior level Mechanical Engineering? Absolutely impossible. So with our "on semester/off semester", we were looking at another two years, plus an additional semester to retake some of the classes from this semester. Five years later, we could no longer see the end of the tunnel.

We were so desperate to get married, have a house of our own, start a family, and generally get on with our lives. He was done, and so was I. It was SO hard to let go of that plan, especially so close to the finish line, but we knew in our hearts it was time for a change.

So we talked, and we talked, and we talked. And in these talks a common idea surfaced time and time again. The military. Daniel comes from a military family, and in his mind, the military enviroment is the perfect place to raise children. He had nothing but fond memories of that time. Because of his interest in mechanics, engineering and air/space, the Air Force seemed like the perfect fit.

It took me a while to get on board. I wanted nothing but for him to be happy, but I just couldn't force my mind to let go of the picture perfect plan I had set up for us. So one night I prayed. "God, I need to know if this is right. If this isn't for us, if this is the wrong decision, please tell me." And the next morning, I woke up with a brand new attitude. I felt so at peace with the idea. But more than that, I was excited. I knew this was the path for us. I knew this was where we were meant to be at this very moment. It wasn't right for us six years ago, but it is now.

And so we're doing it. (Eeeeeeek!)

The last month has been filled with more research than I've ever done in my life. It's hard not being able to plan every second of the future, because nothing is guaranteed in military life, but we're learning to accept it.

However, there is one thing that we can plan for. A WEDDING. The wedding we've been waiting on for six years. So our plan is to get married in March, and join the Air Force in April. Then Boot Camp, then Training. After that, we don't know! But we're ready for anything. Before this, "spontaneous" would NEVER be a word that I would use to describe myself. The idea of moving across the country alone, leaving friends and family, being on my own during Boot Camp, and caring for two dogs by myself is scary, but I know I can do it. It's crazy how quickly God can change your heart.

I wake up every day with a joy I haven't had in a long time.

I am SO ready to get this show on the road.

More updates to come!

xo Reagan

#airforce #military #wedding #engaged #love #future