We were thinking of going to a hotel (in town, literally just down the road) for Valentine's Day this year. We planned to go Friday-Sunday this last weekend.
Friday morning Joshua looked at me and asked, "Would you rather just stay home?" That sounded great to me (and more frugal!), so he called the hotel and cancelled.
We had a wonderful weekend together. Thursday, for Valentine's Day, I made an apple pie and calzones for supper (SO yummy), and we exchanged gifts. Joshua bought me a beautiful necklace, and took me out for supper on Friday as well. I decorated a mug with "sixteen things I love about you"--the list covered the whole mug. He loved it. :)
Saturday we slept in, cooked and ate a lot of good food, watched movies, and just relaxed. I had a sub for work for my two hours so we didn't even leave the house all day. That doesn't happen often!
Why do I love staying home instead of going out for dates? Or going on a little getaway like we'd planned?
-I don't have to pack. That was so nice!
-We can cook and eat whatever food we feel like making (instead of hotel continental breakfasts and restaurants).
-We sleep in our own bed. That doesn't need any explanation.
-We're totally alone, versus being in public...ahem. Again, no explanation needed...
-If we have a dinner-and-a-movie date, we can eat dinner on our couch and watch whatever movie we want, thanks to Netflix, and not choose from what's at the theater.
-We save on gas.
-Overall, it's cheaper!
-I don't have to put on makeup, or change out of pajamas (we stayed in our PJ's for a long time on Saturday...don't judge!).
-We're in the comfort and familiarity of our own home, instead of being in a hotel.
-At home, we can decide between baking something together, playing a favorite game, watching our latest favorite TV show (Joshua's working through "24")...or whatever ;) There are more options for activities at home than at a hotel. And they don't cost anything (or at least not much!).
-Did I mention the privacy? And the inexpensivity? (That is now a word.)
My favorite thing about staying home for dates is that because we're relaxed and in our most familiar environment, we're more likely to talk about important things, because we're not discussing things like "What channel should we pick out of the five million on this TV?" or "What time do we have to get up so we don't miss the continental breakfast?" or "How do you set this alarm clock?" or "Did you bring my pajamas?"
There are a lot of good reasons to go out for a date, or get away for a weekend. But since we don't have kids yet, it's really easy to find time to be alone, and being home is nice. We're both home-bodies, and I'm really okay with that! I think it's SO important to keep dating even now that we're married. It's essential for the health of our relationship to spend intentional time together, focusing specifically on each other. We plan to keep up the dating habit for our whole marriage, even after we start having children!
What are your favorite things to do for an at-home date? What do you like about staying home with your spouse?
Linking with: Exceptionalistic, The Alabaster Jar, The Better Mom, What Joy is Mine, Raising Arrows, lowercase letters , Countrified Hicks, To Love, Honor, and Vacuum
Showing posts with label dating. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dating. Show all posts
Monday, February 18, 2013
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Our Love Story {Part Two}
In this series: Part 1
Back to August 23, 2009, Monday: Day 1 of college classes.
Joshua figured out my name in geography class that morning. That night was the first weekly swing dance in the campus center. (Yes, we're a conservative Christian university. Yes, we like to dance!) I think I mentioned something to Joshua in class that morning about planning to go to the swing dancing to learn how, and I probably said something about hoping that he would go, too. He later told me that he wasn't going to, but his roommate Tyler encouraged him to go anyway.
My parents had learned how to swing dance a couple years before this, so I thought I might have an idea of what I was doing, but we learned country swing dance which wasn't what my parents knew! The leader, David, had us line up in two rows facing each other: guys on one side, girls on the other. I darted around in order to get across from Joshua. (Again! An incorrigible flirt!) Anyway, swing dancing involves holding both your partner's hands the whole time--a fair bit of physical contact. I had a blast, partly from the fun of dancing but mostly because I was developing a serious crush on Joshua by that point!
I remember going back to my room and telling my roommate Courtney, "Guess what?!? I just got to hold Josh's hands for two hours!" She had a boyfriend back home, so she was excited for me.
Those first two weeks of school nearly every email I wrote to my mom had something in it about Joshua. He and I had class together three days a week, and we started hanging out, but with my roommate. I remember one night we watched The Little Rascals in Courtney's and my room. She and I each had a chair, but there wasn't one for Joshua, so I piled up blankets and pillows on the floor and sat between them. We had a bag of popcorn and I kept intentionally brushing my hand against Joshua's when we were eating the popcorn.
It was Sunday, September 6 when Joshua and I were chatting on facebook (I found him and added him as a friend shortly after we met), and he asked if I wanted to come watch a movie in the lounge of his dorm that night. Courtney was invited, too. We discussed what movie we wanted to watch, and I suggested South Pacific, one of my favorites. Was it a chick flick? Joshua wanted to know. Kind of, I said--it's a musical. But it takes place during World War II, so there's fighting and stuff. He said that was okay, so I said I'd bring it over later. Little did I know just how much significance that movie choice would have!
...to be continued!...
Coming soon: My husband is going to guest post on my blog!!!! He actually volunteered to do a guest post when he found out I was doing this little series on our love story. He is that awesome. He is also so awesome that he did the dishes while I was at work tonight AND mixed up chocolate chip cookie dough, so we are currently eating fresh-out-of-the-oven cookies!
Get excited for his guest post!!
Back to August 23, 2009, Monday: Day 1 of college classes.
Joshua figured out my name in geography class that morning. That night was the first weekly swing dance in the campus center. (Yes, we're a conservative Christian university. Yes, we like to dance!) I think I mentioned something to Joshua in class that morning about planning to go to the swing dancing to learn how, and I probably said something about hoping that he would go, too. He later told me that he wasn't going to, but his roommate Tyler encouraged him to go anyway.
My parents had learned how to swing dance a couple years before this, so I thought I might have an idea of what I was doing, but we learned country swing dance which wasn't what my parents knew! The leader, David, had us line up in two rows facing each other: guys on one side, girls on the other. I darted around in order to get across from Joshua. (Again! An incorrigible flirt!) Anyway, swing dancing involves holding both your partner's hands the whole time--a fair bit of physical contact. I had a blast, partly from the fun of dancing but mostly because I was developing a serious crush on Joshua by that point!
I remember going back to my room and telling my roommate Courtney, "Guess what?!? I just got to hold Josh's hands for two hours!" She had a boyfriend back home, so she was excited for me.
Those first two weeks of school nearly every email I wrote to my mom had something in it about Joshua. He and I had class together three days a week, and we started hanging out, but with my roommate. I remember one night we watched The Little Rascals in Courtney's and my room. She and I each had a chair, but there wasn't one for Joshua, so I piled up blankets and pillows on the floor and sat between them. We had a bag of popcorn and I kept intentionally brushing my hand against Joshua's when we were eating the popcorn.
It was Sunday, September 6 when Joshua and I were chatting on facebook (I found him and added him as a friend shortly after we met), and he asked if I wanted to come watch a movie in the lounge of his dorm that night. Courtney was invited, too. We discussed what movie we wanted to watch, and I suggested South Pacific, one of my favorites. Was it a chick flick? Joshua wanted to know. Kind of, I said--it's a musical. But it takes place during World War II, so there's fighting and stuff. He said that was okay, so I said I'd bring it over later. Little did I know just how much significance that movie choice would have!
...to be continued!...
Coming soon: My husband is going to guest post on my blog!!!! He actually volunteered to do a guest post when he found out I was doing this little series on our love story. He is that awesome. He is also so awesome that he did the dishes while I was at work tonight AND mixed up chocolate chip cookie dough, so we are currently eating fresh-out-of-the-oven cookies!
Get excited for his guest post!!
Friday, February 10, 2012
Our Love Story {Part One}
In this series: Part 2
So...since Valentine's Day is just a few days away, and the anniversary of our engagement is just 11 days away, and because I am such a romantic...I'd love to share our love story (or at least most of it, ha!) with you. :)
Joshua and I met on August 20, 2009. It was our first full day on campus as college freshmen. The community hosted a "block party" during the Weekend of Welcome, in order for the students to get to know the town a little better. I went with my roommate and some friends, and we wandered around in a variety of shops and explored the downtown. One of the little shops is a coffeeshop/hangout place for college students that's organized and run by members of some area churches, called Neutral Groundz. They're open weekend nights, and there's Bible studies, free food and coffee and other drinks, a big game room with a pool table, foosball, big screen TV, tons of board games, etc. It's a fun place to hang out.
Anyway, I went in there with my friends and Joshua happened to be in the downstairs game room. I don't remember a ton of details about that first meeting. Apparently, according to Joshua, I went to talk to some other guys on the other side of the room, while my roommate struck up a conversation with Joshua. I did join them fairly quickly and, being the outgoing person I am, introduced myself right off the bat. Those first few weeks of college I was in the "meet people and find out things about them so I can try to find friends" mode. Well, after a few questions I found out that Joshua was a pastor's son, was one of five boys, was thinking of going to seminary, and had been homeschooled for part of his education.
I was very impressed, interested, and attracted to him right off the bat! Here was this tall, blond, big guy--taller than I am--who talked to me, seemed interested in what I had to say, and had quite a few admirable qualities about him. We invited him to join us and he stuck with us girls for the rest of the afternoon. We ate supper together on the lawn of the county courthouse--hot dogs and hamburgers. I remember getting mustard all over my fingers without any napkin to wipe it on. Joshua offered that I clean my fingers off on his arm. I definitely looked at him weird; that was a strange offer! But he explained that he had worked at fast-food restaurants and it didn't bother him. So I did, and he wiped his arm on the grass. (Weird, I know.)
Part of the afternoon included a tractor-drawn wagon ride through part of town. I intentionally managed to sit next to Joshua, and we sat fairly close. I'm not usually much of a flirt...but I was that day, unfortunately! Happily, it all turned out well. :) I didn't know it at the time, but Joshua was apparently "checking me out"--as interested in me as I was in him.
At the end of the afternoon my friends were getting a ride back to campus from another guy I had started to get to know a little bit. Joshua started walking back to campus by himself. I was torn, but only for a few seconds--I quickly ran after Joshua to walk back to campus with him. He offered that we stop at Dairy Queen on the way for an ice cream cone, but I was all a-flutter and had no appetite. :) The walk back to campus took at least twenty minutes and we talked non-stop the entire time. I don't really remember what we talked about, but that was probably the longest conversation I had ever had with any male outside my own family. I was impressed. He walked me right to my dorm, and I was pleased with his chivalry. :)
The next evening was the opening worship service for the semester. In church I was looking for Joshua, but couldn't find him. I did spot his roommate, Tyler, and went to sit by Tyler. Then I turned around--and Joshua was right behind me, with a man and a woman with him, obviously his parents. I initially was disappointed that I had missed him but was relieved because I was a little intimidated by the presence of his parents!
After the service I wove through the crowd to walk out with Joshua and talk with him. Much later I found out that his mom asked about me right away then. "Who's that cute girl you were talking to?" she asked him. Joshua actually couldn't remember my name! (I didn't know that till several months later, either!) Joshua's mom commented that I seemed to really like him. She was right. :)
The next day, Monday, my second class was Geography 101. I walked in--and there was Joshua. :) I took the seat next to him (of course). He told me later that he listened closely during the roll call to hear what my name was.
So that was how everything started! To be continued... :)
<3 <3 <3
So...since Valentine's Day is just a few days away, and the anniversary of our engagement is just 11 days away, and because I am such a romantic...I'd love to share our love story (or at least most of it, ha!) with you. :)
Joshua and I met on August 20, 2009. It was our first full day on campus as college freshmen. The community hosted a "block party" during the Weekend of Welcome, in order for the students to get to know the town a little better. I went with my roommate and some friends, and we wandered around in a variety of shops and explored the downtown. One of the little shops is a coffeeshop/hangout place for college students that's organized and run by members of some area churches, called Neutral Groundz. They're open weekend nights, and there's Bible studies, free food and coffee and other drinks, a big game room with a pool table, foosball, big screen TV, tons of board games, etc. It's a fun place to hang out.
Anyway, I went in there with my friends and Joshua happened to be in the downstairs game room. I don't remember a ton of details about that first meeting. Apparently, according to Joshua, I went to talk to some other guys on the other side of the room, while my roommate struck up a conversation with Joshua. I did join them fairly quickly and, being the outgoing person I am, introduced myself right off the bat. Those first few weeks of college I was in the "meet people and find out things about them so I can try to find friends" mode. Well, after a few questions I found out that Joshua was a pastor's son, was one of five boys, was thinking of going to seminary, and had been homeschooled for part of his education.
I was very impressed, interested, and attracted to him right off the bat! Here was this tall, blond, big guy--taller than I am--who talked to me, seemed interested in what I had to say, and had quite a few admirable qualities about him. We invited him to join us and he stuck with us girls for the rest of the afternoon. We ate supper together on the lawn of the county courthouse--hot dogs and hamburgers. I remember getting mustard all over my fingers without any napkin to wipe it on. Joshua offered that I clean my fingers off on his arm. I definitely looked at him weird; that was a strange offer! But he explained that he had worked at fast-food restaurants and it didn't bother him. So I did, and he wiped his arm on the grass. (Weird, I know.)
Part of the afternoon included a tractor-drawn wagon ride through part of town. I intentionally managed to sit next to Joshua, and we sat fairly close. I'm not usually much of a flirt...but I was that day, unfortunately! Happily, it all turned out well. :) I didn't know it at the time, but Joshua was apparently "checking me out"--as interested in me as I was in him.
At the end of the afternoon my friends were getting a ride back to campus from another guy I had started to get to know a little bit. Joshua started walking back to campus by himself. I was torn, but only for a few seconds--I quickly ran after Joshua to walk back to campus with him. He offered that we stop at Dairy Queen on the way for an ice cream cone, but I was all a-flutter and had no appetite. :) The walk back to campus took at least twenty minutes and we talked non-stop the entire time. I don't really remember what we talked about, but that was probably the longest conversation I had ever had with any male outside my own family. I was impressed. He walked me right to my dorm, and I was pleased with his chivalry. :)
The next evening was the opening worship service for the semester. In church I was looking for Joshua, but couldn't find him. I did spot his roommate, Tyler, and went to sit by Tyler. Then I turned around--and Joshua was right behind me, with a man and a woman with him, obviously his parents. I initially was disappointed that I had missed him but was relieved because I was a little intimidated by the presence of his parents!
After the service I wove through the crowd to walk out with Joshua and talk with him. Much later I found out that his mom asked about me right away then. "Who's that cute girl you were talking to?" she asked him. Joshua actually couldn't remember my name! (I didn't know that till several months later, either!) Joshua's mom commented that I seemed to really like him. She was right. :)
The next day, Monday, my second class was Geography 101. I walked in--and there was Joshua. :) I took the seat next to him (of course). He told me later that he listened closely during the roll call to hear what my name was.
So that was how everything started! To be continued... :)
<3 <3 <3
Saturday, February 4, 2012
A Little Weekend Getaway
Once again, I'm wishing my camera and my computer were still friends. I haven't taken any pictures in a while because I can't upload them. But my memories from this weekend will just have to stay in my mind!
Joshua picked me up after work yesterday and surprised me by having a bag all packed with our things, some snacks and drinks, and even a nice shirt for me to change into for our evening together. He had even already checked into our room.
The Liberty House is part bed and breakfast, part antique store in a hundred-and-twenty year old house that's quaint and old-fashioned. Our room was one of three guestrooms. It was very spacious, with a big queen-sized bed (the headboard was huge!), a comfy yellow wing chair, antique vanity and desk, and two twin beds--one in the room and one in a big walk-in closet--in order to accommodate families. (One of my friends actually stayed here with her family this past summer.)
We also had a TV with cable and a DVD player, and there's wireless internet, but we didn't bother with that. However, we don't get cable at home (not worth it for the cost!) so we watched the weather channel for a bit to keep an eye on the beginning snowstorm. (We got several inches of snow these past 24 hours--the most we've had ALL WINTER!)
The bed was extremely comfy so we relaxed for a while and then headed out to dinner. I had a barbecue chicken sandwich with a sweet pepper/pineapple salsa, and Joshua had a really awesome cheeseburger (man of simple tastes :) ). We shared a huge piece of (according to the menu) "better-than-anything" chocolate cake. ;)
After supper we headed back to our room and watched a movie, "City Slickers," because Joshua hadn't seen it. Just for fun. Because we could.
Later we went over to campus to watch an improvisational theater performance. Our school has a pretty talented improv group, and it was really fun.
We slept quite well, and had a fantastic breakfast this morning--coffee (with hazelnut creamer, our favorite!), orange juice, french toast, peaches, and sausage. It was delicious. Our hostess was very sweet and gracious. (If you're ever in our area, I'd highly recommend this as a place to stay!)
The best thing about this weekend was just how incredibly thoughtful my husband was. He took care of literally everything. He surprised me this morning with a sweet card and a cuddly little teddy bear, as a "just-because" gift. AND he did a ton around the house while I was at work this afternoon.
I can't recommend enough doing things like this if you're married. It was so refreshing to be away, just us, even if it was only five blocks from home and only for a night. Getting to a different place helped redirect my focus on my husband, forgetting about all the housework and homework I had to do. And it was a chance to just have fun together, to be pampered a little, to invest in our marriage.
A marriage refresher doesn't have to be costly or long in duration. It can be as simple as going for a walk together--getting out of the house, leaving the worries and responsibilities of the moment behind for a little bit, talking together without any distractions.
It can involve just staying at home but unplugging the TV, computers, and turning off phones and locking the door--no outside distractions, just YOU.
It can be getting in the car and driving, anywhere, just for the sake of being together (again, without any major distractions!). (Side note: Sometime I want to take a road trip without any specific destination in mind: just get in the car and go and stop whenever we feel like it. That sounds like my ideal vacation!)
The point of doing something a little out-of-the-ordinary with your spouse is:
To get your priorities back in order (God, your spouse, THEN you, then other things)
To get away from distractions (children, chores, media, work, bills, etc)
To really focus on each other and refresh your marital intimacy
And that was why we took our little weekend getaway. :)
Joshua picked me up after work yesterday and surprised me by having a bag all packed with our things, some snacks and drinks, and even a nice shirt for me to change into for our evening together. He had even already checked into our room.
The Liberty House is part bed and breakfast, part antique store in a hundred-and-twenty year old house that's quaint and old-fashioned. Our room was one of three guestrooms. It was very spacious, with a big queen-sized bed (the headboard was huge!), a comfy yellow wing chair, antique vanity and desk, and two twin beds--one in the room and one in a big walk-in closet--in order to accommodate families. (One of my friends actually stayed here with her family this past summer.)
We also had a TV with cable and a DVD player, and there's wireless internet, but we didn't bother with that. However, we don't get cable at home (not worth it for the cost!) so we watched the weather channel for a bit to keep an eye on the beginning snowstorm. (We got several inches of snow these past 24 hours--the most we've had ALL WINTER!)
The bed was extremely comfy so we relaxed for a while and then headed out to dinner. I had a barbecue chicken sandwich with a sweet pepper/pineapple salsa, and Joshua had a really awesome cheeseburger (man of simple tastes :) ). We shared a huge piece of (according to the menu) "better-than-anything" chocolate cake. ;)
After supper we headed back to our room and watched a movie, "City Slickers," because Joshua hadn't seen it. Just for fun. Because we could.
Later we went over to campus to watch an improvisational theater performance. Our school has a pretty talented improv group, and it was really fun.
We slept quite well, and had a fantastic breakfast this morning--coffee (with hazelnut creamer, our favorite!), orange juice, french toast, peaches, and sausage. It was delicious. Our hostess was very sweet and gracious. (If you're ever in our area, I'd highly recommend this as a place to stay!)
The best thing about this weekend was just how incredibly thoughtful my husband was. He took care of literally everything. He surprised me this morning with a sweet card and a cuddly little teddy bear, as a "just-because" gift. AND he did a ton around the house while I was at work this afternoon.
I can't recommend enough doing things like this if you're married. It was so refreshing to be away, just us, even if it was only five blocks from home and only for a night. Getting to a different place helped redirect my focus on my husband, forgetting about all the housework and homework I had to do. And it was a chance to just have fun together, to be pampered a little, to invest in our marriage.
A marriage refresher doesn't have to be costly or long in duration. It can be as simple as going for a walk together--getting out of the house, leaving the worries and responsibilities of the moment behind for a little bit, talking together without any distractions.
It can involve just staying at home but unplugging the TV, computers, and turning off phones and locking the door--no outside distractions, just YOU.
It can be getting in the car and driving, anywhere, just for the sake of being together (again, without any major distractions!). (Side note: Sometime I want to take a road trip without any specific destination in mind: just get in the car and go and stop whenever we feel like it. That sounds like my ideal vacation!)
The point of doing something a little out-of-the-ordinary with your spouse is:
To get your priorities back in order (God, your spouse, THEN you, then other things)
To get away from distractions (children, chores, media, work, bills, etc)
To really focus on each other and refresh your marital intimacy
And that was why we took our little weekend getaway. :)
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Our Engagement Story
I'm a hopeless romantic. I hope some of you are, too. This story is for you!
Joshua and I discussed marriage very early in our relationship. Neither of us really wanted to date if we didn't at least have a good idea that dating would lead to marriage. I mean, why date with the expectation to break up? So we talked about it early on. We started dating in September of 2009. By December, we had pretty much decided that we were going to get married. We originally wanted the wedding to be in December 2010. However, it was my parents who changed that.
The two of us visited my parents over Christmas break of 2009-10. Joshua took a bus back to Nebraska, and I flew back the next day. My parents took me to the airport, and on the way there my dad rather suddenly said, referring to Joshua, "So. Is this the one?"
I was a little startled but I said yes. "Does he think so, too?" Dad asked.
"Yes," I said.
"So," Dad asked, "do you have a date set?"
"Dad!" I protested. "Well, we were thinking this December."
That wouldn't work, Dad said. He's a minister of music, and Joshua's dad is a pastor. Christmas is one of the busiest times for both of them...not to mention the weather usually isn't great for traveling.
So Dad suggested Memorial Day weekend of 2011. I didn't like the sound of that...it was nearly a year and a half away. So long to wait! Joshua wasn't thrilled either. But we agreed that that would be the wedding date.
Even at this point we weren't officially engaged. In February I knew Joshua was looking for a ring and planning on calling my dad to ask his permission to ask me to marry him. We had a delightful Valentine's Day, despite a massive blizzard that day. One week later, on February 21, a Sunday, I knew he was going to call my dad and ask for my hand. I knew, however, that Joshua didn't have the ring yet, so I didn't think he was going to ask me yet. That evening we met for supper and I could tell by his expression that the conversation with my dad had gone well. We were planning on relaxing in the evening by watching a movie. I wanted Joshua to see Pride and Prejudice, although he's not crazy about Jane Austen. We were in the downstairs lounge of my dorm building, the "mirror lounge," because one whole wall is covered with a mirror. Most of the dividers surrounding the lounge area were mostly closed. I was already changed into pajamas and was setting up the movie on my computer on a low table by a couch. I got up and turned around from starting the movie--and Joshua was down on one knee.
"Jaimie Elise Huebschman," he asked, "will you marry me?"
I was so surprised, because I hadn't expected him to ask me yet. For a few seconds I forgot to say anything, just stood there with my hands over my mouth and tears forming in my eyes. "Yes, yes, a thousand times, yes!" I finally exclaimed, and pulled Joshua to his feet and gave him a big hug and kiss.
He knew that the only way to really surprise me was to ask me when I least expected it, and he certainly was right about that! The rest of the evening we hardly paid attention to the movie, but just kept looking at each other and giddily exclaiming, "We're engaged! We're going to get married!"
I could hardly believe that he had asked me while I was wearing pajamas, but he didn't mind. I got my camera and we took pictures together to mark the moment. We decided to not tell anyone except our parents until I actually had a ring to wear. The next day we called our parents to tell them, and they told no one else, not even our siblings.
That week was a busy one, and it was so hard to keep our engagement a secret! I was in a play and I wasn't free in the evenings much with rehearsals, and that next weekend were the performances. By Sunday the 28th I was done with the play, however. After church we had lunch together in the school cafeteria, and then Joshua walked me back to my room. My roommate happened to be gone at the time. Almost as soon as we got in my room Joshua got down one one knee a second time, and this time he pulled a small box out of his pocket. Inside was the perfect ring, exactly what I had been wanting: white gold with a diamond solitaire, nothing more. It was beautiful, and I cried again as he slid it on my finger. We took more pictures--this time with our hands, and the ring sparkling on my finger.
After that we started sharing our engagement. Our parents told our siblings, and Monday morning we sat beside friends in chapel and they noticed the ring on my hand. (Those friends are engaged to each other now, and the girl was my roommate last year!)
Most people were excited and happy for us. The people whose opinions we really valued were genuinely happy for and supportive of us. Most people were surprised. Some were doubtful, because of our young age or our short dating period. Even now when we tell people we're married most people who don't already know us are surprised because yes, we are young.
At our wedding the pastor made a point in his sermon of telling us, "No, you're not too young, no matter what anyone says." But that's a story for another time. :)
Joshua and I discussed marriage very early in our relationship. Neither of us really wanted to date if we didn't at least have a good idea that dating would lead to marriage. I mean, why date with the expectation to break up? So we talked about it early on. We started dating in September of 2009. By December, we had pretty much decided that we were going to get married. We originally wanted the wedding to be in December 2010. However, it was my parents who changed that.
The two of us visited my parents over Christmas break of 2009-10. Joshua took a bus back to Nebraska, and I flew back the next day. My parents took me to the airport, and on the way there my dad rather suddenly said, referring to Joshua, "So. Is this the one?"
I was a little startled but I said yes. "Does he think so, too?" Dad asked.
"Yes," I said.
"So," Dad asked, "do you have a date set?"
"Dad!" I protested. "Well, we were thinking this December."
That wouldn't work, Dad said. He's a minister of music, and Joshua's dad is a pastor. Christmas is one of the busiest times for both of them...not to mention the weather usually isn't great for traveling.
So Dad suggested Memorial Day weekend of 2011. I didn't like the sound of that...it was nearly a year and a half away. So long to wait! Joshua wasn't thrilled either. But we agreed that that would be the wedding date.
Even at this point we weren't officially engaged. In February I knew Joshua was looking for a ring and planning on calling my dad to ask his permission to ask me to marry him. We had a delightful Valentine's Day, despite a massive blizzard that day. One week later, on February 21, a Sunday, I knew he was going to call my dad and ask for my hand. I knew, however, that Joshua didn't have the ring yet, so I didn't think he was going to ask me yet. That evening we met for supper and I could tell by his expression that the conversation with my dad had gone well. We were planning on relaxing in the evening by watching a movie. I wanted Joshua to see Pride and Prejudice, although he's not crazy about Jane Austen. We were in the downstairs lounge of my dorm building, the "mirror lounge," because one whole wall is covered with a mirror. Most of the dividers surrounding the lounge area were mostly closed. I was already changed into pajamas and was setting up the movie on my computer on a low table by a couch. I got up and turned around from starting the movie--and Joshua was down on one knee.
"Jaimie Elise Huebschman," he asked, "will you marry me?"
I was so surprised, because I hadn't expected him to ask me yet. For a few seconds I forgot to say anything, just stood there with my hands over my mouth and tears forming in my eyes. "Yes, yes, a thousand times, yes!" I finally exclaimed, and pulled Joshua to his feet and gave him a big hug and kiss.
He knew that the only way to really surprise me was to ask me when I least expected it, and he certainly was right about that! The rest of the evening we hardly paid attention to the movie, but just kept looking at each other and giddily exclaiming, "We're engaged! We're going to get married!"
I could hardly believe that he had asked me while I was wearing pajamas, but he didn't mind. I got my camera and we took pictures together to mark the moment. We decided to not tell anyone except our parents until I actually had a ring to wear. The next day we called our parents to tell them, and they told no one else, not even our siblings.
That week was a busy one, and it was so hard to keep our engagement a secret! I was in a play and I wasn't free in the evenings much with rehearsals, and that next weekend were the performances. By Sunday the 28th I was done with the play, however. After church we had lunch together in the school cafeteria, and then Joshua walked me back to my room. My roommate happened to be gone at the time. Almost as soon as we got in my room Joshua got down one one knee a second time, and this time he pulled a small box out of his pocket. Inside was the perfect ring, exactly what I had been wanting: white gold with a diamond solitaire, nothing more. It was beautiful, and I cried again as he slid it on my finger. We took more pictures--this time with our hands, and the ring sparkling on my finger.
After that we started sharing our engagement. Our parents told our siblings, and Monday morning we sat beside friends in chapel and they noticed the ring on my hand. (Those friends are engaged to each other now, and the girl was my roommate last year!)
Most people were excited and happy for us. The people whose opinions we really valued were genuinely happy for and supportive of us. Most people were surprised. Some were doubtful, because of our young age or our short dating period. Even now when we tell people we're married most people who don't already know us are surprised because yes, we are young.
At our wedding the pastor made a point in his sermon of telling us, "No, you're not too young, no matter what anyone says." But that's a story for another time. :)
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