A NEW Bloggity Blog!

Well everyone...  I've decided to jump ship. 

...
I'm jumping ship on THIS blog, I mean.

This has been somewhat of a chronical (albeit quite inconsistent) of my life as a single woman.  I'm excited to start sharing updates about our new family-life with my husband, & wanted a new place, all our own, for that.

That said, I'm glad to announce a NEW BLOG, where you will find our Darby Family Fun!

http://www.ourdarbydaze.blogspot.com/

I decided to keep it private though, so if you'd like to follow Our Story as it keeps on going, send me your email address in an email, or post a comment, or send a text, or somehow let me know you'd like an invite, & as soon as I can, I'll get you hooked up!  ;o)

I haven't decided yet if I will let this blog fade to oblivion, or if I might still use it somehow, but either way I'm excited for the fresh beginning of our new blog!

Our Story - Bedtime Story Style

So, after not posting for so long, here I am, ready to post again.  Jonathan & I have had fun telling each other bedtime stories, & a LOT of them go a little something like this....


Once upon a time, there was a beautiful Princess who moved away from home.  She felt lost & alone, & a little scared, but only on the inside, because she was trying to have a great new adventure!  Then, on her travels she met a Warrior.  Now, this new land she called home was HOT, very very hot.  But the Warrior was hotter than even the hottest day.  He was strong & brave, & very happy to meet the new Princess.  And she was happy to meet him too.  The Princess was admittedly hesitant, having dealt with some major spells of heartache & several 'idiots in tin foil' in the previous year.  But she decided to give this Warrior a chance... or two.  As she kept getting to know him she began to fall in love with him, because he knew he loved her a long time before he told her so.  The Warrior fell more quickly & easily than the Princess, but he was patient with her.  She went away on a voyage to far away lands that she loved, & while she was gone, she began to understand the tender feelings in her heart for this brave Warrior who was already in love with her, (even knowing the good & the more difficult things about her).  When she returned from her voyage, she told him that she loved him too.  And when she did, he was so happy, that this brave Warrior's smile shone like the smile of a little boy on Christmas morning!  :)


He always knew what he would do next.  So late one night, he got down on one knee, told the Princess of his love for her & how it would last forever, and asked the beautiful Princess to be his Queen.  The Princess knew what the Warrior was thinking before he asked that big question, but she was still a little slower, dissappointing him that night, & requiring his patience again as she made him wait.  So while he waited, the Warrior prepared all his armor, as spiffy & shiny as could be, & took the Princess to a special warrior ceremony.  He took the Princess to a ball!  The Princess was so excited!  But... they didn't dance at the ball.  Good thing for the Warrior that the Princess was satisfied with dancing in her cottage, instead of at the ball.  In fact, it made her smile.


Then they went to a big, white castle.  They planned this voyage with the Warrior's visiting parents, & with a handmaiden or two.  The voyage was for all of them, but the Princess went with a special quest.  She looked forward to their visit to the great white castle, & decided that there she was going to answer that warrior's proposal, even though she wasn't yet SURE of the answer, like she hoped to be.  As they traveled upon the Warrior's white stallion to the glorious castle, the Princess kept seeking the guidance of her kind, wise Father.  Even as they arrived, the princess was seeking the answer.  


As they went into the castle to be instructed by the kind, wise Father, & the Princess was indeed taught!  First as they entered, one of the guards spoke to the Warrior of great blessings and answers to be found in the Father's castle that day.  Next, a kind guide in the castle spoke to the Princess & the Warrior of how he could see their sweet love, & how great it was for them to be visiting the kind Father that day with the Warrior's parents.  The Princess hear those words deep inside her heart, as his words stirred her tender feelings, & the Warrior held her hand.  The same guard also spoke with the Warrior's parents later, before the instructions were recieved, & the Princess again overheard, feeling sweet & tender feelings repeated as the guide spoke to the parents.  As they were instructed, the kind, wise Father spoke to the heart of the Princess.  Her emotions overflowed, & her tears made the Warrior worry.  But the tears weren't sad tears.  Not at all!  They came from being reminded of the kind Father's infinite & individual love, & from words that seemed to be spoken just for the Princess in response to her quest, by guides & helpers who didn't even know there WAS a quest.  


As the Warrior was waiting for the Princess in the Grand Hall (& worrying about her tears & what her answer might be), he talked with his parents, & the Princess tried to dry her tears so she could go talk with her Knight in shining, white armor.  When at last the Warrior & the Princess were reunited, they embraced, & sat together.  As the Princess laid her head on the Warrior's shoulder, she calmed down, & turned to whisper in his ear, one word. A simple word that would effect forever.  "YES."  She started crying again, & the Warrior wanted to shout for joy right then & there, but instead he just kissed the Princess & hugged her tighter.  


The Princess had a hard time containing her emotions, & at this point was worried she'd pass out from lack of nourishment... which brought her emotions that much closer to the surface.  The Princess & the Warrior told the Warrior's parents & they all embraced, then the parents left- the Warrior's Father strutting proudly from the room.  He was so pleased that everyone could see it.  As soon as they left the castle, they began to spread the word of their upcoming marriage!  Some of the carrier pidgeons though, weren't very fast, or effective, & some of the royal court became offended at their slow announcements.  Still they continued to tell their courts & handmaidens & neighbors, & friends!

But that, my friends, is just the BEGINNING.  ;o)

I'm Engaged!

It's been ages & ages since I've had internet, so I haven't blogged in that long & longer, though I do have a draft or two that got started sometime during bouts of internet connectivity, but I do have a connection now, & I have some news!......

I'm getting married!

Here's some of our story...

Jonathan is in the Marine Corps, & has been stationed in Yuma for a couple years.  

Earlier this year, I knew I was moving to Yuma, not really having an answer to the question I heard over & over "WHY Yuma??"

Jonathan & I met at a YSA activity, where we quickly became acquainted, thanks to Quelf, the game that is King of Random.  I don't have a picture of us, but it went pretty much like this.....

 Everyone had to take turns sitting on Jonathan's lap & telling "Santa" what they wanted for Christmas.

"I want a super deluxe tool kit."  hahaha!

Good to meet you!

Jonathan asked me out, but we actually kind of had our first date a night or two before that day came.  One night he brought over a couple pints of ice cream & we sat up all night eating ice cream & talking & watching TV.  When our date night came, we went out to a movie & then sat and talked over more ice cream at my house afterward.

Fast forward.   Jonathan & I are dating, though one of us is a little slow, & so we're not calling it that.  Jonathan had to go to Corporal's Course in Miramar for a few weeks, & I went for part of the weekend to visit.  We had a fun time playing at the beach.

Also on a weekend while he was at Corporal's Course we went to Mesa to go to the Temple & visit my sister & her family.  That weekend brought changes for us, & the next few weeks were a lot different.  We weren't dating anymore, but we were talking everyday, & getting to know each other more & more.  (FUNNY how that worked out....)

Just before Labor Day, Jonathan started talking about taking a trip to the Snowflake Temple.

I love northern Arizona, & I love visiting Temples, so when Jonathan invited me to go,  I decided it was a great excuse to visit with my family & with my dear friends, & so I went with him.  The brother of the friends that we stayed with thought that we were dating, & I just laughed.  But being in a car with someone for 12+ hours...  can get you talking, can open you up even more to each other, & for us it did.  Again our weekend getaway brought changes to our relationship, & within a day of getting home from that trip we were dating again.

We went to the Marine Corps Ball together, & by now Jonathan knew he wanted to marry me!

3 days later we went to the Mesa Temple, where we spent a little time with his parents & some friends, & where I was able to give him the answer he'd been hoping for .....

YES!

We're getting married!  We're getting maried! 

March 29th is the special day!

St. George, Utah is the special place!

We'll have a reception in Washington (where Jonatha is from), on April 2.

The next weekend will be our Northern Arizona reception, in the Prescott Area, on April 9th... (right, the 9th, or is it the 8th?) ;o)

We'll also have an open house in Yuma later in April, or maybe even in May, but we want to let our friends & ward families here celebrate with us! :)

That's the big news for now!