Reminiscing about the proposal

A coworker's daughter is soon-to-be-engaged, or at least that's what we think. The daughter's boyfriend contacted my coworker and her husband a few days ago and is taking them out to dinner tonight; it's all we could talk about this afternoon every time I popped my head in her office! (Ha, I'm pretty sure she doesn't read my blog, considering I've never met her, so I'm not ruining any surprises!)

Naturally our conversations turned to wedding planning, which usually brings me back to the fun, once-in-a-lifetime experience of getting proposed to, myself, and the nine and a half month engagement Mark and I lived while planning the next chapter of our lives together. So fun!

I'll never forget the morning he proposed (does anyone really?) -- the worry I felt when he left the Adoration Chapel to take a phone call (at 4:30 a.m.), the confusion I felt when he strolled back (unhurriedly, so it could not have been someone sick or dying) into the chapel with his backpack and a piece of paper in his hand, the silence that fell when he told me to "come here" and held my hand to pick me up off the floor (I had been prostrated) and sit me into a chair, the love I felt when I began to read his beautifully written and sincere letter he handed me, the way my heart skipped a beat when he looked at me with focus just before he knelt down on one knee, the sound of his voice when he asked me to marry him, the embrace we shared after I said "yes," the blessings I felt as we prayed the joyful mysteries of the rosary and the enthusiasm with which I had in proceeding to call my family and best friend as we left the chapel and headed to IHOP to take in what had just taken place.

What joy I feel for my coworker this evening as she begins to dream about her daughter experiencing, in her own way, what I've just described!

How could I have been so lucky?

Aug. 29, 2008 -- the morning Mark proposed. Fancy IHOP breakfast following.

30, flirty and thriving

I have so much knowledge about being 30 years old -- a whole 11 hours worth of knowledge so far, only four of which have been while awake. :) So far, however, it's been fabulous! I've got the best loved ones for whom anyone could ask, and I've been blessed way more than I deserve. Here's to this year and all the years following, please God, being the best yet. I'm so thankful I have a loving, generous and kind husband with whom to share them.

Recapping the 20 most memorable experiences of my 20s (not necessarily in order, except for No. 1!):

20. Graduating from the University of Texas at Austin Journalism School.
19. Founding the Catholic 20-Somethings Ministry.
18. Owning my first house.
17. Buying and paying off my first car -- my fabulous Toyota 4Runner.
16. Going through the Christ Renews His Parish Retreat experience.
15. Kidnapping my best friend, Angela, from her husband and galavanting around France together.
14. Experiencing heartburn for the first time and going to the doctor, aka Rico Suave, in Monaco.
13. Traveling to Europe with the hubby -- Italy, France and England.
12. Developing a love affair with wine.
11. Becoming a godmother to the three most precious children -- Austin, Reagan and Anderson.
10. Becoming an aunt to the three most beautiful nieces -- Violet, Kenna and Olivia.
9. Living with the best sister for whom anyone could ask, Allie.
8. Working for the Catholic Church.
7. Working for a country music magazine that provided me the opportunity to meet countless famous music artists.
6. Getting certified to scuba dive and diving in Cozumel, Cancun, Destin and the Barrier Reef in Belize.
5. Raising my adorable, little, tired pomeranian, Blondie.
4. Being within 30 feet of and blessed by Pope Benedict XVI.
3. Going on a mission trip to Monterrey, Mexico.
2. Seeing, with my dad, U2 in concert.
1. Marrying the love of my life, Mark.

 June 13, 2009

My childhood future husband

Meet: Brian Stevens.  He had an athletic build, brown hair and looked mostly like Jared Leto:

Jared Leto when I was in high school

Brian was someone I dreamed up when I was a high school-aged girl, the man I was going to marry.  He only ever existed as a figment of my imagination. 

Being dreamy high school girls, my best friend, Angela, and I decided we would predict the men we would marry and make a notebook of our future weddings.  I came across this notebook this past weekend as I was going through some old boxes from my childhood.  Ha! 

The first page of the notebook has the details of what our future husbands and lives would look like,
 including the number of children we'd have (Mr. Stevens and I would have three), while the next several sheet protectors held torn out bridal magazine pages of wedding and bridesmaid dresses we liked and hot honeymoon destinations of the time.  Apparently Jamaica was where Mr. Stevens and I would go.

I wish I could give more details I'd dreamed up, but I've since repacked the notebook -- you know, so my future children can have some good laughs later; meanwhile the box it's packed in collects attic dust.  Instead, I'll happily turn toward dreaming of my real, wonderful husband.

He does have brown hair (thankfully shorter than Jared's) and an athletic build.  We honeymooned in beautiful Belize and pray to be blessed with any number of children someday.  My wedding dress was much more beautiful than the big bows and puffy sleeves that adorned the dresses in my notebook, as were my bridesmaid dresses.  I still donned the gloves I'd always dreamed of, though. ;-) 

God blessed me beyond my wildest imagination when he chose Mark for me long ago.  No dreams of any boy-crazed teenage girl could have ever thought the God-fearing, strong, handsome and funny man I now call my husband would have been set aside for the silly, hopeful and sometimes awkward girl I was.  Mark got a real kick last night out of seeing my old yearbook pictures -- I think fourth through seventh grade provided the most laughs.  Gotta love those middle school years.

Thank you, Jesus, for having a plan, for knowing in what magnificent ways you wanted to bless me, for loving me so much as to save Mark for little old me.  We look forward with great hope to continuing to watch your plan unfold!

March 2008

Reason no. 532 my husband is awesome

So after several days of going up into the sauna-on-steroids attic, drilling holes in the ceiling and wall to discover 2x4s in the way, pushing fishing poles and hangers through the ceiling to see where the hole went to, hours of holding his arms above his head and general frustrations of going from "this is an easy project" to "worst idea ever," Mark was able to install my little old recessed lighting in the cove in our living room so that I could have a little artsy cove.  It looks so pretty!  Mark will say the project wasn't worth it, but I sure do love the way it looks.  I'm so grateful for a husband who will go through loads of frustration to follow through with something I've asked him to do.  He even cleaned up the mess all by himself!  Thanks, honey, for helping me create my little dream home!  On to the next project on our neverending home improvement list ...

Pretty!  It looks even better at night. 

One year later

We've now been Mr. and Mrs. Mark Crowley for one year and two days!  We have lived every day of the year together as husband and wife, and it's flown by!  Maybe it's because we've been so busy with the special circumstances of many friends' weddings and the impending birth of our niece (next week!) and another niece / nephew later this year, but I'm not sure things will ever really slow down.  Such is life!  Next year it'll be a couple more weddings, etc.  I'm so grateful I have someone so wonderful with whom to share these experiences.  God is so good for finding it good and pleasing to have chosen us for one another.  He sure knew what He was doing when He set us apart for the other!  I couldn't be more joyful.

We had a wonderful anniversary celebration, planned by Mark.  He certainly set the bar high for me next year when it's my turn to plan!  I think I can measure up. :)

The weekend was incredible, filled with lunch at Trattoria Lisina (Mandola Estate Winery restaurant)...

a tour of Texas' only successful olive oil company, First Texas Olive Oil Co.,  and wine tasting at Bella Vista Cellars -- all located at Bella Vista Ranch in Wimberley ...

a stay at The Lakehouse Bed and Breakfast in Canyon Lake ...

dinner at a seafood restaurant on the lake ...

and general celebrating!

It was a perfect way to celebrate our first year together as a married couple!  God willing, the first of many, many more to come.

To close out this post, a little reminiscing on our holiest and most blessed day together yet ...

I can't think of anyone I'd rather be than Mrs. Mark Crowley.  Happy anniversary, hun!

Wedding season has begun

I love weddings!  I love dressing up, dancing, fine cuisine and, most of all, watching two of my favorite people unite in one of the holiest unions known to man -- marriage.

This last weekend, our good friends, Lauren and John, were married after almost three years of dating.  It was a beautiful weekend of events, and Mark and I were blessed to have been a part of it in the wedding party.

May 8, 2010, John and Lauren just after their Nuptial Mass

Remaining May weddings:

Chelsea and Jon

Bekah and Ryan

June weddings:

Amy and Sunil

Christi and Thomas

July weddings:

Rachel and Carl

Jenn and Justin

Love it!  

Another reason why I love weddings so much is because I think it's a beautiful reminder to me and Mark, and all married couples, of our commitment to one another.  It's with such joy that we witness the excitement and overwhelming feelings of love that the bride and groom has for the other, and it brings me back to our own wedding day.  I remember how I felt in the bride's room as I waited to meet my future husband at the foot of the altar -- oh, how the minutes crept by!  I remember walking down the aisle, watching my husband behind my veil grow nearer and nearer with every step I took -- by far, my most favorite part of the day.  I remember our first dance as husband and wife as well as our last dance that day -- how we sang Jason Mraz to one another as the end of our reception came to a bittersweet end.  I remember the rushing feeling of excitement as we ran out of the reception doors into the limo, dodging the sparkler sparks and seeing off our loved ones as we climbed into our getaway car after a long weekend of emotion-filled events.

I hope those feelings will never escape me as we grow older, but I am so thankful that we had all of it videoed!  I highly recommend to every bride and groom to video, at least, the wedding ceremony and the reception if you can -- even if it's just a friend with a camcorder!  Visually seeing yourself later on film brings back those feelings and helps you to recapture all the things going through your mind.

So, thanks to our loved ones who have invited us to witness their own wedding days.  It's a most beautiful day that offers Mark and me the chance to reminisce and recommit to one another over and over again.

Thanksgiving 2009, Cancun, Mexico trip

Thankful for having the same mindset on marriage

Why are some people so down on marriage?  Why do some people get married, saying, upfront, that divorce is an option if the two people get bored with one another or feel like moving on?  It's irritating. 

How did I get so blessed to be married to a man who loves being married and thinks the utmost of the sacrament of marriage?  These are his own words, by the way.  That divorce is never an option.

I am overwhelmed with love and thank God every day for finding it good and pleasing that He should bring us together.  I am so undeserving!

Cozumel, Mexico trip, August 2007

Catholic 20-Somethings Ministry = Cupid

There's a joke in the Catholic 20-Somethings Ministry "founder circle" about the relationships that have evolved from the ministry.  Now, I will defend the notion that the ministry is not a dating service, especially since it is not a singles ministry and is open to anyone in their 20s, regardless of vocation.  When I began the ministry in 2005, it was a specific goal of mine to avoid the notion all together.  I wanted people to grow in their faith and Christian fellowship, not come to ministry events just looking for a spouse.

Now looking at the ministry five years later (five years of 20-Somethings -- crazy?!), after having met my own husband through it, I can appreciate the fact that it has changed lives in bringing future spouses together, resulting in families.  In fact, it's sometimes hard not to become too proud of it.  I call it the Mother Hen in me -- a nickname given me after nurturing the ministry's birth and growth in its first three years.  Mother Hen Jen.

Marriages resulted from the 20-Somethings

1. Me and Mark
2. Katie and Paul 
3. Claudia and Fernando
4. Anne and Timberon
5. Sara and Chauncy
6. Chelsea and Jon (May 2010)
7. Lauren and John (indirectly, May 2010)
8. Jenn and Justin (engaged)
9. Kimberly and Will (engaged)
10. Alexandra and Matt
11. Selina and Richard
12. Michelle and Matt

Others?

Plus countless other currently dating couples.

AND now, what I like to call, 20-Somethings babies!  (Not mine, mind you -- I know I'll get questions about that.)

1. Baby Barboza
2. Baby Lo
3. BABY (KENNA?) CROWLEY!

I had to emphasize the last one as I'm proud to announce the impending birth of my niece, July 2010!  Katie and Paul are expecting, and the family is thrilled.  We couldn't be more excited to meet her.

So even though the 20-Somethings isn't meant to be utilized as a dating service or meat market, I'm grateful for the new life and love brought forth by it.  Every now and then, I might quietly still whisper, "You're welcome."  At least to my friend Matt!

 March 2006

Four years together!

Today marks four years that Mark and I have been together!  Little did we know that first Bible study at my apartment that we would later become husband and wife.  Thanks for bringing him over for the study, Paul. :)  Here's to four times 444 and more years together!  Love you, hubby.

 

Cancun, Thanksgiving weekend 2009

Thankful for companionship

There are many things about marriage I love ... Today I am thankful for Mark's companionship. 

The word "companion" is defined as:

• one who accompanies another
• one who is closely connected with something similar

The last couple of weeks have seemed a little crazy for me ... between the holidays and minor crises involving my personal information, emotions have been running somewhat high on my end.  One thing I learn from Mark on a regular basis is taking life with a grain of salt.  He is Mr. Laid Back, easygoing, roll with the punches kinda fellow, while I lie on pretty much on the complete opposite side of the spectrum: Ms. Detail Oriented, thorough planner, analytical kinda girl.

He has been so patient with me these last few weeks and is counter-acting my frenzy with such grace.  Yesterday, for example, he helped me look high and low, even going through the garbage and dirty clothes, to try to find something.  When the conclusion finally came to being that we weren't going to find it, he so calmly and lovingly helped me to realize it wasn't that big of a deal that really had a simple solution.

Those moments of peace that occur right after you realize everything's going to be OK are so sweet.  Mark allows me these moments more than he realizes. 

What does this have to do with companionship?  To me, the idea of companionship means loyalty and assistance, among other things.  Sticking by me when I seem a little nutty and helping me to be a better person beautifully illustrates loyalty and assistance.

My perfect companion provides me those moments of clarity to see the bigger picture.  How beautiful.

Top 10 things I'm thankful for as a newlywed

10. Having someone with whom to start and end the day together.

9. The opportunity to cook for someone and try out new recipes as much as I want.  It's harder to do that as a single person (difficult to cook for just one person).

8. The growth of your family (in-laws and, God-willing, future children).

7. Always having a date to bring to special occasions.

6. Public displays of affection

5. Making our house a home

4. The intimacy of sharing and growing in our faith and holiness

3. The excitement we share in having children someday

  

(With our niece Violet)


2. Always having a dance partner

1. My loving husband, the one God intended me for, Mark Crowley.