WEDDING MADNESS!!!

Ok…so for any who are confused, I am twenty-four–years-old. Yes I said 24. Now I know that is INCREDIBLY young and therefore I DO NOT NEED TO WORRY ABOUT GETTING MARRIED YET…but contrary to that opinion, there are MANY my age and YOUNGER who are already hitched. I entered the “we’re getting married” stage with friends SEVERAL years ago – and the number of single friends I have {holding onto the happiness of freedom and a total lack of responsibility to any other individual} is QUICKLY dwindling. October was officially WEDDING MONTH (and ALSO the conclusion of the 2009 wedding season [for me]).

On October 3, 2009 Stacey Joy Shepard (now Buck) married her love Ryan. I met Stacey when I was a sophomore in high school (I think I was a sophomore – I might have been a freshmen – but I’m pretty sure I was a sophomore). She started going to our church and we officially became FRIENDS at winter camp that year. She and I were “best” friends throughout high school. We definitely spent a lot of time together and there were numerous seasons in our friendship when the desire for a boyfriend was the primary topic of conversation. However, as we grew up, that became less and less important to me and increasingly important to her. I moved away for college (to Riverside – so not really far away) and our friendship had to change. I wasn’t around as much and when I was home my attention was divided between numerous friends and family. She and I talked less and less and ergo knew less and less about each other. However, I was still acutely aware that her true desire in life was to be a wife. In December of this year Stace and I had lunch together and I heard the latest saga of her lacking love life and disappointment was written all over her face. HOWEVER in January she and Ryan started dating and I would say almost immediately she said, “he is the one – all I’ve ever hoped for and more.” They dated for just over 2 months before he proposed in March and then got married in October. WHEW it was quick – but I am happy that she is happy and is getting to live her dream! On October 9, 2009 Lisa Christine Paajanen (now Laird) married her love Mike. Lisa and I met when we were freshmen in college. She was the VERY FIRST person I met at Cal Baptist. She and I BOTH lived on 1C and hit it off before we even left for New Student Orientation Retreat. Lisa and I did all kinds of crazy things together throughout our college years…we even got food poisoning together! Ha! Lisa graduated in December of my junior year and moved back to Phoenix. She and I haven’t been as close since she left –but I went to visit her and she came to visit me and we did our best to stay in touch. When she got engaged, she called me right away and we celebrated together via the telephone. She and Mike have been together for a WHILE and they have been waiting for him to finish school and get his promotion and then for his brother (who is in the military) to be coming home soon from the Middle East. So finally all the pieces were in place and SHE GOT HER DIAMOND! {The ring just might have been her FAVORITE part of being engaged!!!} Megan and I roadtripped out to Phoenix for her wedding and had a blast. It was a WHIRLWIND trip {to say the least} but we were BOTH thrilled to be there to share in her day!! SO now my best friend from childhood (Anna) is married, almost all of my close friends from college are married (Tessa, Kimie, Krista, Lisa) {hang in there Megan - i think we are TOTALLY getting the good end of this deal!!} almost all the people I grew up in church with are married (Christina, Lauren, Stacey, Sarah, Krissy, Kristin, Lisa, Kevin and Jamie) and there are SO MANY others I can’t even categorize.
BUT I’ve made it through another wedding season…can’t wait to see what weddings are in store for 2010!!