Engagement!

As you can see, Erin and I are very excited to begin our married life.

Here's the story:

We met a few years ago at a Halloween party, but I made a point of staying away because one of my buddies was mad crushing on her - though otherwise I am sure I would have been cranking my mack up to eleven. She really wanted to talk to me, and didn't understand why I wasn't giving her the time of day. The following summer I was working at Qwanoes and she sent me an email encouraging me in our ministry. I appreciated her correspondence and didn't think much more of it. Fast forward a year or two and through some mutual friends, I wound up with one of this girl's amazing paintings. I sent her a note telling her that I acquired one of her pieces (which she thought was pretty creepy), and we get to talking about art, which I had googled in advance. It turns out to be a pretty interesting subject. Anyways - I asked if she wanted to go on an adventure sometime, get to know each other a bit. After all, we have so many friends in common. She thought I sounded pretty fun and agreed (cha ching!).

Our first date landed us on top of a mountain. The view was great but I wanted to get to the good stuff - so I asked if she wanted to bake a pie. We hit the grocery store and went back to her place, where her mom fixed our dough for us and chatted me up. She knows how to woo young men, having had two other daughter's love interests to practice on. She offered me a key to the house, limitless taquito's, and a fridge that always has doctor pepper in it on the first not-even-date. Obviously, I knew Erin was the one, but I played it cool for a long while. I didn't want the first girl with delicious snacks who wandered by to capture me. So I deeply considered over several taquito filled months whether or not she was wife-worthy. As my waistline grew, so did my assurance that this sassy artist was the sassy artist for me. I saw her repeatedly put God first out in public. I saw her being honest and loving with her friends. Graceful with her family. God fearing in her theology. Caring in her occupation. I waited until I had a lengthy list of positive attributes before I let myself admit: I like this girl. Then I told her, and we held hands! Oh the hands we held. Left, right, right, left, all four of our hands we held them all. It was glorious!

Anywho - we dated, she left for camp, she came back, I went to camp, I came back, and then I couldn't hold it in any longer. Why not get hitched? I bought the ring and had it burning in my pocket while we attended her uncle's wedding in Alberta. I met her whole family, thinking often of the family we would build together, and what it means to join another person's family. They approved of me, and so in an unromantic, but very surprising way, I proposed. This was after her uncle's wedding was a couple of days old, of course - we had just arrived back in Victoria. This ring that had made it through the airport twice finally got put to use. I asked her once again if she would go on an adventure with me, and after much humming and hawing, she consented.

So that's the story!
I would love for you all to come out to the wedding. Its on February 16th. Let me know if you're interested, and what your address is, and we'll get some invites in the works. They're just being made now so its the sweet spot. May I reiterate: I want all of you to meet my delicious bride. So come! You can stay in my one room loft style abode. On a couch, or the floor. It'll be rad.