the world expands

Give great care to the preparation of engaged couples
and be close to young married couples,

so that they will be for their children and the whole community

an eloquent testimony of God's love.

Pope John Paul II, 2001

---

the other night, we went out to dinner (looks like this post must have spurred a date night!) and took a break from jonathan's bar study. limoncello lemonades have never tasted so good!!

one of my favorite parts of the evening? jonathan shared with me why he chose his best men and groomsmen, and i shared with him why i chose my maids of honor and bridesmaids. as we talked, it became obvious just how blessed we are in our relationship. so many people (including our bridal party) have shaped our lives, have guided us in the direction that we have come, and have supported us through life's ups and downs.

i love jpii's quote above - the importance of preparation and support - of the community around us as an engaged couple. we are who we are because of those we love.

for me, one of the most significant things that i appreciate in my family and friends is their ability to forgive me when i screw up. trust me, it happens more often than i'd like to believe. jonathan's learning that more and more each day. ;) thank you, for cheering me on when i succeed, and for loving me even when i fail. you help me to grow and become the wife and (future) mom i want to be.

188 days remain until our wedding. as the great philosopher rocky balboa once said, "i got gaps; you got gaps; we fill each other's gaps". as our lives expand to welcome the other in, i expanded our e-world a bit when i invited jonathan onto viper's world as a blog author.

over the upcoming months, we plan to share about our journey to married life, and feature those we love in the bridal party. you'll probably be amused by jonathan's stories about me and all my annoying traits - which he outlined in detail the other night. i'll admit, it was pretty funny. i can be pretty annoying at times.

welcome to the new viper's world...which in 189 days, will also be maggie's world too. :)