Hello Everyone!
Just thought I'd drop in and introduce myself
FI and I are newly engaged (2 weeks friday!) and we definitely have had an atypical relationship thus far....
we met on eHarmony in Jan 2010, exchanged lengthy daily emails (multiple times per day usually) Jan-May2010, then in one of those sad circumstances that you only think happens in a movie, we had a few emails/fb messages get lost in cyberspace, got busy and lost touch except for occasional fb pokes and brief messages and whatnot. We had talked about meeting in person but it never would work with our schedules, then he got deployed and was dealing with some illnesses in the family- he returned from deployment in May of this year and we essentially picked back up where we left off, except we made it work to meet in person (very beginning of June). He is enlisted, NAS Jacksonville and I live in VA, and it's roughly 600 miles door to door (so definitely not bad considering how military relationships can be!). He drove up to see me the first time we met (over 9 hr trip one way) because he is a gentleman and didn't want me to feel uncomfortable and for us to have to spend the day together if for some strange reason we didn't click in person... but nothing could be farther from true!
We began dating after waiting a month to make it official (I'm definitely not the type of person to rush into things and neither is he) and we have had some really unique dates... fast forward 3 months and he asked me to marry him. I was shocked TBH, we had discussed how we both felt that God had led us together for a reason and that we felt that we knew each other was "the one" but I definitely didn't expect him to propose this soon (not that I'm unhappy about it; I'm thrilled!). Of course, I said yes after making sure he'd gotten my dad's permission first (of course he had; and of course my dad gave his blessing). I'm super thrilled because my family loves him, and his family loves me- I just feel so blessed to have met God's perfect match for me!
We haven't set a date yet; as I said earlier He's enlisted Navy but he has applied for the STA-21 program and he won't hear back on that until at least the end of the month. We are praying that he gets selected because he only has another year or two of eligibility for the programs he wants. He has said that if possible he'd like to get married before they detatch him from his command to go to school, but that depends on when they'd detatch him because we are committed to doing premarital counseling and we definitely don't want to rush and not be able to enjoy the process or put unneccessary strain on our relationship. We are thinking May of next year as a possibility but we will see what is feasible; there are a lot of details to work out (as you all know!)
Big challenges for us will likely be:
a) me finding a dress- I'm a size 0; last Sat and Mon I went looking at dresses and couldn't find anything that I liked anywhere close to my size for a decent price (we're definitely going to be doing a budget wedding)
b) budget wedding: the biggest thing here will likely be affordable venues in my area of VA, plus then working out details for accomodations for his family (that will be coming from CA to VA for wedding)
c) actually picking a date, haha!
I've been lurking on here for the past 2 weeks trying to kind of familiarize myself more fully with the military family aspect of things (none of my family has been in the service) as well as doing some outside reading. You all seem like very lovely and helpful ladies, and I'm already grateful for the advice I have gleaned from the posts I have read! Would love to hear any and all advice you gals have to offer me on this new and exciting (yet somewhat intimidating) journey!