5 days left and I'm mostly not nervous...

   People keep asking my gypsy and I if we have a big day coming up or if we're nervous, and both of our responses are every time without fail, "No." This would be a sarcastic response because we are both ridiculously excited about the day coming up.

   In addition, the stress comes and goes. Some days parents and friends and relatives will recite to us the list of things left to do and my gypsy will get overwhelmed, which stresses me out.

   However, I would not say I'm nervous.

   Someone told me the other day that when he was this close to his wedding (30 years ago) he was terrified. I shrugged it off at the time, but then started thinking about it later and asked myself: Is something wrong with me for not being terrified of the humongous commitment I'm getting myself into? I analyzed my feelings and decided two things about myself.

   #1. I think I'm hiding some of my own anxiety from myself. I believe I'm trying to make it look like I know what I'm doing because so many people have doubts about the choice I am making. I figure if I act confident enough, people will stop trying to convince me that I'm being foolish. Well it seems I've at least partly fooled myself into a false confidence, so yeah.

   #2. I truly am confident about what I am doing. My gypsy and I took an entire year away from each other to pray and seek God on what to do and if this was the right choice. We broke up not only in name but also in emotion. We didn't even speak to each other for nine months.

   During that time I doubted whether or not my gypsy was the right girl for me. I talked to a number of girls and found out different things about them. Family background, religious affiliations, occupation goals, future family desires. None of them had as many of the attributes I want in girl as the one I have now.

   This gypsy has an incredible family who is more committed to God than the majority of people I know. She is a writer and an introvert like me so we enjoy doing so many of the same things together. She is also a super creative dreamer and free spirit, and in that sense she is very much my opposite, though she is also brilliant and logical. She enjoys playing video games and watching the Bourne Trilogy and the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, none of which were things I had prayed for but are super cool, especially since on the opposite side, she is very feminine. She wears dresses, her favorite authoress is Jane Austen, and she enjoys cooking, especially Indian food. She doesn't care about a future occupation, though she wouldn't mind learning midwifery skills to help friends and family. She wants a family, something like 4-10 kids, and she wants to travel. But most of all, she wants to love and serve God. I haven't met as many girls as some people have, and I haven't dated any but this one, but there is not a doubt in my mind, in my parents' minds, or in her parents' minds that she is the right one.

   Her father told me not long ago. "You may not be sure that she is God's will for your life, but once you say 'I do', then she is for certain." I know that when I say "I do", it is forever.

   I think there are people who don't believe me when I tell them I'm a knight. I think there are people who only see a kid, a foolish kid at that. And why I wonder? Probably because people don't realize that I was raised very responsibility and maturity conscious with a supportive family who valued chivalry, honor, and keeping promises very seriously.

   So am I nervous? Nah. Am I naive? Probably. Do I care? Not really.

   Mainly because I know that all the problems here on earth will melt away sooner than I know. And I serve a God that is bigger than any obstacles that arise in my life or marriage. I'm not perfect. My gypsy isn't perfect. But my God is. And nothing I can do will change that.

   Thank you everyone who is praying for us, and thank you a second time to everyone who has faith in us. 

- The Knight, accompanied by his gypsy

Thanks For Giving (And Being)

   This is the second holiday we have officially spent as an "engaged" couple (4th of July being the first). This holiday isn't even over yet. We spent Thursday morning-to-afternoon with my (the knight's) family, and the evening with the gypsy's. We spent tonight with more of my family, and Sunday we will be spending again with hers, so needless to say, we're going to be eating a lot of turkey.
   And seeing a lot of family. I find it so very interesting to compare the two. I'm not sure I want to stereotype because that's really not fair, but since it's much easier to do so and is slightly humorous, I'm going to anyway. (I apologize to everyone ahead of time.)
   The more I think about it, the more I believe the analogy of a knight and gypsy works, because I feel like our families play along/fit in. The majority of my family carries itself with a kind of dignity that fits the knightly theme. The members of my family highly prize having deep conversations and taking the time to make sure everyone gets to have their say. They are very patient and caring, and are generally very good listeners. I also used to think that I had a large family, though of course that was before I really knew my fiance.
   Her family is at least three times bigger than mine. They are always laughing, joking, and poking fun at something or someone. They say it's a side-effect of growing up with 4-12 siblings. Go figure. But everything is just so much more laid back and fun, if you can handle the sarcasm and can understand the movie quotes.
   It's not that one family is better than the other, but they're different and those differences intrigue me. My family is much quieter, though that's because all my cousins are older than me, while my fiance still has 30+ younger siblings/cousins who are running around every which way. I am realizing more and more that there are so many ways to live and function and party and socialize and yeah. It's kinda crazy to think I'm marrying someone from a family which contrasts mine so sharply, but the more I participate, the more I enjoy it.
   What can I say? I like life, and life likes me (It's after Thanksgiving so I can quote the Christmas Carol now.) Thank you everyone for such a memorable holiday weekend.

-the Knight, accompanied by my gypsy.

In the Beginning...

Once upon a time, in a land far far away, there lived a heroic knight, and a wandering gypsy.
They met early on in life, fate pulled them away again and again, but even the combined power of the elements wasn't enough to stop true love.
This blog is the combined tales of the aforesaid couple, their love story, wedding preparations, every day life after the wedding (because unlike fairytales, life doesn't stop there), and everything in between.